The Breek Arms Sledgehammer and Geissele Super Charging Handle are two of the best AR-15 charging handles we’ve tested, and upgrading to one of them might be the smartest first mod you make!
I think most agree that the standard Mil-spec charging handle is terrible. They’re uncomfortable and prone to problems when running suppressed or under optics. Changing your charging handle is an easy change that can have a huge impact.
We’ve tested dozens of charging handles over the years, including in the military and during competitive shooting. Some are overpriced and gimmicky, but a few offer real features you didn’t even know your rifle needed: ambidextrous control, gas deflection, and enhanced grip under stress or with gloves.
Below, you’ll find our top picks, real-world testing insights, and what to look for when choosing the best AR-15 charging handle for your rifle.
Table of Contents
- Quick Summary of Our Favorites
- Best AR-15 Charging Handles
- Best Value AR-15 Charging Handle: Breek Arms Sledgehammer
- Best Premium AR-15 Charging Handle: Geissele Automatics Super Charging Handle
- Best Low Profile AR-15 Charging Hammer: Breek Arms Warhammer
- Most Proven AR-15 Charging Hammer: Radian Raptor LT
- Radian Raptor AR-15 Charging Handle
- BCM Gunfighter MK2 AR-15 Charging Handles
- AR-15 Charging Handles Comparison Table
- How We Tested the Best AR-15 Charging Handles
- Why Upgrade a Mil-Spec Charging Handle?
- Stay Updated and Learn More
Quick Summary of Our Favorites
Other notable picks we like:
- Radian Raptor AR-15 Charging Handle – Jump to Review
- BCM Gunfighter MK2 AR-15 Charging Handle – Jump to Review
Best AR-15 Charging Handles
Best Value AR-15 Charging Handle: Breek Arms Sledgehammer
- Total Handle Width: 2.6”
- Weight: 36 grams
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize in 4 colors
- Gas Reducing Features: Yes
- MSRP: $79.99
The Breek Arms Sledgehammer AR-15 Charging Handle is one of the best values we have found. For the money, it is hard to beat. Plus, it is one of the best AR-15 charging handles for suppressors too!
This model has thick handles that are not quite as wide as the other Breek Arms charging handle, the Warhammer (more on it later). It is ambidextrous, and like the Warhammer, the handles are linked. When I pull one back they both move. Most other handles do not have the right side move with the left one is pulled.
I noticed that I had to apply a little more force to unlatch it versus the Geissele SCH. It is not a huge amount, and is barely noticeable.
What sets this charging handle apart are the gas redirect features. These really help when running a suppressor, since a suppressor directs more gas back into the receiver and the shooter’s face.
The back side of the handle has a dam that is 0.2” tall. This is considerably taller than most other charging handles. There are also cutouts at the bottom of the dam to direct gas to the sides.
It also has three relief cuts on the top at the rear of the handle and an open port just below them to direct gas away. It also has baffling inside the stem of the handle to slow the expansion of the gas down.
I really like running this handle in my suppressed rifles. I notice less gas blowback, especially when I am using supersonic rounds. It is a noticeable improvement over most other charging handles and the price is great as well.
The only real negative I could find is the same as the Warhammer, the pivot pins are smaller than other charging handles. While we have never had an issue, it is a question in my mind.
Best Premium AR-15 Charging Handle: Geissele Automatics Super Charging Handle
- Total Handle Width: 2.65”
- Weight: 42 grams
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize in 2 colors
- Gas Reducing Features: Yes
- MSRP: $104.99
The Geissele Automatics Super Charging Handle (SCH) is one of my favorites.
Like everything that Geissele makes, the quality and attention to detail is top notch.
I really like the handles on their SCH. They are made from 7075-T6 Aluminum and feel very robust. They are about .375” thick and have a nice, curved shape to them. They also have a checkerboard type texture on the inside.
The shape along with the texture makes my grip feel very positive and slip free.
The pivot pins are 1/8” in diameter and are heavy duty roll pins. It also has an extended 1/4” dam to deflect the blow back gasses from the receiver.
The release mechanism on the SCH is a little different from the others. Instead of the latch being made into he right handle. It is a separate piece and has it’s own pivot point. I feel this design is more robust than others, since the latch can easily break off of the handle on the one-piece designs.
