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 comprising an upper receiver wall having inner surfaces defining a channel and outer surfaces defining a depression, the charging handle comprising:

a body having a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion, a strut portion, and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending forwardly from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion, the shaft portion being 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 as the charging handle is pulled rearward from a fully inserted position to a more rearward position;

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 strut portion extending away from the handle portion in the forward direction, the strut portion being offset from the shaft portion by an offset distance so that a slot is defined between a starboard surface of the strut portion and a port facing surface of the shaft portion, the offset distance being selected so that a portion of the upper receiver wall is received in the slot when the charging handle is in the fully inserted position, the strut portion defining an aperture communicating with the slot;

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.

2. The charging handle of claim 1 , further comprising a 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 a first hole defined by the handle portion and a second bridging portion extending in the upward direction through a second hole defined by the handle portion to mechanically interlock the grip member and the handle portion to one another, the grip member comprising a thermoplastic material.

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

4. The charging handle of claim 1 , 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 and the 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 , wherein the rearward portion of the latch member defines a through hole and the charging handle includes a screw extending through the through hole, the screw fixing a rearward portion of the latch member to the body of the charging handle.

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

11. 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 comprising an upper receiver wall having inner surfaces defining a channel and outer surfaces defining a depression, the charging handle comprising:

a body having a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion, and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending in a forward direction along a longitudinal axis of the charging handle from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion, the shaft portion being 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 as the charging handle is pulled rearward from a fully inserted position to a more rearward position;

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;

a latch member comprising a leaf spring, a rearward portion of the latch member being fixed to the body of the charging handle, a first ramp portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the rearward portion, a foot portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the first ramp portion, and a second ramp portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the foot portion, the first ramp portion extending away from the rearward portion in a starboard, forward direction; and

a grip member disposed about the handle portion of the body, the handle portion defining a first hole and a second hole, the first hole and the second hole being offset from one another by an offset distance, the grip member comprising a first bridging portion extending in the upward and downward directions through the first hole defined by the handle portion and a second bridging portion extending in the upward direction through the second hole defined by the handle portion to mechanically interlock the grip member and the handle portion to one another, the grip member comprising a thermoplastic material, the offset distance extending in portward and starboard directions, the portward and starboard directions being orthogonal to the upward and downward directions.

12. The charging handle of claim 11 , wherein the grip member comprises a thermoplastic material disposed about the handle portion of the body, the grip member encapsulating the handle portion and the handle portion being disposed inside the grip member.

13. 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 comprising an upper receiver wall having inner surfaces defining a channel and outer surfaces defining a depression, the charging handle comprising:

a body having a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion, and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending in a forward direction along a longitudinal axis of the charging handle from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion, the shaft portion being 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 as the charging handle is pulled rearward from a fully inserted position to a more rearward position;

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;

a latch member comprising a leaf spring, a rearward portion of the latch member being fixed to the body of the charging handle, a first ramp portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the rearward portion, a foot portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the first ramp portion, and a second ramp portion of the latch member being disposed forward of the foot portion, the first ramp portion extending away from the rearward portion in a starboard, forward direction;

wherein the first ramp portion is skewed relative to the longitudinal axis of the charging handle so that the foot portion exits the depression when the charging handle is pulled rearward from the fully inserted position to a more rearward position;

wherein the leaf spring of 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 the starboard, forward direction.

14. The charging handle of claim 13 , 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.

15. The charging handle of claim 14 , wherein the leaf spring of 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 the portward, forward direction.

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