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[[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''' is a button found on firearms with non-reciprocating (IE: not attached to the bolt/bolt carrier) cocking handles, commonly on [[AR-15]] rifle derivatives, such as the [[M16 rifle]], and is usually located on the receiver near the [[Bolt (firearms)|bolt]] closure.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=O'Connell |first=James |date=2020-04-20 |title=The M16 in Vietnam: A History of the Weapon's Effectiveness in the Vietnam War and the Necessity of its Creation |url=http://philologiavt.org/articles/10.21061/ph.228/ |journal=Philologia |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=14–19 |doi=10.21061/ph.228 |s2cid=219084970 |issn=2372-1952 |doi-access=free |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319231204/https://philologiavt.org/articles/10.21061/ph.228 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is a ratchet like device that interfaces with the multiple serrations found on the side of the bolt carrier. The original AR15 and M16 designs lacked the "bolt forward assist" feature found on the later M16A1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Army Infantry Weapons |url=http://www.forces80.com/infweap.htm |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=www.forces80.com}}</ref> When hit, it pushes the bolt carrier forward, ensuring that the bolt is locked. In order to ensure that the [[Extractor (firearms)|extractor]] is clipped around the rim of the casing, the forward assist is usually struck rather than pushed. It is commonly incorporated into standard loading procedure to prepare a firearm for firing, or to close the bolt when the firearm is excessively dirty.<ref>{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRgR1vhS8lcC&pg=SA2-PA40 |title=Soldier's Manual MOS 02K: Bassoon Player |chapter=Load, Reduce a Stoppage, and Clear an M16A1 Rifle |publisher=[[United States Department of the Army]] |page=2–40 |year=1980 |access-date=2019-12-25 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
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.
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==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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