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Posted: 3/14/2025 5:05:13 PM EDT
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I was thinking about the forward assist on the original A1 AUG charging handle, and also the one on the A3/A3 M1 charging handle (which most people don't even realize exists) and was wondering...has anyone ever actually had an instance where they genuinely need to use the forward assist on the AUG? I can't think of a single time in close to 20 year that I have, and to be honest, I am almost a bit skeptical the mechanism would be strong enough to overcome anything but the most minimal resistance due to the way it is designed. It reminds me of a quote by Eugene Stoner (paraprhased) "If it is bad enough to keep the bolt from going home, ramming it harder isn't going to make it better- pull the charging handle and get whatever is in there out of there" Sven Manticore Arms |
Advanced Fighting Gear for the AR, AK, AUG, Tavor, and Scorpion EVO! www.manticorearms.com
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I’ve used it a few times to fully seat the bolt when checking to see if a round is chambered without ejecting the cartridge. Apart from that, never. I personally would not shoot ammunition that wouldn’t allow the bolt to close when dropping the release from mag lock. I think there’s a purpose but not a purpose widely used. |
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I've used it many times after a press check or when trying to close the bolt gently or quietly left it ajar. I also used it too often and usually unsuccessfully with the heresy 9mm kit. I like having it and on the AUG it's unobtrusive and out of the way much more so than on an AR Plus on an Aug there's not really any other alternative I'm like with an AR where you could push it forward with your thumb on that cut out of a relief where the dust cover latches into. I despise the Ford assist in part because there is an obvious easy alternative on the AR but I like it on the AUG mostly because there isn't. Better to have and not need than needing not have that kind of thing. However as an argument against it I will point out that with the AUG quick change Barrel if I had some problem with the chamber or a round not wanting to seat or kind of stuck in there I could just pull the barrel and address it that way. |
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Never needed to use it other than just playing around with that feature on my AUGs. Like you said, the A1 and A2 forward assist design are both not as intuitive to use and neither design provide much mechanical advantage. It was difficult for me to actually close the bolt using that forward assist feature when I staged a fail to chamber malfunction. It was so much easier to pull the CH back a little and let the BCG slam shut. That said, nothing is worse than the VHS2 forward assist. It was extremely difficult to use. The spring is too strong and the angle needed to access is just all wrong. |
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Not to jam a round home on the AUG, because that would be inviting trouble. I generally agree with Stoner in that if it won’t chamber, jamming it in is a bad idea…. However, I also don’t think that Stoner ever carried one of his AR’s into danger. I used the forward assist on AR platforms all the time after doing a press check. It is especially handy if you need to check or load a round as quietly as possible…. And I have used it on occasionally on the AUG as part of a press check, but I have done it hundreds of times on AR’s. It is bad once in a while, being used to being able to easily and quietly close the action after a press check, to realize that the particular rifle you just tried it with doesn’t have a forward assist, so you now have to screw around with it to get it fully in battery… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
| In 40 years, I've never needed to use the forward assist button on the charging handle. But I really doubt that button is able to put enough force on the end of the op rod to pull the bolt closed on a jammed round. The later style of charging handle that folds downward seems to give more mechanical advantage. |
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I never knew the AUG has this feature. Where is it? How do I use it? Just pull/push on the charging handle? Runs off to try it... I have used the FA on various M16/AR15 but almost always to load quietly or to close the bolt after a "press check". I think it is a good/important feature on the M16/AR which gets filthy dirty AND used in combat word wide. My AUG after 500 rounds is cleaner that my AR after just 5. |
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I used it to chamber rounds to not dent primers. I actually wound up changing the firing pin spring to a stiffer one so this isn’t necessary anymore. I did have my rifle fail at around 2,200 rounds suppressed and used it to get rounds to chamber until I cleaned it when it malfunctioned since it was pretty dirty. It’s good to have the option. |
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Originally Posted By Nate762: I used it to chamber rounds to not dent primers. I actually wound up changing the firing pin spring to a stiffer one so this isn’t necessary anymore. I did have my rifle fail at around 2,200 rounds suppressed and used it to get rounds to chamber until I cleaned it when it malfunctioned since it was pretty dirty. It’s good to have the option. Good point on getting it into battery with suppressor blowback fouling, that one I have seen! Sven Manticore Arms |
Advanced Fighting Gear for the AR, AK, AUG, Tavor, and Scorpion EVO! www.manticorearms.com
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