What should my process be when firing an AR-15?

Status
Not open for further replies.
i disagree with many of the previous posts as they assume one scenario or another and shouldn't be construed as applying to all scenarios

it is true there are many ways to accomplish the task of closing the bolt. however, some ways ARE better than others, depending on the circumstances.

if you are generally screwing around and unconcerned with the most efficient or reliable way of operating the rifle, then it doesn't matter. do whatever you like, with one exception: if you pull the charging handle back and lock the bolt, make sure you push the charging handle forward and lock it in place. do not leave it fully extended or worse, partially extended and then press the carrier release. this can cause your CH to get bent, especially if you have one of the cheap non-milspec ones.

that aside,
---if i'm in a competition, I almost always load from an open bolt. It's faster and rules and etiquette generally demand an open chamber until the rifle is loaded.

---in practical scenarios, I leave a magazine inserted on a CLOSED bolt because leaving an AR around the house or car with an inserted mag and an open bolt is generally not safe.

---some malfunction drills usually leave the bolt open after clearing the offending rounds, while others tend to leave the bolt closed.

thus, if you are a serious user and interested in being reasonably proficient, you're probably going to need to practice operating the bolt with both the button and handle. and right and left handed. and one handed. and when you really start practicing and incorporate other best practices like a half dozen different ways to do press checks, and operating in the dark, you will probably start to see things a lot differently than those who only plink or shoot paper for groups. life is complicated.
 
As has been said in different way so far, it all depends.

For the AR I keep at home, I don't chamber a round until I am ready to bring it into commission. As a result, I have inserted a magazine with a closed bolt, and must use the charging handle to chamber a round.

At the range, after running one mag dry and wanting to insert another, the bolt is locked back, and a quick hit on the bolt release chambers the next round.

I will soon possess a 9mm AR9, and it doesn't have last round bolt hold back. If I run it dry I am going to have to use the charging handle to bring it back into operation.
 
I feel dumb for asking this. I am a relatively new AR-15 owner and was told not to pull the charging handle back every time I want to chamber a round, but to hit the bolt catch instead after attaching the magazine. What I was doing before I was corrected was attach the magazine, pull back the charging handle, and turn the safety off. I basically wasn't hitting the bolt catch at any point. I'm more confused than ever because I've seen different opinions on this.
Don't feel dumb. All of us had to start someplace. There is more than one way to operate your AR, some are more efficient than others.

This is what Larry Vickers teaches. It's the most efficient way I've found to reload an AR with the bolt locked back. Larry shows how to do it left handed and right handed.


A video comparing using the thumb to hit the mag release with using the heel of the hand

They found using the thumb to be faster but suggest the shooter be familiar with both methods.

Clint Smith's take. Warning! Clint is salty and his language isn't safe for work-


This guy uses the charging handle. It's easy to see just how much more movement is needed compared to using the mag release. Another reason I'm not a fan is that I've hand my hand slip off the charging handle during timed drills and pop me in the face.


(For clarity- An emergency reload is a reload forced by an empty weapon. A tactical reload is a reload the shooter chooses to perform, usually to replace a partial mag with a full one.)

If the bolt is closed and I'm loading it for the first time, I lock the bolt back so I can verify the chamber. If I load the AR with the bolt closed, it's because I'm replacing a partial mag with a full one. That is, I'm performing a tactical reload-


When inserting the magazine, use the push/pull method to ensure the mag is seated. Smacking the bottom during an open bolt reload can cause over insertion of the magazine and rounds to pop out of the feed lips. Smacking the mag is unnecessarily hard on the mags.
 
Out of habit, I almost always load from an open bolt, so I use my right hand on the charging handle then to withdraw the bolt and lock it open with my left thumb on the bolt catch. Load the mag, and press the release with my left thumb as in Clint’s video above.

I usually wear cowboy boots, and my running shoes for the last decade have elastic laces, so most days I don’t have to tie shoes. But I can still tie my wingtips when I wear them for formal meetings, my wrestling shoes when practicing with my son, my hiking boots... I can even tie my son’s shoes when facing the wrong way, or even with his foot pointed up in the air at me. Also with string/rope in my hand, I can hitch a prussik and a tie bowline on a bight with my eyes closed, can tie a 3 lead Turks in a snap, love knot, square, crown, stopper, double 8, slip, eye splice, end splice, reef, etc... all programmed into my hands to be prepared for whatever the task might require...

USUALLY the charging handle is nothing more than an ejector rod for me on a FTF or misfeed, but in any scenario, the function is the same - pulling it draws the bolt rearward. If a situation dictates use of the charging handle, I run the handle.
 
Do it the way you want to do it. If I’m trying to be stealthy, I’ll grab the charging handle and ride it forward then push the bolt forward with my thumb. That method has failed me exactly one time on a pig hunt when the round did not fully seat in the chamber. At that point it becomes a tap, rack, bang drill. Hitting that bolt release is the most reliable way to chamber a round and that is the method that I used when I carried a rifle for a living.
 
Ideally, you should become familiar with all of the controls on the AR platform and loading from both an open and a closed bolt. You might also not always be able to release you bolt catch the same way, depending on the scenario.

Slamfire mentioned NRA high power competition. In CMP high power rifle competition events, there are typically two rapid fire stages, sitting from standing (or kneeling from standing, shooter's preference), and prone from standing. Both of these stages require a rapid magazine change during the course of fire.

Per the CMP rules, both these stages must commence from the standing position. Nearly all competitors will use a loop sling for these stages. After confirming that the firing line is ready, a command will be given "With bolts closed on empty chambers, load". At this point a loaded magazine can be inserted but the bolt must remain closed. When the "Targets" command is given, the shooters rapidly transition to position and only then may chamber a round. This must be done by cycling the charging handle. Loading from an open bolt would result in a disqualification.

A right handed shooter who is slung up with a loop sling can generally not use the left hand to release an open bolt. During the rapid fire stages, after the first magazine is run dry, the bolt will lock back. A right handed shooter will use the right index finger to release the magazine, and the right hand to insert the second magazine. But then the right hand needs to release the bolt catch which is on the left side of the service rifle. This requires the shooter to either reach over or under the receiver to release the bolt catch. Releasing the catch with the left thumb will not be a reasonable option. Some shooters who use carry handle iron sights will reach through the handle with the right hand to release the bolt catch.

You may never shoot CMP rifle high power, but I would still suggest not getting too hung up on one "right way" to chamber a round in the AR.
 
Here is what we taught-
Load:
1. Point weapon in safe direction, attempt to place on safe
2. Lock the bolt to the rear, place weapon on SAFE if it didn't go there during step 1
3. Fully insert magazine
4. Release bolt.
5. Brass check (pull charging handle slightly to the rear to visually inspect chamber for loaded round)
6. Release charging handle, tap fwd assist several times to insure bolt is fully closed
7. Close dust cover
Bolt lock reload:
1. Take advantage of any available cover, or drop and make yourself smaller
2. Point weapon in safe direction (or towards threat)
3. Eject empty magazine, let it fall to ground
4. Obtain reload magazine, rip empty magazine from mag well and drop it (if it didn't fall to ground during step 3)
5. Insert new magazine fully into mag well
6. Slap bolt release
7. Continue engagement, if applicable
In addition, Carl from Tactical Rifleman on youtube breaks down and demonstrates numerous drills like this.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top