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Okay, So I found a shop in Portland that has this rifle in three different configurations. One with a Crimson Trace red/green site, one with a flat top rail (no sights), and the third has A2/Mbus sights. The one with the CT sight seems to have no forward assist, but the other two do. I'm a complete AR noob and have only fired one a couple of times. So I'm not sure which one to purchase. While I like the idea of a red dot ( I can't afford a separate sight right now), though I know the CT has mediocre reviews. As far as the forward assist, I'm not sure why one doesn't have it and the other two do. Especially since they're essentially the same rifle.
Which leads to my final question... Do I need forward assist, or is it essentially useless? Which one would you purchase given the three options?
 
I'd go with the a2/mbus version. Get it sighted and get comfortable with the irons. Be worth it in the long run. As time money let's you get a good red dot or optic.
As far as the forward assist theres not a real need for it. That said its there if you did need it. But when you do theres usually some underlying problem (bad ammo, excessivly dirty gun ect).
Just my thoughts take a look and buy whats comfortable and works for you.
 
Second vote for a2/mbus. East to add red dot later when you run across the one you want at a god price.

Reason for forward assist that people forget is for quiet charging.
Rather than letting the bolt snap forward and identify your location to the world, use the charging handle to allow the bolt to quietly strip a fresh round and slowly go to battery, than press the forward assist to set the bolt.
 
What's the price difference between CT sight and no sights??

The one without the forward assist is probably an older Sport 1 they are stuck with.
 
Second vote for a2/mbus. East to add red dot later when you run across the one you want at a god price.

Reason for forward assist that people forget is for quiet charging.
Rather than letting the bolt snap forward and identify your location to the world, use the charging handle to allow the bolt to quietly strip a fresh round and slowly go to battery, than press the forward assist to set the bolt.
All you FA naysayers should read this. Twice.
 
Forward assist has an important function, you use it to jam a miss-fed round into the bottom lip of the feed ramp and mangle it beyond use. It's also used to help cure that silly concept of saving weight on a rifle. Unless you're a tier one operator, operating operationally in an operational environment, it's completely unnecessary.
 
A2. Get good with iron sights. Then go for an optic if you desire.
 
Second vote for a2/mbus. East to add red dot later when you run across the one you want at a god price.

Reason for forward assist that people forget is for quiet charging.
Rather than letting the bolt snap forward and identify your location to the world, use the charging handle to allow the bolt to quietly strip a fresh round and slowly go to battery, than press the forward assist to set the bolt.

But wouldn't that be akin to racking a shotgun and making the badguy run away peeing his pants?
 
For those who insist the Forward Assist is pointless, I dare you to jamb one up and then try to open the rifle with out breaking your fancy aftermarket charging handles! Yes, it's rare to have one jamb up, but there IS a reason they were added to the rifles way back when, and why they are still used to this day! First time you try to stomp your charging handle on a hard bent AR, you will thank the gods and Eugene Stoner/Colt for including that Forward assist!

I also vote A-2 Irons, and save your pennies for a good sight system later on after you have mastered irons!
 
First time you try to stomp your charging handle on a hard bent AR, you will thank the gods and Eugene Stoner/Colt for including that Forward assist!

Eugene Stoner/Colt did not originally design the M16 with a forward assist, the U.S. Army demanded an external forward assist on the rifle.

According to The Black Rifle — the ultimate source on the M16 platform — Stoner stated that after many types of testing programs, "I never saw an instance where it would have done any good … under sand and mud and every type of firing conditions in the world." He also stated, "… when you get a cartridge that won't seat in a rifle and you deliberately drive it in (to the chamber), usually you are buying yourself more trouble."

https://gundigest.com/rifles/ar-15/ar-basics-futile-forward-assist

That said, all my ARs have a FA with the exception of the pistol I built last weekend.

Oh and as to the OP, I wouldn't buy any of them, let alone drive to Portland to do it. First, there are way better ARs out there...second, you should count on not being able to leave with it and having to return to pick it up. I'd factor your time and travel in and add that to your budget.
 
Last Edited:
Eugene Stoner/Colt did not originally design the M16 with a forward assist, the U.S. Army demanded an external forward assist on the rifle.

According to The Black Rifle — the ultimate source on the M16 platform — Stoner stated that after many types of testing programs, "I never saw an instance where it would have done any good … under sand and mud and every type of firing conditions in the world." He also stated, "… when you get a cartridge that won't seat in a rifle and you deliberately drive it in (to the chamber), usually you are buying yourself more trouble."

https://gundigest.com/rifles/ar-15/ar-basics-futile-forward-assist

That said, all my ARs have a FA with the exception of the pistol I built last weekend.
In all my years running one for a living, I have had exactly two hard bent, both were feeding into a stuck/broken neck, both times, the boot on the charging handle wasn't quite enough to free it, so the forward assist got the job! It's ugly when you have to do that, but it's ether that or figure out some other way to clear it!
Most guys would try the ram rod down the muzzle on a live round, braced against a Hummer or some other ground pounder so that if touches off, it only kicks back at you, seen that a few times! It's probably better then using the F.A. but some times, the only fix is to get the damn thing broken open!
 
The sport 2 doesn't come with any of the goodies you may "want" on the inside. Semi auto carrier, standard buffer with carbine length gas system, MIM trigger components and, I'm assuming, not a carpenter bolt.

Granted, mine is a good functioning rifle and I really can't complain but I also bought it for barely $500 years ago. I do not think it's worth $800 which seems to be the going rate right now. I got the A2/mbus version and it was conveniently zeroed perfectly at 200 but I think that was a fluke. Again, decent functioning rifle
 
For those who insist the Forward Assist is pointless, I dare you to jamb one up and then try to open the rifle with out breaking your fancy aftermarket charging handles! Yes, it's rare to have one jamb up, but there IS a reason they were added to the rifles way back when, and why they are still used to this day! First time you try to stomp your charging handle on a hard bent AR, you will thank the gods and Eugene Stoner/Colt for including that Forward assist!

I also vote A-2 Irons, and save your pennies for a good sight system later on after you have mastered irons!
I've had some serious pig piles and the forward assist was 100% useless. The only thing that worked for uncorking that mess was (1) remove magazine, (2) pull charging handle rearward while striking the buttstock on a hard surface.
 
I'm sure the FA has a purpose. I've never used it. And in the Marine Corps we were taught if you were pushing on the forward assist you were wrong. I personally like slick side AR15s. Kick start your charging handle or beat it on a rock. Marines aren't exactly well known for their intelligence though. So take that for what it's worth. Haha
 
My vote would be for the A2 with MBUS configuration. My dad has owned one of these, and while it is a no-frills carbine with some less-than-mil-spec parts, it has always functioned flawlessly. It has never had any issues even with a fair amount of steel-cased 223 Tulammo!

Yes some of the parts are not mil-spec; but it is up to you whether that matters or not. The most notable deviation from mil-spec is the use of 4140 barrel steel versus 4150. Likewise, it does not have a full-auto, or M16 profile Bolt Carrier. Again (in my experience) this has had no negative impact on the function of the carbine. The barrel is capable of very good accuracy and it is melonited inside and out (which greatly improves corrosion and wear resistance).

As you can see from the comments in this thread regarding whether a forward assist is necessary or not, striving for exact mil-spec does not automatically make an AR-15 better!
 
Why do people not want a FA? The weight is negligible and if you don't like it don't use it?
 

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