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jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 12:21
Hey guys,

Let me start by saying I really like the BAD Lever and this thread has nothing to do with it's quality, just what happened with one of mine. Also, I just had a very good experience with Magpul when the clip on my MS2 sling broke off. Before posting this I asked Army Chief which would be the appropriate section. This seemed like the right one.

On Sunday, I was shooting some drills. I hit the deck pretty hard as did my gun. I didn't realize it right then, but the impact was on the BAD Lever and broke/bent the back plate - pics below. At this point, the bolt starts locking back randomly within ever 5 to 10 rounds, maybe. It didn't take long for me to see the problem, but I still didn't see it immediately because it still functioned somewhat properly and no parts came completely off of the gun.

Now, the problem here would have been if I didn't have the torx wrench to remove the BAD Lever. If I didn't have it, which by luck I did that day, the only way to have gotten it off would have been to pry and wiggle it until it snapped completely off.

Again, and let me stress, I AM NOT bashing Magpul, the BAD Lever or anything mechanical. I don't baby my guns, but I also don't let them hit the deck like that usually either. This was completely on me. I know Magpul would probably do right by me on this like before, but I'll probably just buy another since this is all on me. I run these on all my guns, even my KAC ambi lowers as many others do. I'm at the range a few times a week, but also spend about 30 minutes or more a day dry firing, running malfunction drills, etc. The BAD Lever has been amazing for malfunctions and I will continue to use them.

My point in his thread I guess was to let everyone know about my experience and the importance of having the right tools with you in the field. Since this is the only thing on my gun that takes a torx, I usually don't have one with me. The only reason I did this time is because I ordered another one for a new gun and it was in my bag.

Sorry for the long winded post. There's a couple pics below. It was held open just enough to not be very noticeable, yet still engage the bolt catch on occasion.

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee343/jonconsiglio/Misc/BAD-02.jpghttp://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee343/jonconsiglio/Misc/BAD-03.jpg

nickdrak
02-22-11, 14:00
While I love the concept of the BAD lever and the speed benefits it offers during remedial action drills, it has caused my AR's more problems than it has solved. I have removed them from all of my AR's.

JasonM
02-22-11, 15:32
While I love the concept of the BAD lever and the speed benefits it offers during remedial action drills, it has caused my AR's more problems than it has solved. I have removed them from all of my AR's.

me too.

Magic_Salad0892
02-22-11, 15:39
I let others be the guinea pigs before deciding that I didn't want to use a BAD lever.
But I can definitely see the utility.

rob_s
02-22-11, 15:42
Interesting situation. I'll keep right on rockin my BAD levers and similar. Do wish they'd attach with something other than Torx but with a Multitasker and the right bit in the bag it's not a big deal.

jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 15:52
I've used them with success for a while now and through thousands of rounds. My gun has hit the ground a number of times and I've never had issues. This, I'm sure, was a rare case. But, I can't help but think about how bad this could have been in a different situation.

Like I said, I'm sure this is not the norm, but I figured I should post it. Not to complain about Magpul or the part at all, but for others to be aware of an issue they could have - and to keep that wrench in their range bag at the very least.

Personally, I'll keep running them for now. I'm completely comfortable with or without the BAD Lever as I try to work my gun and malfunctions both ways, it's just much more convenient with it.

I now mostly run the KAC SR15's, but the ambi lower leaves a little to be desired since the right side release is awkwardly high and there's no bolt lock for the right side. That new ambi lower with the mag release/bolt lock looks promising though.



Interesting situation. I'll keep right on rockin my BAD levers and similar. Do wish they'd attach with something other than Torx but with a Multitasker and the right bit in the bag it's not a big deal.

That's just it, having the right tool for the job with you when you need it. From my T1 to my Scout lights to my mounts, etc., all use Allen wrenches. I'd like to see if I can get a similar screw with an Allen head for the BAD Lever.

Also, I'm sure this is a very rare situation. I hit the ground HARD and my gun hit at an odd angle to take the impact on the lever like it did. I probably couldn't repeat this if I tried.

Cameron
02-22-11, 16:15
I have BAD levers on 5 of my personal AR and probably 3 very good shooting buddies have another 3 and we have never had in issue with them.

I'm with the guys here that I will keep on using them.

Cameron

Boss302
02-22-11, 16:28
I'm still in the T&E phase of the BAD lever on my rifle. I'm a southpaw and it definitely helps, but I'm not convinced I like having less room in the trigger guard as of yet.

jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 16:52
I just wanted to mention that Dozer already contacted me about sending a replacement. Awesome customer service, as usual. Another reason that I will happily continue to buy from Magpul.

