Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
That may be one of any number of reasons that he's not there anymore.
That's a fairly accurate statement, actually. I wouldn't say that civilians have "no use" for them, but they're not really necessary and you can get by just fine without them.Joe_Pike said:I know this thread is a few months old but I heard another great one today by someone I work with. He told a customer that the forward assist and dust covers on ARs were only needed by troops overseas and that civilians had no use for them.
That's not really a problem. I have spent many, many hours in the woods with an M16 and my dust cover wasn't always closed, and I never had a problem. I also never saw any other Marines have problems with getting brush in there. The primary purpose of the dust cover is to keep sand and dirt out of the action. And for most people -- even hunters -- that's just not much of an issue.Joe_Pike said:I was thinking that guys that hunt with ARs would seem to have use of the dust covers if they travel through a lot of brush. There's all kinds of things that could get hung up in there if it wasn't covered.
That's definitely true about the resale value, but I wouldn't say it's always better to have it than not. I've seen plenty of people -- including myself -- make things way worse by using the forward assist. Also, the rifle is a few ounces lighter without a forward assist.Joe_Pike said:As for the forward assist, I would say it's better to have it than not, especially if you ever get to a point you want to sell your AR. The vast majority of people will turn their nose up at a slick-side.
It's a little bit extreme, but it's definitely not silly. The truth is that the vast majority of civilians, including hunters, don't need a forward assist or dust cover. And without them the rifle is cheaper and lighter. Also, without a forward assist you're not going to make a stoppage worse by using it at the wrong time.Joe_Pike said:But, to make a blanket statement that "civilians have no need of them" just to make a sale is kind of silly.
The first version of the M16 that was used in Vietnam had an industrial chrome plated bolt and bolt carrier. Bright, shiny things tending to attract the eye and therefore fire in combat being bad idea, the original design incorporated a dust cover.He told a customer that the forward assist and dust covers on ARs were only needed by troops overseas and that civilians had no use for them.
Nope. Beretta's Italian and Ruger is German. My customers told me.Isn't Ruger a subsidiary of Beretta?
I'll do you one better. The guy who swore the .243 wouldn't drop a deer mentioned that he was having to shoot them four or five times. As he described his situation, it occurred to me that operator error may have been a significant factor.I have walked out of about a dozen gun stores because the employees weren't smart enough to realize the difference on a variable scope.
I asked him if he'd zeroed the scope before he took the rifle into the field. His response was, "Zero? It's a 3x9!"