To Assist or Not Assist?

[EricG]

Convince me that the forward assist on an AR15 is necessary. I'm curious as to what you all have to say.

I'm thinking, if it has to be forced, it probably shouldn't be.

 

[spencer rifle]

No option for bacon?

 

[EricG]

No option for bacon?

No option for bacon?

Aw snap..fixed!!

 

[Bighoss91]

I'm thinking, if it has to be forced, it probably shouldn't be.

I actually agree it shouldn't be forced but sometimes it has to be. In a rifle setup to depend your life on I would have 1. The best case study is reality and a young man in Kenosha demonstrated the efficacy of the forward assist.

 

[d.kaufman]

I vote needed. Why? In case you need to ride the bolt closed in a scenario where you need to be as quiet as possible. You will then need the forward assist to finish going fully into battery

 

[Gabriel]

I vote needed. Why? In case you need to ride the bolt closed in a scenario where you need to be as quiet as possible. You will then need the forward assist to finish going fully into battery

This. Plus, when press checking, the bolts on most ARs don't close all the way and need the forward assist to do it.

 

[Creedmoor]

Like post #5 states, also have you ever shot that platform until it stopped running?
It comes in handy on occasion..

 

[Brad69]

In bad conditions you will be glad to have a forward assist.
When your bang stick is covered in mud and sand you need it.

 

[Robert Richardson]

So far, everyone hit the nail on the head.
I'll take one please.

 

[freekforge]

It a yes for me. During department training I was shooting from urban prone and the brass hitting a mud puddle and splashing gunk into the ejection port would cause a hiccup every once and a while. It was easily fixed with a quick love tap on the FA. And as mentioned I also used it after press checks and a habit when charging the gun out of the rack.

 

[Creedmoor]

It a yes for me. During department training I was shooting from urban prone and the brass hitting a mud puddle and splashing gunk into the ejection port would cause a hiccup every once and a while. It was easily fixed with a quick love tap on the FA. And as mentioned I also used it after press checks and a habit when charging the gun out of the rack.

Gotta ask my friend, what is the reason for this so called urban prone shooting?

 

[92FSTech]

Could it fix a problem?
Yep.
Could it make a problem worse?
Potentially.
Is it in the way or hurting anything to have it on there?
Nope.

IMO it's one of those things that's better to have and not need than to need and not have. Unless it's some kind of dedicated upper who's bolt/BCG isn't equipped to utilize it anyway (like a .22 conversion bolt), I don't understand why someone wouldn't want it on there. And even then, it's not hurting anything.

 

[Sigblitz]

I assist the first round as mentioned above.
And once I thought I was under gassed from a bad cartridge and had to push the next one home.

 

[BIGE7.62]

The Forward Assist is kinda like a firearm . It's not always needed ,but nice to have when ya do .
I'll leave this .
S lap
P ull
O bserve
R elease
T ap (fa)
S queeze

 

[bwframe]

How much of a detriment is the forward assist, if you never use it?

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

AR-15 Forward Assist: What It Does & Do You Need One?

Should your rifle have a forward assist? We walk you through what a forward assist does and tell you whether it's worth having on your AR-15.

www.pewpewtactical.com

In 1959, when Eugene Stoner and his corporation designed the first M16 (based on their AR-10 design), no forward assist existed on the gun.

Stoner believed it wasn’t necessary on his design. While the U.S. Airforce agreed, the Army, however, did not.

The Army insisted a bolt-assist be included on the M16 design to keep things familiar for soldiers and allow the forceful chambering of the gun.

Stoner conceded the point and included the forward assist on the M16A1. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[Slow Hand]

If a cartridge needs to be beat into the chamber, you probably don’t want it to be there! Especially in an AR where you have less leverage to remove it. I made a. Gas vent to replace the FA on my 300 blk sbr. It helps with shooting suppressed.

 

[Sigblitz]

AR-15 Forward Assist: What It Does & Do You Need One?

Should your rifle have a forward assist? We walk you through what a forward assist does and tell you whether it's worth having on your AR-15.

www.pewpewtactical.com

In 1959, when Eugene Stoner and his corporation designed the first M16 (based on their AR-10 design), no forward assist existed on the gun.

Stoner believed it wasn’t necessary on his design. While the U.S. Airforce agreed, the Army, however, did not.

The Army insisted a bolt-assist be included on the M16 design to keep things familiar for soldiers and allow the forceful chambering of the gun.

Stoner conceded the point and included the forward assist on the M16A1. The rest, as they say, is history.

The air force didn't want it.
They were the first to use the m16.
Then came the cold war in south east Asia. The troops in Vietnam got m16's. Remington was making the powder for the m16, but the army chose Olin to make the powder, and it wasn't good, at least not for the m16. The forward assist was added because the ammo wasn't any good. That's how the army fixes the problem.

 

[d.kaufman]

If a cartridge needs to be beat into the chamber, you probably don’t want it to be there! Especially in an AR where you have less leverage to remove it. I made a. Gas vent to replace the FA on my 300 blk sbr. It helps with shooting suppressed.

Seems like there's been 2-3 scenarios presented for why the need for FA, and none of them have anything to do with beating a round into the chamber

 

[Bassat]

I used the FA on my US Army issued M16A1 more than once. Shoot it dirty. You'll need it. Luckily for me, the only thing down-range when I needed it was a green silhouette. I've never needed the thumb safety on my P365XL, or Browning Buckmark, but I'm just fine with it being there. Ditto the fire extinguisher in my kitchen, the Smoke Alarms in my house, the brake on my chainsaw, ... no wait, that has save my bacon (arm, leg, forehead...) more than once. OK, some safety feature are sometimes needed. How do you decide which/when?