Jonathan

Cameron
02-22-11, 17:09
What did you hit it on to actually break it. I can't conceive of a a way it would break unless it landed on something more than just the ground...

Cameron

ucrt
02-22-11, 17:12
.

jonconsiglio,
Thanks for reporting this.
I think your BAD breaking is a good thing.

I like the BAD and have thought about ways it could "mess up". One of the worst cases scenarios I've come up with is the BAD snagging and somehow breaking the Bolt Catch.
It is at least good to know that the BAD will give out before it breaks the BC.

Jon, since you tested the BAD being pushed into the gun, if you don't mind, can you wrap a piece of paracord around the lower portion of your new BAD and pull violently away from the gun? And then let us know what happened? If you don't mind... :)

Again, thanks for reporting this and glad you got a new one.

.

Don Robison
02-22-11, 17:15
I'm with the guys here that I will keep on using them.

Cameron



Me too; I haven't had any issues with the three I'm using. Being a lefty I've found they really help.

CoryCop25
02-22-11, 17:23
I have BAD levers on all but one of my rifles and I have never had any issues with them. I keep the torx wrench, the allen wrench for my vtac light mount and my ambi safety wrapped tight in a plastic bag stuffed in my hand grip.

jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 17:25
What did you hit it on to actually break it. I can't conceive of a a way it would break unless it landed on something more than just the ground...

Cameron

I've hit the grass/dirt/mud a number of times with no problems. This time I hit a wooden platform that is basically two 4x4's with a piece of plywood. When I went down, I went down hard. The gun hit hard and bounced. I believe the first hit was on the BAD Lever. If you look at the picture, you can see a scuff on the corner, in the front. I wiped it off, it was more noticeable before. Instead of coming straight down on it's side, I think it hit while the gun was going forward. At least that's what makes the most sense to me.


Jon, since you tested the BAD being pushed into the gun, if you don't mind, can you wrap a piece of paracord around the lower portion of your new BAD and pull violently away from the gun? And then let us know what happened? If you don't mind... :)

Again, thanks for reporting this and glad you got a new one.



Give it time. With the way I'e been breaking gear, I'm sure it'll happen on it's own relatively soon! ;)

jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 17:27
I have BAD levers on all but one of my rifles and I have never had any issues with them. I keep the torx wrench, the allen wrench for my vtac light mount and my ambi safety wrapped tight in a plastic bag stuffed in my hand grip.

That's a pretty good idea. It would be a convenient seeing as I have a number of each of them. Thanks.

Nest
02-22-11, 18:47
Liking my BAD lever so far. Reading this made me aware that I need to keep the torx wrench with my rifle though. Never thought of it before. I keep my earplugs in my grip so I never worry about forgetting them, but there should be room for a couple little allen and torx wrenches.

Evil Bert
02-22-11, 19:54
I prefer the Phase5 as it is a single piece and replaces the BHO altogether. Of course I run a Magpul BAD as well on one of my guns. I think the Phase5 wins out in this situation.

@OP - You should look at the Phase5 here (http://phase5tactical.com/products/ar15-m16/ebrv2-)

Jimbo45
02-22-11, 20:00
While I love the concept of the BAD lever and the speed benefits it offers during remedial action drills, it has caused my AR's more problems than it has solved. I have removed them from all of my AR's.

Me three. I tested and evaluated the BAD lever, for my use, when they came out. While I love the concept of simpler weapon manipulation, I am just not a fan of bolting something onto a lever, to make the lever longer. I am not a fan of bolting anything that isn't necessary, really. The more things you bolt on, the more chance of a failure. This may not be a problem for competition or gun gamers, but my duty guns need to remain relatively simple and functional. A failure of the OP's type, is not favorable on the two way range, IMHO.

ucrt
02-22-11, 20:06
I prefer the Phase5 as it is a single piece and replaces the BHO altogether. Of course I run a Magpul BAD as well on one of my guns. I think the Phase5 wins out in this situation.

@OP - You should look at the Phase5 here (http://phase5tactical.com/products/ar15-m16/ebrv2-)

=============================

EB,
What hold the EBR to the Bolt Catch? It looks like it is glued or epoxied.

