Failure. When it comes to hunting and shooting we know we can pull a shot or foul up any number of fundamentals. But equipment failure is a whole different kind of frustration, one that might have been avoided with the use of higher quality components. The [NERD] “Nail” Charging Handle is one such component.
Today’s modern sporting rifle (aka, AR-15) is often characterized as the hunter’s Lego® set. Do you still remember the excitement and countless hours spent playing with Legos? I’d imagine your last AR build – or the anticipation of your next build – had you just as excited. Well, I’ve got a piece which completes that grown up Lego® set which will lessen your chances of a malfunction and put the last nail in the coffin on your next hunt.
This past year, Clover Lawson of Lawson & Palmer, LLC, introduced me to the [NERD] “Coffin Nail” Charging Handle. She was so excited and convinced of its superior quality, design and durability, I just had to test it out. I was in Indiana for the 2015 deer firearm season, so Clover shipped the charging handle overnight to my uncle’s house in Flat Rock, IN. At the time, I was using a Raptor Charging Handle. Prior to that, I’d used the Bravo Company (BCM) “Gunfighter” Charging Handle and the standard AR charging handle.
High quality was my first impression of the “Coffin Nail” charging handle. I appreciated the smooth and high performance feel the ambidextrous levers delivered. Along with the latch and pins, they are stainless steel, a big upgrade. The design eliminates stress on the pivot pin which I’ve personally had issues with on standard AR charging handles.
Designed with the help of US Special Operations Command personnel and made in the USA under Mil Spec standards, [NERD] combined the now common ambidextrous approach to design with the priority of redundancy. They integrated three moving components instead of the single one found on standard and BCM charging handles. Each side’s lever functions independently of the other. If one side becomes inoperative due to debris or damage, the other side can still function. Pulling on both sides works perfectly as well. I haven’t found another charging handle with this multifaceted capability.
Why is this important to you? Because it offers you redundancy in one of the most critical parts of your AR weapon system. Could you operate your AR with a bad charging handle? Imagine the frustration and lost opportunity. Don’t be that guy in the story at the lodge. Insure your AR’s proper function by a factor of three, not one or two.
As usual, it was cold on my Indiana deer hunt. [NERD]’s “Coffin nail” ambidextrous charging handle design provided wider than average and easily accessible levers, a great benefit while wearing winter gloves. Have you tried to grab a standard AR charging handle while wearing thick gloves? Not easy…
And I know that about now you’re wondering if I’ll tell you what [NERD] stands for. Next Evolution Research and Design. I think you might want to make this your next charging handle. I’m glad I did!
Find them on the web at weare-nerd.com.
