Forward assist question

[mljdeckard]

One afternoon I cranked 500 rounds of Wolf straight through a Bushmaster M-4gery. I slopped some more CLP on the bolt about halfway through. Was it disgustingly hot and dirty? Yes. Did it fail to lock? Never. An AR can take as much hot fire and still function as any other rifle design.

 

[holdencm9]

Never needed to use the FA. Still nice to have, just in case you can't let the bolt slam home. You should never allow the bolt to close slowly as it chambers a round, but if you need to do a brass check and pull it back a little way, and release forward, the FA is just a bit of peace of mind that it is all the way in battery.

As others have stated, the charging handle can only pull, it can't push.

 

[Dr.Zubrato]

Seriously guys? I've tried to use the FA to chamber a round, but it is not silent, and it leaves a nice target shape on my hand, takes some force to close that sucker.
When I do get it closed, it makes a hearty CLUNK! I almost think it would be quieter to ride the bolt home on a round, then use the FA for insurance purposes.

 

[osprey176]

Great explanations by people with much more AR experience than me.I can only add a footnote in that Eugene Stoner HATED the whole forward assist concept. He only added it at the demand of the military,who insisted. This comes from a close friend who's late father worked on the AR project from the beginning.

 

[Shifty]

A buddy of mine said it like this.... When you are shooting alot, ALOT, of ammo downrange, and your sh*t is hot, dirty, and maybe your springs are worn...... Those locking lug get fouled and your chamber is messy, and you rifle slows down. Your lube has burnt off. Your rifle fails to go into battery..... That's the moment the FA was made for. To buy a little time until you can get the weapon back to full working order. When the bullets aren't coming at you.

But wait, guns don't need cleaning and maintenance....