Charging Handle

A charging handle is a firearm part typically found on an automatic or semi-automatic rifle or machine gun that allows the user to manipulate the bolt.  On an AR-15 style rifle, the charging handle is in the shape of a “T” and is found just above the lower receiver extension. On most other semi-automatic rifles or machine guns, the charging handle is attached to the bolt and extends outward from the side of the firearm. The charging handle can be used to manually cycle a cartridge from a magazine into the firearm’s chamber. It is also used to pull an unfired cartridge out of the chamber, or to clear a malfunction, such as a fired cartridge which failed to extract and eject.