This design also requires less force to release the latch, making it less likely that my hand will slip off.
The handles are a little on the bulky side, so keep this in mind if space around your charging handle is limited (like with scopes or magnifiers).
The price of the SCH is a little on the high side, but still about the same as the Radian Raptor. I feel this one is the superior choice when budget is available and you are looking for the best.
Best Low Profile AR-15 Charging Hammer: Breek Arms Warhammer
- Total Handle Width: 2.75”
- Weight: 28 grams
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize in 4 colors
- Gas Reducing Features: Yes
- MSRP: $49.99
The Breek Arms Warhammer is an affordable AR-15 charging handle that does not feel “cheap” at all.
It is made out of the same material and finish as the more expensive charging handles. I can’t really tell the difference in the finish between this handle and ones that cost twice as much.
It is also ambidextrous. The handles are linked together internally so when I pull one of them, they both move.
It even has a few gas deflecting features. There is a rear dam built into the handle section. While it is smaller than some other charging handles, it does help compared to a mil-spec charging handle. It also has a small gas channel on the top near the dam.
This charging handle has a lower profile than most handles. The handle portion is only 0.25” thick. But, at the same time the handles are wider than most others at 2.75” total. Plus this makes it one of the lightest charging handles, even lighter than the Radian Raptor LT.
I found it works great when mounted under a scope or a magnifier. Since the handles are thinner, they provide more clearance and the wider width gives me more to “grab” underneath my optics.
Unlatching it from the receiver does take a little more force than others. It is not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.
I also noticed that the pivot pins for the handles are smaller than the Radian Raptor or the Geissele. I haven’t any problems, but it is really the only negative I could find.
Most Proven AR-15 Charging Hammer: Radian Raptor LT
- Total Handle Width: 2.55”
- Weight: 34 grams
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize in 4 colors
- Gas Reducing Features: Limited
- MSRP: $79.95
The Radian Raptor LT is very similar to the standard Radian Raptor. It is simply a lightweight version of the same charging handle.
They look almost identical. In fact, the body is the same.
The difference is the handle material. Instead of Aluminum like the standard Raptor, they are made from a polymer material. This saves about 5 grams of weight while still maintaining most of the features.
I noticed the polymer handles have a little bit of an inside curved shape. The standard Raptor is flat. I like the curved shape a little better. It feels like I can get a better grip on it than the flat one.
While this is advertised as a lightweight charging handle, you will notice that it is not the lightest on our list. I would classify this one as a “robust” lightweight charging handle.
It has all the robust features of the standard one like the pivot pins and the thicker body near the handles, but with a weight savings of about 12%.
My favorite thing about this one is the price. It is considerably cheaper than the standard version and very competitive with most other charging handles.
Radian Raptor AR-15 Charging Handle
- Total Handle Width: 2.55”
- Weight: 39 grams
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize in 4 colors
- Gas Reducing Features: Limited
- MSRP: $104.95
The Radian Raptor has been the most recommended AR-15 Charging Handles for years.
There are plenty of reasons why. This is one of the more robust charging handles I have found. The handles are contained in the thick 7075-T6 Aluminum body by heavy duty roll pins.
The 0.4” thick handles are thicker than most other charging handles. Plus they are made out of the same 7075-T6 Aluminum as the body.
However, I found that on some builds when I am running optics that overhang the charging handle, the thicker handles on this one don’t give me much room.
The back of the handle does have a raised 0.1” dam to help block gases and keep them out of my face. But there aren’t any other features to disperse or slow down the blowback, and that dam height is small.
This charging handle is ambidextrous, and I noticed when I pull the left handle, it does not move the right handle. I would have thought this would make the left side a little easier to pull than the right side, but it is not the case. Both sides take about the same amount of effort to unlatch.
All in all this is a proven choice, but I don’t really care for the price. It is one of the higher ones on our list.
BCM Gunfighter MK2 AR-15 Charging Handles
- Total Handle Width: Two Options
- Weight: Varies
- Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Finish: Type III hard-coat Anodize
- Gas Reducing Features: Yes
- MSRP: $89.95
In the past, Bravo Company Manufacturing made some of the most durable and robust charging handles I had used.