Thanks

.

markm
02-22-11, 20:14
I think I'd rather put KNS pins on one of my guns instead of the BAD idea. And I friggin hate KNS pins. :fie:

jonconsiglio
02-22-11, 20:45
I never knew that people had such an unfavorable view of the BAD lever, and I've been looking all over this site for a couple years now.

2-way range - That was just my point when posting this. Have the tools needed to fix these things. Had that happened with someone shooting back, it could have gone very bad. I've been involved in one shooting and one very near shooting. With the absolute breakdown of thinking anything through, who knows what would have happened.

I don't know. Like I said, I run through drills with and without the BAD Lever since I don't want using the bolt lock alone to become as foreign as using the BAD Lever once was. The likelihood of being in another shooting is very slim itself, but having this kind of failure on top of it is probably 1:1,000,000.

I guess I need to think it over and see where it takes me. I'm interested to hear some more opinions on this as well. Thanks to everyone that's posted so far.

Jonathan

ucrt
02-22-11, 21:22
.

I like the BAD and I use it all of the time trying to find out the disadvantages, problems, weakneses, etc.

To me the most "acceptable" weakspot on AR's, are Folding Sights.
Jon, broke his BAD but his gun still partially functioned. If he would have landed on his folding sight, his rifle would have been pretty useless.
I bet the next time Jon's gun fails, he'll check his BAD and after reading all of this, I will too.

I think each person has to:
- make sure the BAD works reliably on their gun. (My only problem has been with 20-round mags not holding bolt open after last shot.)

- determine if the advantages out-weight the disadvantages.
>>>>>Advantages: Clear malfuntions faster, Release bolt faster, ?
>>>>>Disadvantages: Breaks if you land on top of it, Can't use 20-round mags, "Seems" to be problematic in Middies, ?

- prepare for the worst. (Carry tools to remove, carry a spare, etc.)


To me, to have a BAD mechanism built internally would be ideal and I reckon some Lower Maker is spending some R&D money to come up with something but until then, for me, a BAD will have to do...until it proves unreliable.

But maybe it's just me...

.

Kchen986
02-22-11, 21:26
I have the hex key stashed in my MIAD or VLTOR stock. Would not want to shotgun my gun and unscrew the BAD during a firefight, though.

Nest
02-22-11, 21:28
=============================

EB,
What hold the EBR to the Bolt Catch? It looks like it is glued or epoxied.

Thanks

.

It is the bolt catch. All one piece I believe. So just remove the original bolt release and put this one in place.

D. Christopher
02-22-11, 22:50
I use the BAD lever on almost all of my carbines, and I keep a spare wrench in the handgrip or glued to the inside of the handguard on all of those weapons just in case.

nickdrak
02-22-11, 23:36
I never knew that people had such an unfavorable view of the BAD lever, and I've been looking all over this site for a couple years now.

2-way range - That was just my point when posting this. Have the tools needed to fix these things. Had that happened with someone shooting back, it could have gone very bad. I've been involved in one shooting and one very near shooting. With the absolute breakdown of thinking anything through, who knows what would have happened.

I don't know. Like I said, I run through drills with and without the BAD Lever since I don't want using the bolt lock alone to become as foreign as using the BAD Lever once was. The likelihood of being in another shooting is very slim itself, but having this kind of failure on top of it is probably 1:1,000,000.

I guess I need to think it over and see where it takes me. I'm interested to hear some more opinions on this as well. Thanks to everyone that's posted so far.

Jonathan

Eliminate the BAD lever and you eliminate the need to carry the tools required to fix one that ends up broken during a firefight. You also eliminate the other potential issues that the BAD lever may cause. My specific issue was that the BAD was causing the bolt to lock to the rear on its own intermittently while firing on one of my AR's. It also intermittently would not lock back on an empty mag on both of my BAD equipped AR's.

After removing the BAD levers from my AR's, it took me a bit of time to re-train myself to drop the bolt with the bolt catch paddle during reloads as I was already used to dropping it with my trigger finger on the BAD lever. If you were to come across a situation where you needed to speed reload someone else's AR that was not equipped with a BAD lever, you may end up fumbling the bolt release under stress if you are used to having the BAD lever.

In the end, I *personally don't feel the ability to conduct a remedial action drill without un-shouldering the rifle, and a negligible gain in speed during reloads, over pressing the bolt catch paddle are worth the potential liability caused by adding a non-standard part to the equation that may cause other reliability and training issues is worth it. *YMMV

rob_s
02-23-11, 12:15
Eliminate the RDS and you eliminate the need to carry spare batteries.

