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{{Refimprove|date=December 2019}}
'''Forward assisting''' is the practice of moving the [[bolt (firearms)|bolt]] or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward into battery when the return [[spring (device)|spring]] has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward assisting; on others, it is simply a procedure performed on the [[charging handle]].
==As a device==
[[File:M-16 forward assist.jpg|thumb|250px|The forward assist of an M16A2 rifle, highlighted by a red circle]]
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 |s2cid=219084970 |issn=2372-1952|doi-access=free }}</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>
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==
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==See also==
*[[List of firearm terminology]]
*[[Assault rifle]]
*[[Receiver (firearms)]]
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