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3/29/2010 4:55:13 PM EDT
I have seen a couple of bolt catch arms that reach down to the trigger guard area. I assume it is for a trigger finger bolt release to speed up mag changes. I trained to slap the release with my palm, after slapping the new mag in.

Pro?   Con?   Breakage?
3/29/2010 9:06:22 PM EDT
[#1]
The Magpul B.A.D (Battery Assist Device) and Phase 5 Tactical E.B.R v1 and v2 (Extended Bolt Release).
The BAD is bolt on and made of all aluminum.  The Phase 5s are made of steel.  The EBR1 is bolt on, the EBR2 completely replaces the bolt release.

They are a little quicker if you train for it, to drop the bolt.  They are much quicker at locking back the bolt by just raising your trigger finger and lifting the lever instead of having to release your firing grip.  Very, very nice for clearing a malfunction.  They also make locking or releasing the bolt a hell of a lot easier if you have a Redi-Mag installed.

On the other hand, they can be potential snag points for your gear.
The biggest con is that sometimes they can cause the bolt to not be locked back on an empty magazine.  Which sort of wipes out the faster release of the bolt since you then have to use the charging handle anyway.  I'd rather not trade away my bolt locking back on an empty, for a very slight speed increase for something that happens rarely.  And malfunctions happen a LOT less often than your mag going empty.

The only way to know is to try one out.  With a lot of rounds.  Of these two, I prefer the BAD because it's aluminum and lighter.  Less likely to cause that issue.  And it doesn't happen all to time to every gun.  As I said, you'll have to try it out and see how it works on yours.
3/29/2010 9:38:28 PM EDT
[#2]
Thanks for the info. I doubt I will get one since my gun is a SHTF M4 and reliability is king!
3/29/2010 10:05:58 PM EDT
[#3]
+1 for the bad and even if you haven't drilled operating it into your reflexes you can still use your bolt catch/release the traditional way. I have yet to have any malfunctions due to mine
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