Eliminate the sling and you eliminate the possibility of being choked or dragged to the ground with it.

Eliminate the light and you eliminate the possibility of giving away your position or presence with an light ND.

See how this works? Everything we choose has pros and cons. It is up to the individual user to evaluate those pros and cons and decide if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Pretty simple stuff.

On the original topic, it would appear that the Phase V welded version might not have the same binding potential as the BAD. I may rethink trying one now. FWIW, the epoxy on the Phase V is just an aesthetic thing to recreate their logo. I wish they'd omit it, frankly, as it seems to cause a lot of confusion. In fact, I'd like to see a cleaner aesthetic to their product line as a whole as it appears that some of their choices add sharp edges and bulk for no reason other than making a statement. Cleaner lines and simpler designs would be better IMHO.

rob_s
02-23-11, 12:20
Also, I think there's a pretty widespread misconception and misunderstanding about these types of products, and that is as it relates to the reloads. Many of the detractors like to default to statements such as "fine for the gun games and the range chickens but I operate in the real world where this just won't work", or words to that effect.

One small issue here. "Gun games" typically means 3-gun, probably the fastest-growing gun game out there right now, and borne out of IPSC/USPSA rules. That last part is important, because it means that even the outlaw matches are not a place where anyone truly competitive is letting their gun run dry. Either you run with a mondo-size magazine so that you can avoid reloads altogether or you reload when you can between positions with a round still in the chamber. In either case, the emergency reload speed benefit of the BAD-style lever device is totally negated. Some competitors may still find the lever useful for "unload and show clear", but some of the integrated lowers on the horizon are offering that functionality without the negatives of the lever.

nickdrak
02-23-11, 12:42
Eliminate the RDS and you eliminate the need to carry spare batteries.

Eliminate the sling and you eliminate the possibility of being choked or dragged to the ground with it.

Eliminate the light and you eliminate the possibility of giving away your position or presence with an light ND.

A little "apples to oranges" don't ya think?


See how this works? Everything we choose has pros and cons. It is up to the individual user to evaluate those pros and cons and decide if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Pretty simple stuff.


Yep, Yep, Yep & Yep. I explained above why I personally chose not to run a BAD anymore.

rob_s
02-23-11, 12:52
A little "apples to oranges" don't ya think?

No, or I wouldn't have posted it.

there are people out there with the concerns I posted about all of those devices. Their opinions are only a strong resume, or a flashy video series (or both), away from being mainstream. I don't share them, but there are those that do.

Fireglock
02-23-11, 13:42
I prefer the Phase5 as it is a single piece and replaces the BHO altogether. Of course I run a Magpul BAD as well on one of my guns. I think the Phase5 wins out in this situation.

@OP - You should look at the Phase5 here (http://phase5tactical.com/products/ar15-m16/ebrv2-)

One piece, is it steel or aluminum? An aluminum bolt catch sounds unlikely, a steel lever sounds heavy, even with cutouts. It appears to be two parts assembled with adhesive. Personally I'll go with bolted versus glued.

YVK
02-23-11, 14:21
No, or I wouldn't have posted it.

there are people out there with the concerns I posted about all of those devices. Their opinions are only a strong resume, or a flashy video series (or both), away from being mainstream. I don't share them, but there are those that do.

It is apples and oranges, though. RDS over irons is incremental advantage for most shooters, and for all shooters in low/no light; WML is a difference between being blind and being able to see.
BAD vs. no BAD is arguably non-incremental speed advantage; I think that you had posted that, outside of Redi-Mag use, there is a barely perceptible difference in speed reload.

SteveL
02-23-11, 14:44
One piece, is it steel or aluminum? An aluminum bolt catch sounds unlikely, a steel lever sounds heavy, even with cutouts. It appears to be two parts assembled with adhesive. Personally I'll go with bolted versus glued.

Based on what I've read about it elsewhere on this forum, I'm pretty sure the Phase 5 is only one piece and that there's no adhesive holding anything together. That green spot you see is only there for cosmetic reasons.

Fireglock
02-23-11, 15:23
Based on what I've read about it elsewhere on this forum, I'm pretty sure the Phase 5 is only one piece and that there's no adhesive holding anything together. That green spot you see is only there for cosmetic reasons.

