foward assist

[carmel10512]

probably a dumb question, but why no foward assist on the M&P 15-22?

 

[SOUTHERNGA]

From what i can recall hearing the forward assist was created to help make sure the 5.56 cartridge was completely seated in the chamber. I think they were having problems with the cartridge not seating when the m16 was introduced in Vietnam. there seems to be no real need for a forward assist on a rimfire rifle. Unlike the colt, S&W decided it would be silly to put something nonfunctional on their rifle.

 

[BELT_FED]

all the forward assist does is get a jammed gun really jammed

 

[Brett248Vista]

LOL Belt Fed that sounds about accurate

 

[BELT_FED]

well just to be honest beating on the rim of a rimfire may be the reason for not putting it on the 15/22

 

[SOUTHERNGA]

well just to be honest beating on the rim of a rimfire may be the reason for not putting it on the 15/22

HaHa ture! i can just imagine people slapping the forward assist and rounds popping off.

 

[VMaxSplat]

Forard assist was intended to be used with dirty weapons in combat conditions, in an emergency. In most cases, if a round won't fit in the chamber, forcing it in is a bad decision...

Forward assist is therefore not needed on a rimfire practice rifle. A rimfire firearm would not be a good place for it anyway.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

well just to be honest beating on the rim of a rimfire may be the reason for not putting it on the 15/22

I think we can all agree that the 15-22 has enough OOB issues without a FA.

 

[BELT_FED]

wasnt trying to be sarcastic.. i was just being honest... rims of rimfires are easilly set off compaired to a centerfire.. this is prob. most of the reason for the oobs on the 15/22s a round that was not fully seated and then the hammer dropping on it

 

[SOUTHERNGA]

I looked at the Colt M4 .22 OPS, looks like it has a foward assist, or maybe it's just for looks.

That's what i was trying to say earlier, all the colts have them but for looks only they are non functional.

 

[Brett248Vista]

Would you have one that is just for "decoration" or not have one at all (since it serves, zero function). Me, I'd rather not have it.. There is no need to have one on this rifle and I think the rifle looks "right" even without a FA or a Dust Cover.

The Colt is a fancy air soft body with some pot metal guts thrown inside to fire real bullets. Don't get me wrong, I have a very expensive airsoft M4 but I realize it's just a toy and I wouldn't want it to be the base for a real rifle.

That is just my $0.02, you do not have to agree and please feel free to share your viewpoint as well. That's why we are here!

 

[~tc~]

There is no need to have one on this rifle and I think the rifle looks "right" even without a FA or a Dust Cover.

Agree about the FA, disagree about the dust cover.

 

[chuck s]

OK, kids, listen to daddy for a minute!

Forward assist is NOT intended to jam a cartridge into a dirty chamber. Nor were there chambering problems with early M16 rifles -- assuming they were cleaned.

The Army specified forward assist because every rifle they'd issued for the past 100 years had a means to positively close the bolt.

The last two were semiautomatic rifles, the M1 and M14, and the loading drill on both these includes a final step of hitting the "forward assist" -- the back of the operating rod -- to be certain the rifle was in battery. Standard procedure.

The Army also considered a reciprocating handle a liability so didn't want a handle on the M16 bolt either. The only solution was forward assist. Last step in loading the M16 is to bump the forward assist to ensure the bolt is closed. See TM9-1005-319-10 (Rifle M16A2) <--- that's a link.

With the M16 system it's possible for the bolt to come out of battery with an impact to the buttstock such as can happen during a fall or jump from a vehicle or aircraft. Easy to thumb the forward assist to be sure the rifle is ready to fire.

Use of forward assist to cram a cartridge into the chamber is a last ditch, probably one time event. Yeah you can do it, but it's not the reason forward assist is there.

Anyway, as others have pointed out the forward assist on the Colt .22LR is fake.

-- Chuck

 

[mikehoncho]

Agree about the FA, disagree about the dust cover.

+1 on the dust cover. how hard would it have been to put one on here? don't think it would serve any real purpose other than making it a more reliable training tool but i'd like one just the same. i'd also like an aluminum version of the 15-22...

don't care about the lack of a forward assist (functional or not). from a training standpoint though, it wouldn't hurt if a guy is used to thumbing his FA as chuck s mentioned in the previous post.

 

[chuck s]

Frankly, once past the test portions ("military stakes") few of us bother with forward assist unless the rifle has been jarred or just thumb it from time to time from force of [nervous ] habit. Nothing lost with not being on the M&P 15-22.

-- Chuck

 

[Brett248Vista]

Same with the dust cover, nothing lost.. Aside from manually having to close the cover on an AR (and not all AR's have dust covers) the thing opens on it's own as the charging handle is pulled back so from a training perspective I don't see much being lost.

I honestly don't even pay attention to the lack of the cover, I like the way the bolt looks, peering out at me..