The design of their VLTOR handle was unique. It had a beefy solid shroud that protected the handles from any rear impact. However, that design has been discontinued.
Their new MK2 charging handle has a similar robust design with a shroud on the rear that protects the handles and pivot pins. This is great for durability, but it is a little bulky too.
It also adds exhaust channels to help redirect gas away from my face when running a suppressor.
They have a few different options available. There are ambidextrous and Mil-Spec options, both with different handle lengths.
I especially like the price. While they are not the cheapest, they are considerably cheaper than some of the premium options.
AR-15 Charging Handles Comparison Table
| Model | Best for | Ambidextrous | Gas Reducing | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breek Sledgehammer | Best Value | Yes | Yes | 39g |
| Geissele SCH | Best Premium | Yes | Yes | 42g |
| Breek Warhammer | Low Profile | Yes | Yes | 28g |
| Radian Raptor LT | Proven & Lightweight | Yes | Limited | 34g |
| BCM Gunfighter MK2 | Robust & Durable | Varies | Yes | Varies |
How We Tested the Best AR-15 Charging Handles
Over the past 10 years, we have built various AR-15s and tested them at the range and in competitions. We looked at charging handles and considered the robustness of the design, ergonomics, weight, availability, price/value, and overall ease of using them in our builds.
We then tried them with various uppers from different manufacturers. We have fired at least 250 rounds with each, with some seeing well over 2,500 rounds over the years.
Our top picks included input not only from our team but also from many others in our community, both in person and online. We considered everyone’s experiences and opinions over the past 10 years to achieve what we think is the most balanced and comprehensive review available.
Why Upgrade a Mil-Spec Charging Handle?
The AR-15 design is based largely off of the M-16 design and has been tried and tested for over 50 years. So why would you want to upgrade anything?
In particular for the charging handle, there are a few reasons.
Not Ambidextrous
Mil-spec charging handles only have one handle (or wing) on the left side and can be only used easily by a shooter’s left hand. That is not only an issue for left-handed shooters, but for everyone.
Fundamentally, you should be able to shoot from either shoulder. Try to shoot right-handed around cover on the left side and you will quickly see why. So, being able to load my rifle and clear any malfunctions with either hand is important.
All of the charging handles in our list are ambidextrous. Keep in mind that both handles need to activate the latch. Just because a charging handle has two handles doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ambidextrous.
Small Handle or Wing
The handle on a mil-spec charging handle is small and not very ergonomic. It is easy to miss pulling it all together especially when in a hurry or with gloves on.
In addition, some optics, like LPVO scopes or tilt mounted magnifiers can interfere with the small handle.
All of the changing handles above have larger handles to grab. Plus they are angled and textured or serrated for a sure grip under duress.
Durability
Mil-Spec charging handles are made as cheaply as possible. This means they are made from softer materials and bend easier. I have also seen that it is easy to bend the latch or break the pivot pin.
Upgraded charging handles and made from stronger materials (I recommend 7075-T6 Aluminum) and an improved latch design. Some have polymer handles to reduce the overall weight.
Gas Blowback
In an AR-15, the action is cycled by gas returning from the barrel into the BCG and the upper receiver. When using a suppressor, more gas is directed back into the receiver. This gas has to go somewhere, and with mil-spec charging handles some of it is directed into the shooters face.
Upgraded Charging handles have features to slow down or redirect the gas leaving the receiver to keep it out of my face.
Stay Updated and Learn More
After you choose the best AR15 charging handle for you, be sure to stay up to date on all of our content by joining our Newsletter. Each week, we include tips on how to stay mentally prepared with actionable ideas and strategies. We also include any good deals we have found, plus updates on our content.
We would like to thank AmmunitionToGo.com for providing the ammo that we used to test these AR-15 charging handles at the range. We used Fiocchi M193 5.56 ammo for most of our testing since it is a standard NATO round.
Now, check out our other Self-Defense guides for more, from AR-15 Basics to our favorite parts and upgrades. Also, be sure to check out our favorite AR-15 stripped lowers and the Best AR-15 Grips, Best AR-15 Stocks, and the Best AR-15 Triggers for your next build!
Also check out our review of TacPack, a cool tactical gear subscription box that includes a lot of different AR-15 parts each month!
