Smyth Busters: Does the AR-15 REALLY Need a Forward Assist?

Want to lob a grenade into the middle of an internet forum discussion or a social media thread? Just say, "The AR-15 doesn't need a forward assist," and watch the fireworks. Even Eugene Stoner, designer of the AR-15 / M16, thought the forward assist was unnecessary, but the U.S. Army disagreed. Today, Brownells Gun Techs™ Steve and Caleb, the Smyth Busters, weigh in on the debate. The Army demanded the addition of the forward assist to address failures to feed that occurred with early AR-15s deployed to Southeast Asia. A lot of those failures were caused by ammunition problems and the inevitable fallout from the early myth that the AR-15 didn't need cleaning. With modern ammo, shooters very rarely have to resort to the forward assist. But.... Caleb would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Steve explains Stoner's reasoning as to why the forward assist was likely to cause more jams than it fixed. But what if your rifle is a little worn out, the buffer spring is weak, or maybe the mag drags on your bolt carrier? Once in a while, you might have to apply a "love tap" on the assist to get a round to fully chamber. So the notion that an AR-15 never needs a forward assist is BUSTED. There are situations where it's not strictly necessary; even Caleb doesn't have one on his .350 Legend deer rifle.