What is that little button on the side of an M16/M4 do?

McPhreak

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2000
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Safety?

Pulse/automatic/single fire trigger?

End of the world button?

Which button/trigger you talking about?
 

mk

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2000
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Selector switch/lever. There aren't any "buttons" as such in a basic rifle.
 

Jmmsbnd007

Diamond Member
May 29, 2002
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Originally posted by: Mk4
Selector switch/lever. There aren't any "buttons" as such in a basic rifle.
Ugh, no, not that. Do you have the game America's Army? Ok I'll get a screenshot.
 

McPhreak

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2000
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yup....that would be the end of the world button.

Don't you wish you could push it...
 

Joony

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2001
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thats the forward assist button, helps clear jams incase anything gets stuck in the bolt or something. Serves no purpose unless the gun jams.
 

Jmmsbnd007

Diamond Member
May 29, 2002
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Originally posted by: Joony
thats the forward assist button, helps clear jams incase anything gets stuck in the bolt or something. Serves no purpose unless the gun jams.
So it basically just pushes the bolt forward and ejects a jammed cartridge? I still don't get why my stupid player still hits it. I blame "army intelligence" :D
 

djheater

Lifer
Mar 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: cricky
"That's the history eraser button! Donnnnnnnn't touch it!"

--Christopher

"mayyyybe something good.... mayyyyybe something bad..... we don't know!".... ;)

 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
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Yes, it's the forward assist. You push it, and it forces the bolt into battery, ie, the ready to fire position. Sometimes a cartridge will not go all the way forward the first time, so hitting the forward assist will ram it home. It usually happens if you don't let the bolt slam forward when you put a new magazine in it. I always push mine, just to make sure I'm good to go before I fire.
 

NogginBoink

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
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Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: cricky
"That's the history eraser button! Donnnnnnnn't touch it!"

--Christopher

"mayyyybe something good.... mayyyyybe something bad..... we don't know!".... ;)

"The shiny, red, candylike button!"
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
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When operating the M-16 rifle one ALWAYS taps the forward assist button after loading a new magazine and closng the bolt. Why? Why not? Because you want to be sure, the first time, that the the new round is fully chambered. In a fire fight, you don't want to reload and try to fire, THEN realize the round is not fully chambered. The best bet is just to make the above action SOP.

Anyhow, that's what I was taught in the Army.