dust cover and forward assist.

[Adrian8]

Are they 'needed' for civilian use..doubtful..but they add to the character and the of the gun. The dust cover keeps pieces of my PBJ sandwich out of the action when I deer hunt with my 450 Bushmaster, very important.

 

[teddy12b]

A couple of guys have already touched on it, but in the sandbox a dust cover is a must. In all reality it's one of those things that'd be on every semi auto rifle if manufactures weren't trying to cut corners and save some manufacturing costs. It doesn't have to be in the sandbox to be handy either. When you get a dry stretch of whether and the dust kicks up it's probably not 100% needed, but why not. What would the benefit of saving one ounce of weight really be worth?

As far as a forward assist goes, I like them. I like things labeled as "plan B" in my life. If you ever need to load a chamber silently (middle of the night window breaks, or whatever reason we ccan dream up) you can ride the bolt forward slowly/silently and then press the forward assist to make sure it's seated all the way. Is it needed, maybe, maybe not, but I don't see a good reason why not to have one if it's an option.

 

[Shootsforfun]

Are they worth an extra $500?

Not in Indiana.

By itself probably not but I would bet the extra money gets you more than just forward assist and a dust cover...

 

[Miller Tyme]

The forward assist and dust cover are evolutionary extremities that only remain due to nostalgia.
The reasons for their creation were resolved decades ago.

+ 1000, nice to have but I can honestly say I have never had to use the forward assist.

 

[HavokCycle]

i've had to use my forward assist from time to time. fumbled charge can stop it up.

as far as dust cover.. don't know that i fully need it but its nice to think at least it keeps SOME sand and crud out.

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

Six years in the Army and I can't recall ever having used a forward assist, on both M-16s and M4s.

 

[bdybdall]

I had the same question as the starter of the thread (I was interested in a S&W M&P15 sport) so I asked my son's buddy. He was a Marine infantryman who had just completed his third tour of Afghanistan. He said he never used them. Good enough for me.

 

[ShelbyCo.]

I have a M&P 15 sport which does not have the forward assist or dust cover. I have had 0 problems with feeding or ejection and I am very satisfied with its performance and cost!

 

[Chapparal]

Dust cover is great for storage and necessary in other than ideal conditions to help keep the movement clean. Think about the tight tolerances in the AR versus the AK. One is designed for optimal conditions and accuracy, the other is designed for that night on the town in the desert followed by the morning in the arctic. Want longer life, less dirt is a must.

As to the forward assist, my Army Reject M-16 could hardly go three rounds without the use of the assist. No matter how much cleaning myself or the armory did, the rifle just was a piece of flotsum...... If you have a need for one at one point in time the forward assist will pay for itself. What is your life worth? The US Government places enough value on a Warfighter's life to add these items (but not enough to have gotten rid of the rejected M-16s by the '80s).



Then again, if this is just a range gun and you will never be in the field with it why pay for things you do not need?