Pretty impressive machining. Back to my question, steel or aluminum? It also looks like a lot of machining for a "beauty" mark. But then again maybe that's part of the appeal. Surely someone has one and could give something other than hearsay information on it's construction. I'm not really down on the unit, just the implication it's machined from one piece of material. Their website list it as "monolithic", that's subject to interpretation. I guess it's not an issue really, I've had no issues with BAD levers. In fact I put one on my SD-15 SBR and due to the shape of the billet lower had to cut the BAD lever to allow full stroke. We've banged it around pretty good and no troubles yet, but then again we haven't seen it strike the lever with the full weight of the SBR focused on it. :)

Cincinnatus
02-23-11, 15:46
Liking my BAD lever so far. Reading this made me aware that I need to keep the torx wrench with my rifle though. Never thought of it before. I keep my earplugs in my grip so I never worry about forgetting them, but there should be room for a couple little allen and torx wrenches.

That's why I like the VLTOR EMOD stock since the little compartment in the stock holds a little torx wrench nicely--I use a plastic bag to keep it from rattling.

SteveL
02-23-11, 16:02
Pretty impressive machining. Back to my question, steel or aluminum? It also looks like a lot of machining for a "beauty" mark. But then again maybe that's part of the appeal. Surely someone has one and could give something other than hearsay information on it's construction. I'm not really down on the unit, just the implication it's machined from one piece of material. Their website list it as "monolithic", that's subject to interpretation. I guess it's not an issue really, I've had no issues with BAD levers. In fact I put one on my SD-15 SBR and due to the shape of the billet lower had to cut the BAD lever to allow full stroke. We've banged it around pretty good and no troubles yet, but then again we haven't seen it strike the lever with the full weight of the SBR focused on it. :)

Here's an older post I found from someone with firsthand experience with the Phase 5 and it states it's only 1 piece. Unfortunately we still don't know what it's made of.


I'm pretty sure I'm the co-worker he's talking about. I'm thinking too strong a bolt catch spring?? Or maybe I've got a burr in there somewhere or just a slightly out of spec spring, plunger, lower, or bent pin? Phase V has had about the best CS I've ever run into trying to help me through the problem. I really like the part; one piece, perfect positioning, etc etc, I just need it to work. We've been racking our brains on this and we think maybe its a harmonics issue. There is some sort of very small vibration that is happening during the recoil of that last round not letting it engage the bolt. I have a few more ideas before I quite, I really want to make the part work. Anybody having similar issues? I haven't used the BAD but from a parts and pieces point of view, I like the idea of the EBRv2 being one part instead of a bolt on to the original bolt catch. FYI, the gun is an LMT MRP 18"-Norcal911

Here's the link to the entire thread:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=41298

Jimbo45
02-23-11, 18:03
A little "apples to oranges" don't ya think?



Yep, Yep, Yep & Yep. I explained above why I personally chose not to run a BAD anymore.

Yep, apples to oranges. Some people just don't like it, when you don't share their opinion, and feel that their needs should be the same as everyone else's.

kwrangln
02-23-11, 18:16
=============================

EB,
What hold the EBR to the Bolt Catch? It looks like it is glued or epoxied.

Thanks

.

The Phase 5 EBRv2 is held to the bolt catch by a TIG weld on 3 sides, afterwards it is re-heat treated and an epoxy is added to the cut out for a strictly visual effect.

You can see the weld in the following pic.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk58/kwrangln/new%20ar%20build/newar57.jpg

I've used 3 different versions of the Phase 5 EBRv2 now and the current version is the best of the bunch. I had an issue with the first version not locking back the bolt on the last round, but it was replaced by Phase 5 and I haven't had an issue since on two AR's. Great company to deal with and in my experience an excellent product.

Fireglock
02-23-11, 18:22
Interesting kwrangln, thanks for the info.

ucrt
02-23-11, 18:35
The Phase 5 EBRv2 is held to the bolt catch by a TIG weld on 3 sides, afterwards it is re-heat treated and an epoxy is added to the cut out for a strictly visual effect.

You can see the weld in the following pic.

I've used 3 different versions of the Phase 5 EBRv2 now and the current version is the best of the bunch. I had an issue with the first version not locking back the bolt on the last round, but it was replaced by Phase 5 and I haven't had an issue since on two AR's. Great company to deal with and in my experience an excellent product.

==================================

Thanks for the picture and reply. I really wouldn't have had a problem with it being glued, seeing how they glue bicycles and airplanes together nowadays. But a TIG weld is about as solid as you can get.

Thanks.

.

