Patent ID: 7240600

Claim:
A charging handle for a rifle having a housing, the handle comprising: a body having an elongated bar having a forward end and a rear end; the bar having a bolt engaging element at the forward end; a crossbar having an intermediate portion connected to the rear end of the bar; the crossbar having opposed ends extending laterally of the bar; first and second latch elements connected to the body; the first latch element having a housing-engaging element operable to engage the housing when the handle is in a forward position; the first and second latch elements being operably engaged to each other such that pivoting of the second latch element the disengages the housing-engaging element from the housing; wherein one of the latch elements has a protrusion, and the other latch element has a recess defining a U-shaped gap, and wherein the protrusion is received in the recess to constrain the position of each latch element based on the position of the other latch element; and wherein the protrusion has an enlarged end portion with a selected width, and is connected to the rest of the latch element by a neck having a width less than the selected width, and wherein the protrusion extends radially from a first pivot axis about which the one latch element pivots, and where the recess has an opening facing away from a second pivot axis about which the other latch element pivots.