Do you use the forward assist on an AR15?

aeropb · Feb 28, 2012

I'm not exactly a fan, but I don't see why you would remove it. My thinking is if a round won't chamber, you fix the problem by getting rid of it. Slingshot the charging handle, watch and hope the problem round cleanly comes out of the chamber, let go and try a new round.

Jefpainthorse · Feb 28, 2012

my vastly limited experience... I've used it once to help one in...then spent a considerable part of the afternoon getting a stuck case out of a dirty chamber.

My jury is out... if a FA pushed the round you need to save your life it's worth having.

For a strictly sporting rifle... not so much.

tbird63b · Feb 29, 2012

I always use my Forward assist when I first load my weapon before mission. I always load my weapon in, or right before I get in the truck. And I press my FA maybe out of paranoia to ensure the bolt is seated. And Im just old school when it comes to correcting malfunctions. Slap Pull Observe Release Tap Squeeze (SPORTS) . From what I have gathered reading some responses. It sounds like people are just using the forward assist if they have a FTF. The purpose of the forward assist "that i've been taught" is after ejecting the (bad primer) or F'd up round. You press the FA because the weapon may be running dry, and bolt didn't seat forward, and thats why you had the FTF to begin with. And I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So i know wtf im talking about

NL7CO · Feb 29, 2012

My experience is a lot like Daniel's. All those years ago, I was taught (and then taught others) to use SPORTS and it is an ingrained action at this point. To me, the FA is something that was always there. Mostly, I have used it to do the quiet check of a round in the chamber - pull the bolt slightly to the rear and then use the FA to ensure that the bolt fully reseats without sling shotting the charging handle.

The only time I remember using it to make a weapon work was during the late 70's while assigned to Alaska. The old LSA lube got very sluggish in the cold.

shootingbuff · Feb 29, 2012

TroyF said:
Erik:

What I referred to is that it is faster and more positive to transition to a pistol than to dink with a rifle, when bullets are being exchanged. Malfunctions in the rifle can be pretty time intensive to clear. My area of operation is somewhat different than the guys running 3gun, where transitions might not be appropriate/illegal.
I dont have issues with forward assist, and I dont know that I ever have seen a problem that can be blamed on one or it's use. What I've seen are ammo, magazine, cleaning/lubrication, or user induced malfunctions. Or a combination of any.

+1

DoctorJJ · Feb 29, 2012

I don't use it. Never had to. Keep the gun in reasonable state of cleanliness and use decent ammo. Even for a round check a simple push with my finger on the bolt will seat the bolt quietly. Of course I'm not depending on my rifle for my life but then on the other hand if I were, I'd be even more meticulous about my weapon and the ammo to ensure no malfunctions. I don't see the need for the FA.

shootingbuff · Feb 29, 2012

Daniel M said:
I always use my Forward assist when I first load my weapon before mission. I always load my weapon in, or right before I get in the truck. And I press my FA maybe out of paranoia to ensure the bolt is seated. And Im just old school when it comes to correcting malfunctions. Slap Pull Observe Release Tap Squeeze (SPORTS) . From what I have gathered reading some responses. It sounds like people are just using the forward assist if they have a FTF. The purpose of the forward assist "that i've been taught" is after ejecting the (bad primer) or F'd up round. You press the FA because the weapon may be running dry, and bolt didn't seat forward, and thats why you had the FTF to begin with. And I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So i know wtf im talking about

As stated you get the bad mojo out and as a preventitive measure use the fwd assist.

Could any point to Fwd assists causing issues. I guess it could drag on the bolt if it was really jacked up in some way or even jam the bolt, but never seen or heard of this. I could see losing it if one was builiding the lightest of light ARs.

I look at it like a spare. Better to have an not need then need and not have. Of course you have to know how to change the tire for it to be effective as well as use a fwd assist for it to be effective.

All that stated up close and personal - transition. Playing games - learn SPORTS or dont have/use a fwd assist.

Ref history of the AR it is interesting from start to now.

Deathtrap · Feb 29, 2012

Say you have a piece of brass that isn't sized properly. Your much better to clear it rather that mess around with trying to get it to chamber. Clear the malfunction don't mess with trying to get it to seat, if it was going to work it would have done it the first time. The failure in the fa is people are trained to use it. If you have a malf try a different round or switch to a different gun.

Wormydog1724 · Feb 29, 2012

I see no reason not to have it. I inspect my rounds when I load my mag. I don't reload and have never had a stuck case. I use the FA Regularly when the bolt doesn't seat from me riding the bolt or my almost always dirty AR's.

tbird63b · Mar 1, 2012

Jake Burki said:
Say you have a piece of brass that isn't sized properly. Your much better to clear it rather that mess around with trying to get it to chamber. Clear the malfunction don't mess with trying to get it to seat, if it was going to work it would have done it the first time. The failure in the fa is people are trained to use it. If you have a malf try a different round or switch to a different gun.

I think you are kinda saying what I was trying to dispute. The FA isn't to try and chamber a round that didn't chamber the first time. Slap the magazine Pull charging handle to the rear Observe the round extracting Release the charging handle Tap the forward assist and Squeeze the trigger. It sounds like one of the biggest issues with the FA, is people misuse, or misunderstanding of what its purpose is. Military has improved its 556 to steel armor piercing. But the magazines are still pieces of ****. That's why we train S.P.O.R.T.S the FA purpose isn't to try and cram a casing into the chamber. Its to ensure the bolt is fully seated after clearing a malfunction.

tbird63b · Mar 1, 2012

And just my 2 cents worth. Transition to a different gun is not the cure all. alot of people have the misconception that all combat occurs like **** in call of duty, where theyre right on top of you. When you are in the Mountains of Afghanistan, and have a malfunction. Transitioning to a 9mm while engaging a target at 300m + doesn't exactly work. This is what training is for, and why i instill muscle memory into my soldiers, and we train over and over and over. A malfunction isn't the end of the world, unless you let it be.

Matt1911 · Mar 1, 2012

The only times the FA has been used on mine is when I'm taking someone out shooting who hasn't used the AR platform before. No matter how many times I say pull the charging handle back and release it, some people always ride it back which leads to the bolt not seating so then I have to tell them to slap the FA.

Other than that I don't remember ever having to use it.

Mitch Rapp · Mar 1, 2012

I have used my FA many times while hunting. On public land many times you will walk in on land that is not legal to hunt on, to get to hunting land. I am not sure what the "rules" say about what to do, but I stay un chambered until I get to hunting land. Then I try to load up quietly, the FA is very handy then.

If I had a rifle for purely match shooting, or target practice, I could do without it, For an "all purpose" gun, I would want it.

gmar · Mar 24, 2012

I've never have had a reason to ouse my FA but at the same time I use decent ammo and clean my rifle on a regular basis. I just bought a .308 in the AR platform and when I was doing my research, I noticed a majority of the .308 do not include a FA or dust cover.