Evil Bert
02-23-11, 19:48
Sorry to reply so late, been busy. Like you may already well know now, the Phase 5 is one piece. All 7075 aluminum. The BHO is a standard BHO that you would get from BCM, Colt, DD, LMT, GandR, etc. The extension is securely attached. No glue. I don't care for the logo or the crazy cuts in the lever, but if you don;t like the idea of a bolted on BAD, then the Phase5 is your lever.

kwrangln
02-23-11, 19:57
Sorry to reply so late, been busy. Like you may already well know now, the Phase 5 is one piece. All 7075 aluminum. The BHO is a standard BHO that you would get from BCM, Colt, DD, LMT, GandR, etc. The extension is securely attached. No glue. I don't care for the logo or the crazy cuts in the lever, but if you don;t like the idea of a bolted on BAD, then the Phase5 is your lever.

No, the Phase 5 lever is NOT aluminum of any kind. It is steel, and welded to a bolt catch. You figure out the trick to tiggin aluminum to steel, you let me know so I can make some bank in the welding world.:p

jonconsiglio
02-24-11, 10:37
I've never thought about trying any of them besides the BAD Lever. With a one piece design this probably wouldn't have happened. But hey, this was a one in a million incident and I imagine it's very unlikely that it could happen again.

I'll keep on using them as long as they continue to benefit me. Most of the time I don't use it for a bolt release, I just use it to hold the bolt open. I have many rounds downrange with these on my guns and the gun has hit the ground more than a few times before with no issues.

This, and bending a dust cover on one of my Nighthawks have really been the only two major failures I've had (besides a couple cases stuck in the chamber of an out-of-spec gun) that impeded the function of the gun.

I'll keep using them. Thanks to everyone that posted in this thread, the different opinions all gave me something to think about.

Jonathan

bobslife6826
02-24-11, 17:18
I've been thinking about getting the BAD lever for a while now but sometimes here of problems with them.

My question is to those who use them and like it is.......do they work well with the VLTOR MUR upper or do they only work well with a standard upper receiver?

(I think I recall hearing they had problems when using them with the MUR)

Anyone use one with a MUR without any problems?

Thanks

west9883
02-24-11, 17:35
I've never thought about trying any of them besides the BAD Lever. With a one piece design this probably wouldn't have happened. But hey, this was a one in a million incident and I imagine it's very unlikely that it could happen again.

I'll keep on using them as long as they continue to benefit me. Most of the time I don't use it for a bolt release, I just use it to hold the bolt open. I have many rounds downrange with these on my guns and the gun has hit the ground more than a few times before with no issues.

This, and bending a dust cover on one of my Nighthawks have really been the only two major failures I've had (besides a couple cases stuck in the chamber of an out-of-spec gun) that impeded the function of the gun.

I'll keep using them. Thanks to everyone that posted in this thread, the different opinions all gave me something to think about.

Jonathan

So are you saying that you don't always use the BAD lever to release the bolt after a magazine reload? Just wondering.

eternal24k
02-25-11, 08:26
I would much rather see the BAD break then the bolt release. I also hate the torx and wish it had a larger flat head.

But these things are also why I have started some builds with the one piece units

jonconsiglio
02-25-11, 09:39
So are you saying that you don't always use the BAD lever to release the bolt after a magazine reload? Just wondering.

Right. After a reload, I still try to use the paddle to release the bolt even though I have the BAD Levers on all my guns. I use it primarily to lock the bolt open.

I noticed myself trying to release the bolt with a BAD Lever on a friend's AR that wasn't there. I really don't notice a difference in speed from the paddle to the BAD Lever for reloads. Often I do a tac reload anyway, so I decided to stop using it for reloads.

Now, for me at least, having muscle memory for holding the bolt open with the BAD is a little different. It's already a longer process, so having to think to go to the bolt catch itself when there's no lever isn't that big of a deal, if that makes sense. So, I guess I only use the BAD for half of its intended purpose.

Jonathan

jonconsiglio
02-25-11, 09:46
I would much rather see the BAD break then the bolt release. I also hate the torx and wish it had a larger flat head.

But these things are also why I have started some builds with the one piece units

I would as well. I hate the little torx screw. I think they should always be a little bigger. Yesterday I got a Bad-ASS selector in and put it on one of my SR15's. When I went to take the little screw out on the support side, it wouldn't budge and ended up stripping two of my very small allen wrenches. I used a heat gun and it still wouldn't go. I don't know what was done to it differently that the other one. Anyway, I had to cut that side off with a Dremel, it was terrible. Had it been a lager head size, I don't know if I still would have had to cut it off.