The MIKE-15 Rifle from Foxtrot Mike (Foxtrot Mike) Products has high end features, out of the box, at a fantastic price. The heart of the MIKE-15 is its proprietary bolt carrier and forward charging handle system. Foxtrot Mike designed the lightweight bolt carrier so that the MIKE-15 can fire with the Magpul Zhukov stock folded or extended. The bolt carrier is not the only light component, the entire rifle weighs in at an unloaded weight of 6.5 lbs. The bolt carrier reciprocates on a unique dual nested recoil spring, which is completely retained inside the upper receiver. The forward placed non-reciprocating charging handle interfaces with a raised portion on the gas key of the carrier. This arrangement allows for easy weapons manipulation and charging, all while retaining the firing hand on the pistol grip. The metal charging handle can be swapped to angle down or up, and also be switched to the right- or left-hand sides. The charging handle can be accessed by removing the free float handguard, unscrewing one set screw and sliding the charging handle mechanism out. The charging handle rides above a direct impingement gas system, very similar to a standard AR-15. What is not standard about the gas system is the Foxtrot Mike unique gas block, which indexes to the barrel with an alignment nub. The gas block is also robustly pinned in place with two coil pins to prevent any movement or gas leakage. Gas system is mid-length. The 16 inch nitride barrel is chambered in 223 Wylde, which allows for reliability with 5.56x45 mm NATO & 223 Remington ammunition. The ultra-hard & lubricious nitride finish on the barrel aides cleaning and prevent corrosion. The barrel is capped by an A2 flash hider.