The AR doesn't need to have a dust cover, at least according to In Range TV

[sgtsandman]

I do know that if you walk around in the rain without the dust cover closed, the magazine catches a lot of water given a muzzle down carry.

Couple more guys looking for their 15 minutes of fame and "expert" status.

Think of you will of them but this isn't a "one of stunt" they do. It's a part of their regular regimen on that channel. They also have a very informative channel on Forgotten Weapons covering various old collection pieces and their history at various auction houses. Everyone has their opinions on different subjects.

It is also why I titled the thread like I did. Whether the firearm can handle that or some other torture test, I wouldn't want to do it to mine. Nice to know it will still function but I'd rather not test it unless I don't have a choice.

 

[cyphertext]

I've never seen dust and/or sand like in the Middle East. It gets into EVERYTHING, no matter how sealed it is. That is one instance where a dust cover helps but the rifle needs to be run dry too.

Didn't see the middle east, but I have lived at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The dust there is a fine, gypsum sand that is almost like talcum powder... stuff got into everything. I didn't have an AR back then, but dust cover or not, I guarantee that stuff would get inside the rifle if it wasn't hermetically sealed.

 

[Steve912]

I followed in range. The guy is on par with Gabe Suarez

That's a blast from the past...is he still kickin'?

 

[Arik]

That's a blast from the past...is he still kickin'?

Yea but he's now all into ARs

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[stwings]

F/A is handy if you do snake head chamber checks, thats about it though.

 

[oger]

That guy is far too young to have ever used a real one in Nam. Try all of that bull on a weapon that fires 600RPM and see what happens.

 

[Backlighting]

Don't believe everything U see on tv............

Consider the source.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

I've found the dust cover to be very useful to keep dust and debris out. Use mine constantly in the field and when transporting in an open vehicle on dusty roads. Have no interest in an AR upper that lacks a dust cover. Wish some of my other non-ARs had dust covers.

As for the forward assist, I've only used it on one AR15, a real old reverse engineered beater that I got dirt cheap and spent the next year ironing out most of the bugs. No wonder it was a super bargain. Had to machine some parts out of spec to get them to work. The use of the forward assist, btw, had nothing to do with a round that would not chamber. The problem was the bolt did not go into battery on an empty chamber. Something, maybe debris, hung it up to the point where the action could not be opened. The forward assist was very useful in getting the action open by unjamming the bolt.

I prefer to have a forward assist, even though chances are I'll never need to use one on a quality AR. I view it as a dire emergency option and don't mind paying extra for it.

 

[C J]

so every tubby,basement-dwelling Doofus With A Debit Card (DWADC)

Why put down people who are buying guns? We need all the political help we can get. I've seen lots of real GI's that were gung ** as heck about things they didn't need. That sure doesn't make them less valuable humans. I have neither a dust cover or a FA but I still don't want to see those who want that stuff singled out as some sort of wannabe. The same with the slam on family vehicles. I have one of the last true offroad SUV's not made by Jeep. And I'll keep it forever because I need it and the one I have is very hard to beat as far as equipment goes. I don't feel like some schmuck who just got a locking differential because it seems cool or I might want to do some 4-wheeling once every couple of years. I need it to get up my driveway in the winter.

My point is you can't just someone based on what they want out of life. It could well be someone in the desert that is wanting a dust cover. Heck back in the 1930's large parts of the country were called the "dust bowl" because the dust was so bad. Don't assume things like people are just wanting stuff because they read it's cool on some web page or saw it on TV. I doubt I'll ever need it because of the purpose for my AR but if I did need one I could work it out where I could make mine have one. That wouldn't suddenly make me a basement dwelling dreamer. I probably have seen more back country than 99% of the people on this board. Heck I was raised in the back country. You can't judge a book by what gets said on the net.

 

[Engine49guy]

Have owned a Colt SP-1 without a FA since 1979 and while have never had it jam I have had my Bushmaster A2 HBAR jam on the range twice, in both instances the bolt did not go into full battery locking the lugs with enough force that the charging handle could not clear the jam, Luckily after a few bumps of the FA the bolt finally seated and I was able to then clear the chamber.

BTW when an AR15 jams like that you cannot open the receiver as the bolt body sits just back in the buttstock tube preventing the upper and lower receivers from tilting open.

Another member mentioned there is a cutout in the bolt body that could be coaxed fwd on a gun without a FA but my guess is that after firing a few magazines the metal could be hot enough to cause a burn .

Note that the two little holes in the bolt cutout are gas exhaust ports and provide a direct path to the rotating piston and its bore and my guess is that keeping fine sand out of there is probably a good idea.

On a side note another A1 improvement to the original AR15 design was the "Fence" surrounding the magazine release button which was added to prevent inadvertently dropping the magazine while the rifle was slung.

Bottom line while the dust cover and FA are probably not critical in a civilian sporting gun IMO for the few $'s they cost to add its better to have them and not need them then it is to need them and not have them .

 

[lowriderfxr]

I have a couple ARs. One has a dust cover and one doesn't. I'd say a dust cover on this one would be kinda pointless.

 

[shocker]

Didn't see the middle east, but I have lived at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The dust there is a fine, gypsum sand that is almost like talcum powder... stuff got into everything. I didn't have an AR back then, but dust cover or not, I guarantee that stuff would get inside the rifle if it wasn't hermetically sealed.

Where I live was a lake bottom 10000 years ago so part of the sand is extremely fine. We are not at war currently so it's just a housekeeping nuisance. My PSA upper has the dust cover and FA and that's fine. They cause no trouble and might have a use.

 

[Steve912]

The scallop on the bolt already allows the user to seat a slightly out-of-battery round, .

The 'scallop' is just as effective for pulling a difficult-to-extract round from the chamber, as for pushing the bolt closed, I reckon.

 

[CoffeedrinerinNC]

For a range gun, there is no need for the forward assist and dust cover. Unless your in combat, do not use the FA to force chamber a round.

 

[big50_1]

Just saw this thread and couldn't pass it by. The DC has some value to keep the action debris free. But I've actually used the FA some and entirely on the range. I reload and although I check every round with a shell gauge, every once in a while the case mouth is a little bit bigger than spec and the bolt won't completely close. I've used the FA to push the bolt closed and continue my shooting. It also reminds me that I have to tighten up my case selection and reloading procedures when that happens. But I've used it and it has it's place. I have and shoot a Garand and understand the op rod handle can be used to close the bolt but actually have never encountered that on a 30-06 cartridge. I'm older so my TO weapon was a 1911 when I was in the Navy. When I started reloading, I didn't have a 45 ACP shell gauge so I had to push the slide closed on a lot of my reloads that were not right. Live and learn!

 

[bigggbbruce]

As they say.

Better to have and don't need.

Then to need and don't have.

 

[biku324]

Try shooting in fine sand a 20 mph wind. That might change one's attitude about dust covers.

 

[Warren Sear]

... every tubby, basement-dwelling Doofus With A Debit Card (DWADC) just gots to have them too. (this pretty much describes the entire AR/AK upgrade/accessory market)...That is all .

Ahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!

 

[big50_1]

For those who are concerned about the forward assist getting in the way of operating the AR's controls, V7 makes a smooth "handled" or "buttoned" version that looks like it won't catch on things.

 

[big50_1]

Another view.