One complaint I've always had with the AR platform, is the inability to retain a firing grip when locking the bolt to the rear. I tried the Magpul BAD lever, but having the control tab inside the trigger guard gave me the willys. I've also had the bolt slam closed when setting the rifle down on the left side. When searching for a lower to SBR, I saw that Aero Precision was selling lowers already milled for the PDQ Ambi Bolt Release, I was pretty stoked. I ordered both in black and patiently waited for the call from my LGS. Both arrived a few days later, and upon initial inspection, the PDQ seemed solid and well finished. My main concern was the extra weight of the right side lever, and the way the port door applied additional downward pressure to it. Would the bolt catch fail to lock back on empties?
While function testing with GI and Pmags, the bolt catch clicked up up solidly. I wear Mechanix gloves in size large, but I still have to adjust my grip a bit to press up on the lever as it's a tad high on the receiver. I also find it faster to just hit the paddle on the left side after inserting a fresh mag. However, it still makes clearing the weapon, especially when prone or on the bench much easier. While the unit works as advertised in stock form, there were still a few issues. During live fire, I repeatedly got failures to lock back on empty, both with Gen 2 and 3 Pmags, and GI aluminum mags. I have read reviews of the PDQ where users did not experience any problems so it may just be a combination of the parts on my rifle, but there do seem to be two design flaws that could have been ironed out prior to release. The PDQ is nearly double the weight of the stock bolt catch, and all of that weight is pressing the bolt catch down. The port door also adds a small but considerable amount of resistance to the lever. You can really feel the difference when lifting the catch from inside the magwell. So in stock form, at least on my rifle, the PDQ is a disappointment.
Of course, I'm not one to give up that easily. I figured the problem was the extra mass of the lever, and the interference from the port door. Examining the PDQ, the right side lever is square in profile, and the top edge drags against the port door. The "ping pong" is also larger than it needs to be. I figured I could cut off both sides of the ping pong paddle, reduce the thickness of the lever, and cut an angle to remove the sharp edge . Thinning out the lever also meant it would contacting the port door farther away from the hinge point, reducing its leverage. I clamped it into my bench vise and started work. I used a cutoff wheel in my Dremel to get the basic shape, followed by a bastard file, #2 swiss file, and 200 grit sandpaper to clean up the rough edges. My concerns that this was a MIM part faded quickly as the PDQ cut like any other piece of steel. I roughed up the bare metal with some steel wool and shot it with two quick coats of flat black engine block enamel that I had on hand. Here it is installed.
While the lever still slides against the port door, it moves much more smoothly and with less resistance than before. It still sticks out further than I'd like, but I've yet to snag it on anything. While it looks flimsy, it's no thinner than the thinnest part of the lever where it exits the receiver. I can still get excellent purchase on the lever in both directions. It functions perfectly now with both my 16" and 11.5" upper and all mags. Overall I'm happy with the lever, but only after performing a pretty extensive modification. If Teal Blue Bravo ever comes out with a new version, I hope it's smaller and hugs the receiver more closely. Until then, unless you're patient with a file, stick with the Magpul offering.
-Carry On
