I'm wanting to have a side charger on one of my ARs and was looking at these. Anyone have any input on the GFG one or the Gibbs receiver?

Also I looked at a Anderson rifle today and it had one of their 18" SS Fluted barrels on it. Are these barrels any good?

TIA

I have the Bear Creek billet side charging upper, and functions flawlessly. And looks great as well

I got it for under $200 shipped

First, the side charging handles the replace the GI are different than actual side charging uppers. Second, side charging uppers with a handle attached to the BCG are different than those which engage it only when charging. The first reciprocate, ie go back and forth with the bolt, the second don't,

When the bolt handle moves it can hit things you might be leaning up against, so they aren't as good taking up expedient field positions. Better left on square ranges, doesn't mean the M14 didn't have one. You have to accommodate handle that can jam the action is all.

On a range rifle a right side charger can be a benefit when strapped up in the prone to operate the action with the trigger hand. Upright in combat, it would interfere on that side and slow you down - the off hand charging would be preferred for more rapid getting it back into action.

The AR/M16 was designed with a bolt hold open, so theoretically, you only charge it once and could go thru enough mags to melt the barrel. When that has been filmed, tho, the action eventually jams and it takes cycling the bolt to charge it. Since that is ammo related, the 3Gunners are toying with enhanced charging handles or even side chargers because they are on the clock and seconds count.

For the average user it's an expensive addition with very little real return. A $225 side charger vs  a stripped A3 for $39 is a steep entry fee. The comparison is a bit tilted, most side chargers drop the charging handle which is $8, the port cover, another $8, some hardware, etc. but it's still a $150 upgrade which isn't necessary to the function of the weapon, and that's been proven in combat long ago. Most of the new battle carbine designs use an ambidextrous or reversible charging handle, the point being they don't focus that much on it - because they all have last shot bolt hold opens, too.

Otherwise it's $150 extra for zero return on reliability or accuracy. That's still up to the shooter to care for and maintain the gun with good mags and decent ammo, all three of which constitute the top three reasons for stoppages, mags, ammo, shooter.

It's the age of boutique builds even tho the clichéd term popped up nearly ten year ago during the M4gery craze. Now with billet, CNC, and low cost production we see it even more but there is still almost no reason to spend the money on it unless you have a very specific application that restricts you using the standard GI handle. Doesn't mean you can't - It's America, not saying you shouldn't, just understand exactly why you choose to fork over the money. All too many play games and drink the marketing koolaid over options, it's important to remember they make things because they can sell them, not because you need them.

Which is exactly how Rolex stays in business. It's not about wearing a watch to get to work on time.

All that talk and you never mentioned malfunction clearance. As a left handed rifle shooter a right hand side charger is wicked fast for malfunctions, wicked fast for charging, wicked fast for - well, anything. Comparing a $39 upper to what are typically well made billet uppers is also off base in my opinion - $39 is bottom of the barrel, and I don't know anyone that would use one on a "work gun."

Agreed with Axlnut

My BCA is billet. Came with a BCG and CH.

What does a billet upper run? cheap end? $100?
BCG? 100?
CH? 10 if you go cheap, but i use BMCs so $40
upper parts kit? $25?

total: ~265


I thought the BCA was a great value at under $200 shipped.

I mentioned ammo stoppages - the 3Gunners are interested. How often that happens is directly related to the shooter, tho. Good maintenance, good mags, good ammo are up to him. Shoot crap and you get what you paid for.

Lowers? They sell every one of those $39 lowers they make. It's not just Anderson, it's PSA and others from time to time selling blems, too. A cosmetic blem with high end roll mark isn't junk, and until we see Anderson's shot for 100,000 rounds it's not proven they are. A lower is an unstressed component and only holds things together - it contributes zip to power and accuracy, and very little to reliability as it's just one part in an assembly. Does it have to hold them precisely, yes - but all it does is hold the trigger parts in position, and the magazine. Those parts have to be right, too.

Nobody much complains about lowers being off, if anything the roll pins were hard to get in or they decided to fix their problem with KNS rather than sort thru a dozen trigger pins to fit the better ones - which is exactly how the makers can stack the deck in their favor. And a single lower has no guarantee of fitting an upper, it can be loose or tight. How much you pay for it won't get you a perfect fit unless you buy the upper with it - again, the makers match them from batches of hundreds and have the specs stacked to make it work. We don't.

Billet means nothing in terms of function, it's certainly not milspec, just boutique. And that is exactly why it sells, and why some buy them - for looks. There is no standard other than aesthetics comparing billet vs forged milspec, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Inside the billet most of it is GI anyway - and has to be to work. Billet is just style, the function is just the same or it's junk.

Your choice to spend the extra coin but don't get in a locker room measuring contest over it. 7 million M16/M4's over 45 years, and  not one billet gun was ever issued in DOD to my understanding. No need.

Lowers are a commodity item, pick the roll mark you prefer, roll the dice, and live with what you get. Thousands of us do.

Gibbs and Joe Bob Outfitters are non Reciprocating side charging uppers, which are the way to go with a side charger. (I would avoid the reciprocating side charging uppers) Both the Gibbs and Joe Bob keep crap from getting in your face when shooting suppressed. I have Gibbs I have used for a pistol build and the quality of the upper is great. The cam pin on the BCG needs to be replaced with the cam pin that is included with the gibbs upper but other than that you are good to go with most BCG's.

I picked up a Spartan side-charger and mated it with a jp rifle 18" light-weight barrel,16.5 SLR rail, Odin's adjustable gas block, jp full mass BCG,and jp silent captured spring set-up. It is different but really nice. Not sure what some folks beef is with others enjoying building what suits them, for the time being this is still America.

Amen brother!

Your posts are definitely well thought out with the facts and your opinions laid out in a "hard to argue with" way.