Quick Tip: The RIGHT Way To Use the Forward Assist

Today, Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant gives us an assist in understanding how to properly use the AR-15's forward assist. Most AR-15s still come with one, but judging from the comments on some of our previous videos, the forward assist may be the most hated feature of this rifle platform. But it's actually on the gun to get you out of a jam. Literally.

If your AR-15 fails to go into battery, DO NOT immediately smack the forward assist but follow the immediate-action procedure called "SPORTS" to clear the malfunction: (1) SLAP the base of the magazine, (2) PULL the charging handle back, (3) OBSERVE the inside of the receiver through the ejection port to see if it's clear, (4) RELEASE the charging handle if there's no obstruction, (5) TAP the forward assist button with the palm of your hand, and (6) SQUEEZE the trigger. The rifle should go "bang!" If you hit the forward assist before doing this, you run the risk of jamming the action. It's not the forward assist's or (AR-15 designer) Eugene Stoner's fault. It's yours for using it wrong!

A more streamlined alternative to SPORTS is "tap and rack": TAP the base of the mag and RACK the charging handle, THEN give the forward assist a push. Another use of the forward assist: when doing a press check to make sure there's a round in the chamber, let the bolt close, then give the forward assist a little push to make sure the bolt is seated all the way. What if your AR-15 doesn't have a forward assist but you want to do a press check? Caleb shows us how to do it.

Check out Caleb and Steve's earlier Smyth Buster's video, "Does the AR-15 REALLY Need a Forward Assist?"