I'm wanting to purchase an AR 10.  I have looked at several different manufacturers and don't see many with a forward assist.  Is this an issue or only for redundancy? Thanks for any opinions.

Look around more; there are plenty of them out there. I personally wouldn't buy an AR without one, but that's just me. With DPMS, any of their .308s can be ordered with a FA. But they currently have a 6-8 month wait on special orders.

The spring on the 308 is such that  a forwrd assist is a not needed item.
If it doesn't go forward on it's own, your not seating it with your thumb on these.

If you ever want to chamber a round quietly, the forward assist is needed. When you feed a round slowly, it is probably not going to close fully. The forward assist allows you to push it the rest of the way.

The forward assist was not designed for this and is not taught to be used this way and can cuase a plethora of stoppages so I would advise against it.
The only Ar10 type rifle used by US forces has no forward assist same for the Canadians.

The Forward Assist on my AP4 gets used quite frequently, especially after firing a couple hundred rounds at the range.  It works quite well, the spring is not THAT strong.  And the FA works like a champ.

––John

there is something wrong with your gun if you need the forward assist after 100 rounds. The gun is designed for a full pull of the charging handle to strip from a  fully loaded magazine.

Again the only Mil Spec Ar10 rifles DO NOT have them.

How is chambering a round slowly, then pushing it in the rest of the way with the FA, going to cause "a plethora of stoppages"? As long as the bolt is full seated when you shoot, it is not going to hurt anything, and it is not going to cause a malfunction. If you want to chamber a round quietly, instead of letting the bolt slam shut full force, it is the ONLY way to do it on an AR. It will not cause any problems.

Just because our military doesn't use something doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

When would you need to use this? Hunting?

Yes, there are some circumstances that occur when hunting when it is a benefit to be able to chamber a round with a minimum of noise.

It is not strictly true that a forward assist is necessary to do that on an AR.  Nor is it true that using a forward assist to do that is necessarily without its problems.

It is relatively easy to fit an AR with a side charging handle.  That is more convenient than a standard charger/FA, especially if the rifle is scoped.  It should also be noted that many semis will shoot to a different point of impact when chambered slowly vs when letting the bolt drop from the full recoil position.  If you plan on using any method of slow loading and demand high precision, you should check how your rifle shoots under both conditions.

OMG!

I was thinking of hunting, but it's also not hard to envision a combat scenario. Say you are in a long range firefight, and run empty. As you are changing mags, you see an enemy 80 yards away. He is clearly looking for you, but unaware of your exact location. You could
A) let the bolt slam full force, alerting him to your position, then hope that you get a shot off before him.  
or
B) chamber the round slowly and quietly, then seating it fully with the forward assist, so that you can get a shot off before he is aware of your positon.
Call me crazy, but I choose "B"!  
It might not be needed often, but considering the minor weight penalty, I prefer to have a F/A.

Whats the point of stealth or having a suppressor when everyonething in a 300 yard radius hears you slam a bolt closed?

How about instead of envisioning "what if" combat scenarios, you get some serious range time with the weapon before making a determination that it's "needed". Getting here on the internet and going back and forth with why it's needed doesn't get you anywhere. I own an AR10 SASS and have had many thousands of rounds through the SR25/Mk11 and can't think of where I ever needed or desired a forward assist.

If you are in a firefight, he already knows you're there. If you run dry and are that slow that you can't get your weapon loaded fast enough:

A) Your buddies are just as likely to see him standing out in the open and can do it
  1) if you are the lone survivor, then you need to lay low and use your E&E plan
B) If the enemy is the lone survivor, then he most likely is already using his E&E plan


Powder_Burns-It's a weapon designed for combat, not hunting even though Remington is pushing that angle. You chamber a round before going on your op, not when you're already out on patrol. I do the same when I'm out hunting and it never seems to cause a problem.

For those that absolutely insist on their desire for a forward assist Rock River/Bushmaster's design includes one as well as DPMS's with the A3 receiver.

"How about instead of envisioning 'what if' combat scenarios, you get some serious range time with the weapon before making a determination that it's 'needed'."

Well, to be honest, range time isnt going to tell you anything about what is needed for any particular use except range time.  If you want to determine what's needed for combat, you need to get soemm serious combat time in.  Same for hunting.

"Powder_Burns-It's a weapon designed for combat, not hunting even though Remington is pushing that angle."

