05-06-2015, 07:44 PM
I've seen this debated. I feel like I got a definitive answer from a guy named Jacob Bynum, who runs the shooting facility Rifles Only.
His contention is that the forward assist is for a "system check." Before a soldier goes into a firefight or a SWAT officer breaks into a house, he pulls back on the charging handle about a half inch and looks into the ejection port to "see brass." He is double checking that a round is on the boltface and has been chambered. Now he needs to re-chamber it again without making noise, right? So he eases the charging handle back down and then uses the forward assist to firmly seat the round.
Bynum said the forward assist should NOT be used to seat a round that is stubborn because of a fouled chamber. One will only jam it in worse.
He seemed like he knew what he was talking about and it made sense to me.
Having said that, I really don't like the FA and would never get one on a home build. I, personally, have zero use for it and it clutters what I feel should be a sleek, clean look. Extra parts and complexity for zero benefit.
His contention is that the forward assist is for a "system check." Before a soldier goes into a firefight or a SWAT officer breaks into a house, he pulls back on the charging handle about a half inch and looks into the ejection port to "see brass." He is double checking that a round is on the boltface and has been chambered. Now he needs to re-chamber it again without making noise, right? So he eases the charging handle back down and then uses the forward assist to firmly seat the round.
Bynum said the forward assist should NOT be used to seat a round that is stubborn because of a fouled chamber. One will only jam it in worse.
He seemed like he knew what he was talking about and it made sense to me.
Having said that, I really don't like the FA and would never get one on a home build. I, personally, have zero use for it and it clutters what I feel should be a sleek, clean look. Extra parts and complexity for zero benefit.