Review: Battle Arms Development CASS-3P

I first wrote about the CASS-3P AR-15 selector back in June and you can read more about the excellent pedigree of this selector in that post. Since that time, I have been working with a prototype CASS-3P that Battle Arms Development provided for me to review.

The CASS-3P will feel familiar to those of you who have have a BAD-ASS already. The levers are dimensionally identical to the excellent BAD-ASS levers. However, there are 2 notable differences that really make the CASS-3P stand out.

The first difference is the way that the levers mount. The BAD-ASS uses a slot style mounting system that takes the stress off the mounting screws but does nothing to retain the lever without the screw. The CASS-3P uses a horizontal dovetail mounting system. This not only takes the rotational stresses off the screw but will retain the lever to a certain extent even if the screw is lost or broken. I tested this by installing the strong side lever without a screw and cycling the lever from fire, to safe, to fire, and so on. I made it to 200 cycles before I was bored and the lever was still intact. It was sliding around on the core but it didn’t fall off.

The second difference is that the center core that the levers attach to is slightly longer. This is to allow some additional clearance for when you slide the levers onto the core. The happy coincidence is that this also makes the levers feel wider. They are dimensionally the same as the BAD-ASS levers but they are raised slightly higher off of the receiver. This makes them even easier to find with your fingers but also can add to the interference with your trigger finger so you will want to choose your weak side lever wisely. If you are used to shooting with an ambidextrous selector switch, you really won’t even notice the extra thickness.

Overall, this is probably the most battle worthy selector from Battle Arms Development yet. The dovetail mounted levers adds a degree of redundant lever retention that is really attractive for those who are looking to build a fighting carbine. The CASS-3P will be available on the Battle Arms Development website soon.

6 Responses to Review: Battle Arms Development CASS-3P

  1. Dann in Ohio July 9, 2011 at 22:54 #

    Are you using or recommending thread-locker on “permanent” installations?

    Dann in Ohio

    • Matt July 9, 2011 at 23:31 #

      YES. Everything on a gun that has threads needs thread-locker. I will also typically witness mark them with a paint pen so that it is visually apparent if a screw starts to back out.

  2. Paul July 10, 2011 at 14:57 #

    Any information yet on pricing? Nice write-up. Looks like a great selector. I like the extra thickness, but usually like to keep all my AR parts as light as possible.

    • Matt July 10, 2011 at 15:22 #

      I do not have pricing info yet, but I do know that it will cost more than the BAD-ASS due to the extra machining.

      Thanks for the kind words about the site and for reading.

  3. Paul July 10, 2011 at 15:01 #

    And by the way, the website looks great. I hope it’s around for a long time.

  4. Dann in Ohio July 10, 2011 at 17:30 #

    Yeah, I tend to thread lock about everything. I’ve had a couple of friends have things loosen up on their ARs, 1911s, and a couple of other guns lately… I’m like, “Bubba, meet Mr. Loc-Tite.”

    Dann in Ohio

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