gunmechanic
Member
If i were buying or building an ar i would want the forward assist .It was a design enhancement that when needed is invaluable.In my opinion that is.
The look/feel the magazine, insert, chamber, release the magazine and look/feel the top round is now on the other feed lip trick was taught to me by MARSOC marine. As a unit they did that rather than press checks. It was easier to do and ensure things were in battery. Press check caused more issues then they solved in their experience.
What issues were they having? Unseated mags is probably the most common "malfunction" of the AR16/M16 family of rifles. In my 21 years of using the rifle professionally I've seen unseated mags fall out or fail to feed easily 20 to 1 over all other problems combined. Seems like removing the mags would be more likely to cause an issue that a press check to me.
I tried that Caldwell one with the metal frame and mesh bag and found it to suck mainly because the design of how the mesh part attaches to the metal frame is backwards of how it should be. Plus the attachment for the picatinny rail while seemingly a good design often interfered with my scope mounts on the rail. I ended up angrily throwing that one away.My brass catcher is Caldwell's unit that mounts to the picatinny rail via an adapter that allows removal of the basket without any tools. I should have said "the brass catcher interferes with my using the side pull handle."
What issues were they having? Unseated mags is probably the most common "malfunction" of the AR16/M16 family of rifles. In my 21 years of using the rifle professionally I've seen unseated mags fall out or fail to feed easily 20 to 1 over all other problems combined. Seems like removing the mags would be more likely to cause an issue that a press check to me.
Splitting hairs, but the most common M16/M4 problems I saw were caused by old stuck followers, pinched magazine body (that caused a stuck follower), or damaged lips. Usually caused by some NCO and a pair of pliers trying to "fix" a problem. Problems with the rifle itself dropped drastically after the growing pains of Vietnam. Magazines caused the big issues after that and this is where there are generations of magazines being tried. I first remember aluminum grey GI magazines with black or light green followers. Towards the end of my time, I was either using aluminum magazines with Magpul Enhanced followers (dark brown) or any generation of Pmag. I spent a lot of time on the range as either a range safety and remedial rifle trainer, for those soldiers that forgot the basics after boot camp. As the magazines got better, I spent less and less time cussing when I got waved over for a problem a shooter was having.
We didnt have a lot of mag issues. We had plenty of fresh mags so if one went bad we just pitched it and got new ones. Since P-mags came out I hardly ever see mag issues anymore.
Exactly what we did. Usually threw it under a truck wheel to crush it more so someone didn't try salvaging it from the trash, for whatever reason. I kept a paint marker with me in the ammo point so if someone complained about a mag, it got some strikes before it ended up in the trash. If one person has a malfunction with a mag, it could be shooter error. If 5 people have a problem with the same mag, its probably the mag.
We always just used our own mags that we kept with out gear.
Its amazing sometimes all the flak you catch from the M1/M14/M1A shooters that insist on telling you tell you that they cant fire out of battery.
Mine only took about 10 stitches.
Im just lucky it was the slow fire prone string, and the rifle wasnt in my shoulder when it happened. Never did find the rear of the receiver from the serial number back.
Mine didnt happen with the bump of my hand on the charging handle, I had slipped a round into the chamber and let the bolt go. That was also the last time I ever loaded an M1 that way.
Ive had them a couple of times in my one AR too, when using Winchester primers in my reloads and when a suppressor was mounted. Was getting 3-4 round bursts with it. AR's arent supposed to do that either. At least the gun didnt come apart.
One thing Ive come to realize is, a lot of people dont have a clue as to whats really going on, basically right at their face, while they are firing things like high power rifles. A lot is just taken for granted. Over the years, Ive seen the results on a number of guns, rifles, handguns, and a belt fed that had issues and/or came apart while being fired, and its an eye opening thing when you see it go on. Some people are just way too cavalier about this sort of thing too.
Once you get to experience it, or see it go on first hand, you get a whole different perspective on things.