US Patent Issued on Dec. 16 for "Charging handle for a firearm" (Louisiana Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,498,188, issued on Dec. 16.

"Charging handle for a firearm" was invented by Austin Menard (Broussard, La.) and Brandon Elias (Lafayette, La.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The charging handle includes a latch assembly and a plunger that locks the latch assembly, preventing a lever of the latch assembly from rotating and thereby transitioning the latch from the relaxed position, in which the latch can engage the receiver of the firearm, to the released position. This configuration prevents the charging handle from inadvertently pulling the bolt carrier group of the firearm out of battery when snagged, which might otherwise render the fire...