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’sWeapon'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}}</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 |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>

The forward assist's use can correlate with an increase in malfunctions with feeding and extraction. Test data from the original trials indicate that, while the forward assist itself is not causal to inducing a malfunction, the need to use the forward assist will likely coincide with feeding and extraction issues exclusive from the use of the forward assist. While the forward assist can be effective in some circumstances as the tests demonstrated, the firearm's user should know when to conduct a remedial action, such as cleaning the firearm, if repeated feeding and extraction issues present themselves and as time allows. It has also been demonstrated to be a safe mechanism to use even when held while firing.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Full Spectrum |title=The Vindication of the AR15's Forward Assist |website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhjU8InWxr0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/MhjU8InWxr0 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|accessdate=7 September 2020}}{{cbignore}}