Charging handle

1. A charging handle for use with a gas operated rifle, the rifle comprising an upper receiver and a bolt slidingly disposed therein, the upper receiver defining an inner channel and a latch member catch portion, the charging handle comprising a body, a grip portion, and a latch member, the body having a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion, and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending in a forward direction from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion and in a rearward direction from the bolt engaging portion to the handle portion, the shaft portion being configured and dimensioned to extend into the channel defined by the inner surfaces of the upper receiver, the bolt engaging portion comprising a projection configured and dimensioned to engage the bolt of the rifle for pulling the bolt in the rearward direction, the projection extending in a downward direction beyond a lower surface of the shaft portion;

the handle portion having a starboard arm extending away from the shaft portion in a starboard direction and a port arm extending away from the shaft portion in a portward direction, the handle portion defining a first hole and a second hole, the first hole and the second hole both being positioned between the starboard arm and the port arm;

a strut portion extending away from the handle portion in the forward direction, the strut portion defining an aperture, the aperture having a first opening extending through a starboard facing surface of the strut portion and a second opening extending through a port facing surface of the strut portion, the strut portion being offset from the shaft portion by an offset distance so that a slot is defined between the starboard surface of the strut portion and a port facing surface of the shaft portion, the slot having a width corresponding to the offset distance, the slot being dimensioned to receive a portion of the upper receiver wall which extends into the slot when the charging handle is in a fully inserted position, the slot fluidly communicating with the aperture;

the grip member disposed about the handle portion of the body so that the grip member encapsulates the handle portion and the handle portion is disposed inside the grip member, the grip member comprising a first bridging portion extending in the upward and downward directions through the first hole and a second bridging portion extending in the upward direction through the second hole to mechanically interlock the grip member and the handle portion to one another; and

the grip member comprising a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ribs, each groove having a groove base surface extending between a pair of ribs, each rib extending forwardly beyond one or more adjacent groove base surfaces.

2. The charging handle of claim 1 , wherein the grip member comprises a thermoplastic material overmolded on the handle portion of the body.

3. The charging handle of claim 1 further including a latch member comprising a leaf spring, a rearward portion of the latch member being fixed to the body of the charging handle and a forward portion of the latch member being disposed in the aperture defined by the strut portion, the latch member including a foot portion receivable in the depression defined by the upper receiver wall when the charging handle is in the fully inserted position and the leaf spring configured to deflect allowing the foot portion to exit the depression when the charging handle is pulled rearward from the fully inserted position to a more rearward position.

4. The charging handle of claim 3 , wherein the latch member comprises the rearward portion, a first ramp portion disposed forward of the rearward portion, the foot portion disposed forward of the first ramp portion, and a second ramp portion disposed forward of the foot portion.

5. The charging handle of claim 4 , wherein the charging handle is configured so that the second ramp portion contacts a leaf spring engaging portion of the upper receiver wall during forward translation of the charging handle toward the fully inserted position; the leaf spring engaging portion of the upper receiver wall applies a wall force to the second ramp portion during forward translation of the charging handle toward the forwardmost position; and the orientation of the second ramp portion relative to a longitudinal axis of the charging handle is such that the wall force has a rearwardly directed component and a portwardly directed component and the portwardly directed component acts to deflect the leaf spring in a cantilevered fashion.

6. The charging handle of claim 4 , wherein the latch member comprises a first bend disposed between the rearward portion and the first ramp portion, the first bend being configured such that the first ramp portion extends away from the rearward portion in a starboard, forward direction.

7. The charging handle of claim 6 , wherein the latch member comprises a second bend disposed between the first ramp portion and the foot portion, the second bend being configured such that the foot portion extends away from the first ramp portion in a forward direction.

8. The charging handle of claim 7 , wherein the latch member comprises a third bend disposed between the foot portion and the second ramp portion, the third bend being configured such that the second ramp portion extends away from the foot portion in a portward, forward direction.

9. The charging handle of claim 1 in combination with the gas operated rifle.