There have been a handful of attempts to create drop-in left side charging handles for the AK and, for the most part, they have all been met with a lot of skepticism. I recently came across a new option that appears to have a lot going for it – the L.I.N.C.H. Cover from Davis Tactical Solutions (DTS).
The L.I.N.C.H. Cover starts with a Bulgarian top cover. DTS cuts a channel into the top cover and reinforces it.They fit an FN FAL folding charging handle with a charging pin to the track. They also add a detent to the charging handle so that it won’t fold under recoil.
There are 3 notable features of the L.I.N.C.H. Cover that show a lot of potential. The opening that is cut into the top cover is minimal compared to other designs which should minimize the potential for debris to enter the action. The charging handle does not reciprocate which is a positive for those who would rather not have a mass of steel hurtling toward their teeth. Finally, it is completely redundant so that if something goes wrong, the original right side charging handle is still completely functional.
This is the first left-side charging handle for the AK family of rifles to really pique my interest. If DTS comes out with a non-folding model, I will have a hard time resisting one.
Check out LastRoundHoldOpenAK47.com.