Every firearm we hunt with was 'designed for combat'.  That really is a meaningless distinction that we need to get away from.

"You chamber a round before going on your op, not when you're already out on patrol. I do the same when I'm out hunting and it never seems to cause a problem."

A rifle with a chambered round is inherently more dangerous that one that has an empty chamber.  In a circumstance when your life is on the line (such as combat) it may be necessary to accept that additional danger.  Not so when hunting.

[/b]
I don't know what you do with your range time, but mine tells me a lot about my gear and I want to know that before things go bad. So I respectfully disagree with you very much.  [/red]

[b]

"Powder_Burns-It's a weapon designed for combat, not hunting even though Remington is pushing that angle."

Every firearm we hunt with was 'designed for combat'.  That really is a meaningless distinction that we need to get away from.

[/b]


Bullshit, not every firearms is designed for combat. A 10/22 isn't designed for it, just like a Marlin 336CS isn't.

[b]

"You chamber a round before going on your op, not when you're already out on patrol. I do the same when I'm out hunting and it never seems to cause a problem."

A rifle with a chambered round is inherently more dangerous that one that has an empty chamber.  In a circumstance when your life is on the line (such as combat) it may be necessary to accept that additional danger.  Not so when hunting.

A round in the chamber doesn't make the gun inherently more dangerous, it's the nut behind it and how he handles his gear that does. Once again, this comes down to a training issue.

"I don't know what you do with your range time, but mine tells me a lot about my gear and I want to know that before things go bad. So I respectfully disagree with you very much."

Range time may tell you about your gear.  It does not tell you about the needs of the scenarios in which you may use thta gear.  To know what you need for combat, you have to engage in combat (or learn from someone who has).  Same for hunting.  If you want to know what you need for hunting, range time doesnt tell you that.  Gotta go hunting.

"Bullshit,"

That is not respectful.

" not every firearms is designed for combat. A 10/22 isn't designed for it, just like a Marlin 336CS isn't.[/red]"

A Marlin 336 is not substantially different in its design from its parent lever actions, and they were designed for combat.  Ask any Indian.  Or the Russian Army, who fielded Win model 1895 lever actions.

Similarly, the most popular hunting rifle in the US today is the Remington 700, which is derived from the military bolt actions that preceeded it, and which today serves as a combat rifle for the US Army and Marine Corps.  This 'designed for' business is simply not helpful.

"A round in the chamber doesn't make the gun inherently more dangerous,"

Yes it does.  Dont be silly.

"... it's the nut behind it and how he handles his gear that does."

Operator error is one safety factor.   So is mechnical failure.  And both can be negated by an empty chamber.

"Once again, this comes down to a training issue."

Training does not prevent a rifle firing when it's fire control malfunctions.  Training does not prevent a rifle firing when the operator falls and is temporarily not in control of his person.  Training does not prevent a rifle firing when the 1200 pound horse it is scabbarded on rolls.

Training cannot do any of those things, and even for those things that training can do, training sometimes fails.  No training is perfect.  No person is perfect.  No machine is perfect.  We acknowledge that and account for it by implementing additional safety protocols.  The mechanical safety device on your rifle is one.  Carrying an empty chamber when a loaded chamber is not necessary is another.

A forward assist could be useful in a few limited circumstances. Of the two 3 main .308 AR variants:

Armalite: No
DPMS: No on most stock models, Yes on some stock models or can be custom ordered
RRA: Yes

In all my time of shooting AR rifles, I've used the forward assist twice. Once where I could have just ejected the round, another when I held onto the charging handle (rather than letting it fly).

As to the poster who mentioned running dry, and then someone looking at you....dumb scenario. If you've run dry, that means you've been shooting the whole time. So they already know where you are....unless you are shooting subsonic.

Generally for most cases, if you are entering a situation where you may have to use your rifle...you might should already have it loaded, safety on.

Hey all, thanks for all the input.  It appears that everyone's opinions are varied and valid.  I now have brain salad!!!  The comment  "you play the way you practice" holds true for me.  I'm leaning toward the Armalite,    "If it's not Armalite it's not an AR"  I guess availability will dictate!!

A forward assist only gets a stuck round stuck deeper.
If your getting rounds stuck in the chamber.....
A. CLEAN YOUR GUN, that means it very dirty.
B. There is something wrong with you ammo, in which case you should no longer shoot that ammo.
Cwackers