Product Review - Troy Ambidextrous Bolt Release

Some may tell you that the AR-15 is the “perfect rifle”. Those who do are probably a little too free with the word “perfect”. It may be “perfect” for some applications or people, but as the height of perfection for rifles, it is not. That’s certainly not to say that it’s bad; the AR platform is fantastic. Fortunately, due in no small part to the wonders of modern manufacture and the customizable nature of the platform, it can be further improved.

Enter Troy Industries. Founded on the principle of “making reliable, innovative, over engineered products that will function without question”, Troy makes some incredible accessories and upgrades for one of America’s most favorite weapons. One of the most ingenious – and one of our best-sellers! – is the Ambidextrous Bolt Release.

Small part. Big improvement.

From the first look, the quality of the “Ambi” is immediately apparent. Its simple design, realized in hardened aircraft aluminum, with subtle but positive serrations at key points, belies its ingenuity. Once out of the bag, if you can push a button and turn an hex key (packaged with every Ambidextrous Bolt Release), installation is a breeze; (after ensuring the weapon is completely unloaded) open the upper receiver as you would for standard cleaning, place the two-part “head” of the Ambi around the existing bolt release, and tighten hex screw. Close the upper receiver and admire your work. (Naturally, instructions are supplied with Ambi, but come on…as I guy, I didn't read those.)

Before I installed mine, I must admit that I was concerned that something entering the trigger guard would become (at best) a distraction or (at worst) a point of failure in operation. Being narrow and situated close to the receiver, there’s room for days – even when wearing most gloves. If you have a non-standard or enhanced trigger guard that gives you even more room, astronaut gloves might be the only thing that wouldn't work. It’s not an annoyance or a distraction, and I hardly notice it until it’s time to have it do its job.

The Troy Ambidextrous Bolt Release - installed.

And what a job it does! The concept behind the Ambidextrous Bolt Release is in the name – to make available, for left-handed shooters, a weapon control located on the left side of the rifle. Left-handed shooters would find it awkward to access the standard bolt release with their left hand on the grip. Meeting this objective creates an interesting benefit for right-handed shooters, though: the bolt release operation can now be handled by the shooting hand. This saves time for the support hand in magazine changes. Give yourself more time between mag changes with a 40-rd. magazine, and your support hand could get positively bored! As a right-handed shooter, a quick flick of the Ambi’s tab in the trigger guard, and the rifle smoothly jumps back into battery (especially if you've got a quality buffer tube spring).

You can hang a lot off an AR. Whether it’s cosmetic or serving some auxiliary purpose, there are a LOT of options available. The AR platform isn't the final word in rifle achievement; someday, something really cosmic will find some way to surpass it. Right now, though, the Troy Ambidextrous Bolt Release is an easy, effective way to push your AR a little closer to perfection.

- Matt