Compact action with forward charging handle incorporated into an upper receiver handguard

A compact action assembly incorporated into a firearm upper receiver affixed to a lower receiver, said assembly comprising:

• the upper receiver including a housing incorporating a barrel;
• a bolt and supporting carrier positioned within said upper receiver housing so that said bolt is engaged to a rear receiver end of said barrel in a forward most cartridge chambering position;
• a pair of guide rods extending in parallel and spaced apart fashion along an interior of said receiver housing to a rear located retainer, a pair of springs seating over said guide rods for biasing said bolt and carrier against said rear receiver end of said barrel;
• said carrier displaceable along said guide rods between said receiver end of said barrel and a rearward located bumper component of said retainer;
• said carrier actuating in a rearward direction following discharge of a ballistic from said barrel;
• a sideways extending charging handle projecting from a forward location of said housing and which is manually displaceable along a lengthwise extending slot in said housing;
• a latch extending from said charging handle and engaged to said housing such that, upon rotation of said latch about a spring biased pivot connection to said charging handle, said latch unlocks said charging handle from said housing, with subsequent displacement of said charging handle actuating a slider component supported within said housing, said slider component in turn contacting and actuating said carrier key in a manual operation to cycle said carrier and bolt;
• and
• said latch further including a forward coil pin offset from said spring biased pivot connection, said forward pin contacting a recess in a cross bar portion seated within said lengthwise extending slot for limiting rotation of said latch.