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The '''forward assist''' on a firearm is a button found commonly on [[AR-15]] rifle derivatives, such as the [[M16 rifle]], and is usually located near the [[Bolt (firearms)|bolt]] closure. 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 |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.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
The forward assist had been implemented in 2007 on the [[Steyr AUG#AUG_clones|MSAR STG-556]], 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 led 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.
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