What is the AR-15 Forward Assist, and is it Necessary?

Have you ever taken a look at that strange button-looking thing under your AR-15 charging handle and wondered what it is? That is the AR-15 forward assist, and in this article, we will go over what it is and why it’s there. So keep reading to learn more!

What is the Forward Assist?

The forward assist is a holdover from the mid-20th century, as semi-automatic rifles of that time had the capability of being forced into battery. It was used to push the rifle’s bolt carrier group closed.

Essentially, you would press the button on the forward assist assembly to move the bolt forward and chamber a round. Usually, this was done to force a round into the chamber if held up for some reason.

Eugene Stoner did not believe the forward assist was necessary. However, the Army chose to have it added to the Colt M16 design. This encouraged later AR-15 manufacturers to include them in the design to better match mil-spec.

How the AR-15 Forward Assist Works

The forward assist assembly is constructed of a pawl (the “button”), a plunger, a spring, and a roll pin. The plunger engages with the receiver to send it forward. To actuate it, you press the pawl, which forces the plunger forward, engaging with teeth on the bolt and pushing it forward. Then, when the bolt carrier group closes, the spring pushes the pawl back to its original position.

Is the Forward Assist Necessary?

There are several reasons that a cartridge would fail to feed. However, many of them are not solved by including a forward assist, except for a rogue failure to feed.

The problem is that just about any other malfunction indicates that something is wrong. Unfortunately, the forward assist will not solve the problem for these issues and could even make it significantly worse.

The better solution is to pull the charging handle to clear a round and return the rifle to battery in many cases. Otherwise, the fix is most likely time spent cleaning the gun.

What to do in the Case of Malfunction?

Your first step would need to be performing a press check or visual check to see that a round is chambered by pulling the charging handle back enough to open the bolt and take a look. Then, take out the magazine and eject the round. After these steps, reload and see if the issue repeats. If it does, try moving the bolt by hand.

If the bolt doesn’t move or fully seat when pulled by hand, a forward assist would most likely not help.

The Case for a Forward Assist

There is one situation where a forward assist comes in extremely handy. If you are out hunting and need to chamber a round quietly, you can slowly ride the charging handle closed, keeping the bolt quiet so as not to spook the game. In some cases, this will result in a round not fully seating in the chamber. You can then use the forward assist to push the bolt closed and fully chamber the round.

What do You Think?

The AR-15 forward assist is arguably redundant. However, it can get a rifle back into battery under the right conditions. So they are functional but may also be unnecessary. What do you think?

Don’t forget to subscribe below for deals, updates, and more!