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'''Forward assisting''' is the practice of moving the [[bolt (firearms)|bolt]] or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward ''in battery'' when the return [[spring (device)|spring]] has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so) to prevent [[out-of-battery]] firing. It is only used on [[closed bolt]] only firearms. Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward assisting; on others, it is simply a procedure performed on reciprocating (IE: attached to the bolt/bolt carrier) [[charging handle]]s.
==As a device==
[[File:M-16 forward assist.jpg|thumb|250px|The forward assist of an M16A2 rifle, highlighted by a red circle. Note the multiple serrations on the side of the bolt carrier that interface with the device seen through the ejection port]]
The '''forward assist'''
Another instance where the forward assist can prove useful is when performing a stealth chamber check. Rather than letting the bolt go forward under full spring tension after verifying a round is in the chamber, the bolt can be let forward gently and then the forward assist can be used to fully close the bolt. Doing so will produce a very distinct "click" rather than the loud sound of the bolt slamming forward.
The forward assist had been used on the [[Heckler & Koch G41]] and implemented in 2007 on the [[Steyr AUG#AUG_clones|MSAR STG-556]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Greg |date=2010-09-23 |title=Microtech STG-556 |url=https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/longgun_reviews_st_microtechstg_200806/99253 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Shooting Times |language=en}}</ref> a U.S.-made clone of the Austrian [[Steyr AUG]] rifle, but the usefulness of such device is questionable, since the design is not normally prone to the [[Firearm malfunction|malfunction]] that leads to the need of the forward assist in other firearms; in fact Microtech Small Arms Research Inc., the manufacturer of the STG-556, has dropped the forward assist on all rifles manufactured since November 2008.
==As a procedure==
On firearms where the cocking handle is permanently connected to the bolt
The forward assist is generally not necessary as a standard procedure on any firearm. An exception is the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[SA80]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Steward |first=Oliver |date=2018-01-01 |title=The British SA80 Assault Rifle: Was it ahead of its time? |url=https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-british-sa-80-assault-rifle-was-it-ahead-of-its-time/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Having realized the frequency with which the firearm jammed when taken outside of the clean environment of the test range, the forward assist was implemented to save the operator the potential danger of aiming the rifle and pulling the [[Trigger (firearms)|trigger]] and the rifle not going off because the bolt is not fully forward (a safety arrangement called a "safety sear" stopping the [[hammer (firearm)|hammer]] from being released and the firearm firing, because of the dangers of firing with the bolt not fully closed).<ref>{{Cite web |first=Todd |last=Gimian |date=2021-07-17 |title=AR-15 Forward Assist: What It Does & Do You Need One? |url=https://www.pewpewtactical.com/forward-assist-ar-15/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Pew Pew Tactical |language=en-US}}</ref>{{verification failed|date=October 2022}}
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==See also==
*[[List of firearm terminology]]
*[[List of established military terms]]
*[[Receiver (firearms)]]
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[[Category:Firearm components]]
[[Category:Firearm terminology]]
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