Quick takedown charging handle

A charging handle for a firearm having a bolt carrier, the charging handle comprising:

• a charging handle body defining an interior cavity;
• a post disposed within the interior cavity and having a post engagement surface at a distal end accessible from outside the charging handle body;
• a locking plate operatively coupled to the post and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position configured to engage a recess of the bolt carrier;
• and
• a return spring biasing the locking plate toward the locked position,
• wherein:
• (i) depression of the post against a bias of the return spring permits rotation of the post to move the locking plate from the unlocked position to the locked position;
• and
• (ii) release of the depressed post allows the return spring to drive the locking plate into engagement with the recess of the bolt carrier to secure the charging handle, whereby the charging handle is configured as installable and removable without threaded fasteners.