Another Newbie Question

[ltorlo64]

What is the forward assist pawl for? Is it supposed to move? Just in case I am using the wrong term, it is just aft of the ejection port and comes out of the upper at about a 30 degree angle. Looks like it should pull out, but it doesn't seem to want to move, and I don't want to pull it out if it is not supposed to move!

[5.56NATO]

The forward assist is used whenever you would like to really jam the piece.





Really it's there to assist the carrier/bolt into battery if the need arises, say a round doesn't want to go home. The only time I have ever used it in a few decades of using the ar rifle series was to load the piece as quietly as possible, one notch on the carrier at a time by holding the charging handle back at the same time. The fa does not come out, it only moves forward to engage the cuts in the carrier and a spring retracts it into the unengaged position.

[Partisan1983]

The only time I have ever used it in a few decades of using the ar rifle series was to load the piece as quietly as possible, one notch on the carrier at a time by holding the charging handle back at the same time. The fa does not come out, it only moves forward to engage the cuts in the carrier and a spring retracts it into the unengaged position.


That's what HK intended for the roller locked longarms that came with a Forward Assist. I've always wondered if you could do the same with the AR.....

[alismith]

I believe the forward assist was originally intended to help push the cartridge into the chamber when the chamber became gummed up with powder residue. This happened during the Viet Nam Era. When the first AR's came out, they didn't have the FA and the powder being used was the wrong type of powder for the cartridge/rifle.

GI's complained about the rifle not putting the cartridge into battery after firing a few rounds. It was determined that the wrong powder was being used and they changed the powder to a cleaner burning type. At the same time, they added the FA to help push the cartridge into battery JIC. Since the powder change, the FA has been mostly unnecessary, but it's still included as a backup in case things go wrong.

I've never needed to use it.

As stated above, it only moves forward toward the chamber.