Forward assist: Difference between revisions

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.<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 |issn=2372-1952}}</ref> 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 |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]]<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 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.

On firearms where the cocking handle is permanently connected to the bolt or bolt carrier, a dedicated device is not necessary as the bolt can be assisted forwards by simply pushing or tapping the cocking handle forwards.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1968-06-01 |title=Report of the M16 Rifle Review Panel. Volume 1. History of the M16 Weapon System |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA953110.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Defence Technical Information Center}}</ref>

The forward assist is generally not necessary as a standard procedure on any firearm with the exception of 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 (firearm)|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 |last=Gunsmith |first=Todd Gimian Todd is a |last2=Vegas |first2=Range Officer based out of Las |last3=Institute |first3=Nevada He has a degree in gunsmithing from Sonoran Desert |last4=arts |first4=has been working with firearms since he was a kid Todd has a background in martial |last5=Training |first5=Enjoys |last6=Time |first6=Teaching Combatives Whenever He Has |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>

The design of the [[L85]] makes the forward assist quite awkward as the left supporting arm must come off the hand grip and reach over the top to strike the bolt forward with the left edge of the left hand, much like a "karate chop". It may be a perception of awkwardness by external users due to unfamiliarity, as the drills are not seen as awkward by common users, it is a slick and swift drill when carried out by trained personnel where reload and ready times are similar to that of M4 type counterparts.<ref>{{CitationCite web needed|date=May2010-10-27 |title=Enfield SA-80: L85A1 L85A2 L85A3 assault rifle (UK) |url=https://modernfirearms.net/en/bez-rubriki-en/sa80-l85-eng/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Modern Firearms |language=en}}</ref>