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Have you ever used your forward assist on an AR style rifle?

I can't imagine a pressing need to do so.

I answered no, but I've never been in a combat situation with one either. For some reason they didn't let us NAV AIDS guys play with battle rifles in the Air Force.

Yes, but only because I didn't want the target on the 100 yard range to hear the bolt drop.
I, like jrma, was USAF and was not allowed to play with battle rifles. Unlike jrma, I know why because the range officer told us. His claim was we were dumb enough to shoot ourselves in the foot if we were allowed to even breath on a battle rifle.

In the Army they trained us to use SPORTS.

Slap - Pull - Observe -Release - Tap (the forward assist) - Squeeze

It worked pretty effectively.

DocV wrote:Yes, but only because I didn't want the target on the 100 yard range to hear the bolt drop.
I, like jrma, was USAF and was not allowed to play with battle rifles. Unlike jrma, I know why because the range officer told us. His claim was we were dumb enough to shoot ourselves in the foot if we were allowed to even breath on a battle rifle.

They did let was shoot ARs with .22 conversions on them in basic training. Mine had a FTF every third round.

On AR-15, that feature is standard by design.

Beiruty wrote:On AR-15, that feature is standard by design.

I don't think anyone suggested otherwise. Just most of us have not been in a situation where we "needed" to use it.

jmra wrote:

Beiruty wrote:On AR-15, that feature is standard by design.

I don't think anyone suggested otherwise. Just most of us have not been in a situation where we "needed" to use it.

If one purposefully and slowly releases the charging handle that forward assist would be necessary, otherwise, and most of time it is an extra feature.

Never had to use it to chamber a round. I have messed with it but that's about it. I hope to not be in a position where the fouling was bad enough to have to use it, but I know its there just in case.

SATX-Scrub wrote:In the Army they trained us to use SPORTS.

Slap - Pull - Observe -Release - Tap (the forward assist) - Squeeze

It worked pretty effectively.

Paul Howe's CSAT course instructs this way as well.

I've used mine once, when a dirty rifle failed to go all the way into battery. As a rule, I clean my rifle.

The Annoyed Man wrote:I've used mine once, when a dirty rifle failed to go all the way into battery. As a rule, I clean my rifle.

I shot an AR until it jammed from the fouling, but I didn't need an assist; I needed a cleaning rod to poke the stuck shell out of the chamber (Yes, I was shooting Wolf steel-cased ammo). It stuck so hard the extractor tore a chunk out of the shell, but the action never failed to cycle, and emphatically at that.

I've never managed to get one dirty enough to require the forward assist. I suspect that would take more ammunition than I own.

It is a nice feature, though, if so far totally useless to me.

When in the Army I used it routinely to assure the bolt was fully in battery. Now, it's a nice feature I don't use. If the shell won't chamber driving it in isn't the answer. Eject it and try another.

IIRC, the forward assist was not on the original AR-15,but was added to the M-16 once it started being used in VN, and the weapon would get fouled from jungle whatever.

MoJo wrote:When in the Army I used it routinely to assure the bolt was fully in battery. Now, it's a nice feature I don't use. If the shell won't chamber driving it in isn't the answer. Eject it and try another.