They are just fine. Many companies make a slick side now because they forward assist and dust cover are rarely needed/used. With ultra lightweight builds they are preferred.
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Personally I wouldn't buy one. I've spent time with my dick in the dirt shooting 2000 rounds in a week. A dust cover and forward assist is most certainty needed in those conditions. A black gun in the sun without a dust cover will evap lube pretty fast, add in dirt and carbon fouling, without a forward assist you've got a fancy bayonet holder under those conditions.
SPORTS.
Archertl
Senior Member
SPORTS is the acronym for clearing a malfuntion in the M-16/M-4/AR-15 ect.
Slap-slap the forward assist
Pull-pull charging handle to the rear
Observe-Observe the chamber
Release-release the charging handle
Tap-tap the bottom of the magazine
Shoot-shoot the enemy.
SPORTS is being replaced with RTR in the US military.
R-Roll the rifle out of your shoulder so the chamber is toward the ground.
T-Tap the magazine.
R-Rack the charging handle.
Yep but I know it as TRB (tap, rack, bang...no bang start over with fresh mag if possible...rip drill). Tested more effective than SPORT. Dust covers and forward assists will slowly disappear. I don't know of anyone still using the FA for training anymore.
Even in a SHTF scenario I would not feel under gunned with a M&P Sport. Especially in a Midwest scenario.
My understanding is the original design was made that way.
I picked one up on the cheap with a handful of 30 round mags and ammo. Think I'll keep it for my son.
I picked one up on the cheap with a handful of 30 round mags and ammo. Think I'll keep it for my son.
rgecko23
*Supporting Member*
Yes, they were added because they were jamming horribly in Vietnam. The problem ended up mostly being the powder used and unfamiliarity of that style of weapon. First year weapon woes...
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I'm telling ya. Leave that dust cover open and go play in the hot dirt for a week. Jam o Rama.
No other military style rifle has a dust cover. Sure jam some grit in any action and it can/will lock up. Easy fix. TRB
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M16, m4, m2 all have dust covers.
M60, m249, m240, don't have dust covers. They're also belt fed and fire from an open bolt.
The above covers about 90% of the personal weapons you'll see. Trb works fine until the bolts out of battery and will not fire because the bolt has so much grit it slows the bolt carrier, combine that with a chamber that is constricted with carbon and dirt and you can rack that thing all you want. After a mag you might get battery. The ability to slam the forward assist jamming the round in the chamber will put the rifle in battery so the round can fire. Usually that will clear the chamber enough to continue firing normally for a bit. Other times it'll FTE and you're back in the same spot you started. A rifle that won't fire. Either way. Not having a dust cover is a bad idea. When it comes to my life and placing trust in it on a rifle. I don't want dirt in it. Especially a finicky rifle like a m16 variant that notoriously hates being dirty.
M16 and M4 are the same platform. Never shot a M2 but wasn't aware of a dust cover being that it is belt fed. Maybe I am thinking of the wrong firearm...ma deuce, right?
FA is not used anywhere in training anymore...for a reason FA's were a bandaid and a PITA.
FA is not used anywhere in training anymore...for a reason FA's were a bandaid and a PITA.
Ohiosam
*Supporting Member*
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You're right. I was trying to remember which we're open bolt vs closed and confused myself trying to draw the correlations. The M2 is closed bolt, ambidextrous fed, bottom ejecting but does not have a dust cover over the feeding port. But the bolt is closed below the feed port. I was just thinking a second ago. It's been 13 years since I was in the armory fondling these weapons and taking them to the range. They don't train on 60s, 249s and 240b's anymore in basic? Out of all of them though I will still pick up a m4 with a 203 any day. My favorite. Versatile, light, and will jack some stuff up. No such a thing as cover and concealment. He, Cs, flare, Ap incendiary, frag and oh, a rifle. Lol.
203 has to be fun....thoooooomp.................................boom! I would love to shoot a 249 also.
Open bolts feel weird. I had a hard time being accurate with the two I shot.
Open bolts feel weird. I had a hard time being accurate with the two I shot.
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The 249 and 240b are a blast to shoot. Till you have to lug that cow any distance. Lol. The 203 is like having your own personal mortar.
I got to Cs a bunch if South Koreans with my 203. They were protesting at the main gate and started throwing bricks and Molotovs over the wall. Lol. Had em stomping and fetching with three foot snot rockets. Lol.
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Food, medicine, raybans, platform shoes, cognac, etc. lol. His father has a classic car collection better than lenno and was at one time the largest private customer of Hennessy. It's what they do. Scream, yell, make threats and be a pain in the ass until they get what they want.