Geissele Maritime Bolt Catch

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Ratings Snapshot

4.8

out of 5

5 (7)

4 (2)

3 (0)

2 (0)

1 (0)

Would recommend this product.

100%

SKU: 220-G-08153
UPC: 817953022429
MFG#: 08-153

I just put this on an old AR, and I think the function is excellent. The one issue I didn't like was that it seems to have some "slop" when installed. It looks thinner than the mil-spec bolt catch that was original to the rifle, causing it to move side to side slightly. Other than that, it makes using the bolt catch easier, and it does what it was designed to do.

This oversized AR bolt catch works well. Installing a bolt catch can be a pain, but that isn't any fault of the manufacturer. The machining on this part is clean, as you can expect from geiselle. The oversized surfaces make releasing the bolt easier with gloves, and I know a lefty shooter that swears by this release over his Ambi bolt catch (he can reach up with his trigger finger and work the release with his index). My only concern is that this will make removing/installing your front trigger pin a pain as the upper surface covers that hole from the left side of the receiver. Make sure you have a quality trigger installed prior to installing this bolt release, or you might be stuck removing this bolt release to get a punch on that pin squarely.

If you use your AR in adverse conditions (cold, wet) and wear gloves or mittens, the extra size and texture on this bolt catch will help counter numb/slippery fingers. Installation takes about 2 minutes, and that includes removing the old bolt catch. This goes on all my ARs except my M16A1 clone.

As a now-retired US Marine Corps infantry officer who has commanded Marine Special Operation’s Capable (SOC) units of up to battalion level along with a Special Riverine Counter-Drug Joint Task Force (JTF) in South America, one involving Recon Marines, an ‘A’ Team from 7th SF Group (Green Beret’s) along with an element from SEAL Team 4, the Maritime Bolt Catch remains a preferred component on the M16A2/3 or M4 in that type of role. While a MIM cast unit (instead of a forging), I have yet to see one fail in ‘extremis’ conditions. This component is equally useful for any maritime or potential land combat environment, especially where slippery liquids (sweat, water, blood, or slime) may be encountered. As a primarily left-handed operator, I have installed these on every AR that I personally own!

Yup, simply a must for lefties. High-quality part. When you remove your old bolt catch, take a moment to compare this against the one you’re removing. You’ll see what makes a quality part a quality part. Installation can be accomplished in a matter of minutes, and mine came with a new roll pin.

So I bought 3 of these AR-15 MARITIME BOLT CATCH , the two I used on AR15 platforms worked great, so if they fit and function, they seem great. However, it would not work on the Mega Maten 308 lower. It had several issues installing that lower. The first was that the bottom of the lower "tab" interfered with the mag release bar and the top of the lower tab interfered with the lower frame. Both of those things were fixable with a little grinding. However once those two things were fixed the back of the lower tab came into contact with the lower and did not allow enough travel for the bolt catch to pivot upward enough function. Not a big ding against Geissele, but just letting others know if they have .308 lower it may/may not work, and it certainly won't work with the Mega. The other issue is if you have a lower that uses a solid pivot pin for the bolt catch like the Mega billet lowers, as opposed to a roll pin you may need to open up the pivot hole a bit, both of the ones I got were too tight to use with the machined pin that Mega uses.

I won’t be using this bolt catch while patrolling the local harbor, so don’t let the name confuse you. It’s without a doubt the best-oversized bolt catch out there. Very aggressive texture and huge catch and release pads. It’s simply beautiful on any AR-style rifle. An install can be done in one minute (seriously). Make sure you have a rubber-tipped mallet (so you don’t scratch you're lower) and a roll pin punch set (easily acquired for little money). The catch makes locking the bolt open significantly more comfortable than a standard catch and slapping the bolt closed is just as easy. Geissele makes quality products and this is a great addition to your AR for little money.

I think this is the best bolt catch for lefties with an ar15. This was easy to install. Only took a few minutes. Functions great.

The catch is very lovely and well machined. Fits great. My only gripe is the bottom paddle large enough to prevent driving the hammer pin in through the left side. This isn't a problem with the higher-end Geissele triggers and mil-spec triggers which can be installed from the right side. The only problem is when using it with the Geissele g2s trigger which needs to have its hammer pin driven in from the left side due to its pin retention design. Otherwise, when you drive the pin from the right with the g2s you have to clear two grooves in the pin to be retained by the third groove. Not a big deal at all, but it is a detail to consider. Fortunately, I have a threaded bolt catch pin. It seems to me the product could be improved by removing a 1/8inch or so from the bottom paddle, to increase its compatibility with other Geissele products.