I have used Badger Tac latches mounted
on the charging handles of both my Bushy M4A3
and XM15 20". I have recently removed both of
them in favor of the standard charging handle latch(Eugene Stoner had the right idea):

PROS:
1.Allows easy manipulation of left handed
charging.

2. Allows easy of manipulation of charging
while an optic is mounted in close proximity
towards the rear of the weapon.

CONS:
1.Can and will get snagged/caught on clothing,
3 point tac slings, tactical vests, load bearing
equipment, belts, foilage, branches, and anything else that it contacts within it's reach.

2.While getting caught/snagging on objects the
Tac Latch snaps reapeatedly on the sharp retaining edge of the charging handle latch locking notch on the upper receiver causing
UNDUE WEAR and SMOOTHING DAMAGE to the notch
where repeated "Smoothing action" can eventually
grind away at the notch where proper locking
of the latch in the notch CAN NOT BE ACHIEVED,
causing permanent damage to the upper receiver.

3.When wearing light clothing(tshirt,button up,
sweat shirt) the protruding Tac Latch can
dig into the side of the operator causing discomfort.

4.Proper "military nose-weld" over the charging
handle cannot be achieved due to extreme protrusion of the tac latch paddle.

These pros/cons have personally affected the
performance of my rifles in such a manner and while I beleive the Tac Latch provides a convenience to the user, I believe the convenience is not of such a significant nature
as to disqualify the cons and keep the device
on my weapons.

All additional user PROS/CONS are welcome.........


edited to add CON #4.

While I have never used one, I'm not a big proponent of them for several reasons.

1 - They're large enough to get snagged on clothing, brush, etc.

2 - I prefer to keep all my weapons as stock as possible.  I think the Tac Handles are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

3 - My reasoning for #2 is that in a crisis, if I either have to use somebody else's weapon, or somebody else has to use one of mine, I don't want either of us to miss a beat because we're conditioned to using our personal rifle with the tac latch.

Just MHO

$.02: if you are a righty, avoid them unless you have an optic that absolutely requires it. If you are a lefty, they are a valid and useful option, but non-standardization issues may preclude their use for lefties in certain settings.

At length:

As a righty they do not offer enough of an advantage over the usual "pinch grip" method of working the charging handle (left hand pinches the left side of the handle and pulls back, right hand maintains master grip).

They are useful for lefties, although I prefer the "Ambi-latch", which is a hook style as opposed to a paddle style. The paddle style tends to stick out so far that you wind up with side loads on the charging handle that cause it to bind.

As a lefty, you don't get jabbed by the handle, and it doesn't get hung up on anything. On a flattop you can hook your fingers of your right hand over the top and just pull straight back on the extended handle. It works great and is much easier for a lefty than a standard charging handle.

As a "civilian" it is unlikely that I will ever have the necessity to grab up a random AR15 or M16 to do battle with, but non-standardization is a valid point.

I would imagine that there are some optics that simply require an extended charging handle latch, but I don't own any (yet).

It was bitch to install.
Maybe this was just me.....

I'm a lefty.... love mine, especially on the varmint AR with a big scope... makes it much easier.  Since I am left handed, it never pokes me when slung.... so I am happy.

As to installation, I thought it was fairly straightfoward.... just a little toguh to get the pin holes lined up, but not too bad.

I think it was L. James Sullivan who moved the charging handle (from its original location under the carry handle) & redesigned it.

********

The PRI gas buster looks like an improvement over the original, & has received some good reviews from those who've used them.

[imgwww.bowmansbrigade.com/products/tacticalparts/arms/images/pri-m69-gb2.gif][/img]

They're expensive, @ approx. $87.00 ea.

I have one on my Oly converted 9mm... I think it's useful there since every mag change necessitates charging the weapon again.  A simple one-hand jerk on the tac-latch and you're ready to go; it's better than the standard charging handle for a subgun since you do a lot more charging.  I love the one I got for that 9mm AR, it does exactly what I want it to, speeding up mag changes.

That being said, I don't think you'd need one on a standard rifle with a bolt hold open.  The latch itself is somewhat obtrusive; unless you use it often it serves little purpose but to get in the way.

The only reason I use one:

[img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=3410[/img]

It allows me to manipulate the bolt without removing skin on my GG&G/Giles single point sling mount.  The sling itself also prevents most snagging on the latch.  Its a very symbiotic relationship.

With a right hand three point sling, the tac latch drills me right in the chest when I let the gun drop.  I have some spare charging handles that I can swap if I need to.

I'm a lefty and my Tac Latch feels very comfortable.  I can see how a right-handed shooter would find it bothersome.

I use PRI Military latches on all mine. It is just right for this lefty.

I agree 100% with your assesment and have experienced the same trouble with these latches.  After installation and use on one of my Bushies, I noticed unusual wear on the rear notch of the upper receiver that locks the charging handle.  I immediately removed the tac-latch and haven't missed it at all.

I've seen one Gunsite student bend the charging handle on his Stoner rifle with the Badger latch.  The greater moment created by the longer lever arm and the fact that he was just whacking the thing with the palm of his hand bent the charging handle and made his fancy rifle an expensive club!  Remember the KISS principle??

Indeed the case. Probably the leading factor
as to why I removed mine.

When the bolt and carrier is locked in it's forward position, tugging lightly on the charging handle while the latch(Tac or standard) is locked in the notch reveals 2 to 3mm of play(depending on the rifle) rearward and forward. Depressing on the
latch(tac or standard) unlocking it from the notch one will generally encounter an additional 1-2mm of play.

With the Tac-Latch's protruding paddle, every time it is unintentionally or intentionally
depressed(occuring with the frequency of movement) it tends to slip partially over the
retaining edge of the retaining notch in effect
grinding,scraping,filing and smoothing the retaing edge of the notch CAUSING DAMAGE to the
integrity of the notch wall.

I grind my teeth
everytime I hear that "Click" regardless of how
subtle or vigorous the action of an unintentional depressing/recatching of the latch
(CON #5 noise discipline!)via getting caught on misc. objects is, knowing
that it is SLOWLY but SURELY causing damage
to the notch retaining wall. I have even observed bits of tiny metal fragments from the retaining wall lodged in the bottom of the notch!

It is pretty obvious that over time this
will and can lead to the replacement of the upper reciever due to the inability to properly
lock the charging handle latch in the damaged notch.

I shoot lefty and like my Badger latch.  I had the Ambi latch but notice the metal scraping issue was bad with it, plus I liked the Badger better so I put it on.  Optics make it annoying to reach a standard latch.  To slow the wear and tear I just smeared Tetra grease on the latch and corresponding spot on the upper.  If you lube the moving parts inside the gun, why not lube the ones outside.  It doesn't wear off, nothing rubs up in there.  If it gets dirty, wipe it off and add fresh.  Seems to work fine for me.