While it may seem like a simple task to check if your gun is loaded, things can be a bit trickier when it comes to the AR-15.
With a handgun, you can easily do a press check or sometimes visually inspect the gun if it has a loaded chamber indicator.
But how hard can it be on an AR-15? Throw in a loaded magazine and rack the charging handle, and you are good – right? With the AR-15 it can be tough to tell if your bolt actually picked up a round from the magazine or not.
So why not just pull the bolt back a little and check?
Well, if you try to pull back the charging handle just a tiny bit on an AR-15 to peek inside the chamber and see if it is loaded, there is a good chance that when you let the bolt back forward, it won’t go all the way back into battery.
The AR-15 charging handle is meant to be pulled back all the way and let go. This method essentially “slingshots” the bolt forward with full force. But if you slowly ride the charging handle forward, it may not provide enough energy to seat the bolt.
It can be deceiving, as it may look like your bolt closed. If you don’t see brass and the charging handle is completely forward, it can seem like you are good.
If this happens, when you try to fire your gun, you will get a click — and nothing. While this can be embarrassing at the range, it can be a death sentence in a defensive scenario.
Luckily, there is an easier way to check if you successfully chambered a round.
If you look at a loaded AR mag, you will see that the top rounds sit unevenly in height. One round sits higher above the other on one side. Each time a new round is chambered, the round that is sitting higher will be on the other side; it alternates sides each time.
You can follow these steps to ensure you successfully chambered your AR-15.
- Make sure the gun is pointing downrange or in a safe direction
- Visually inspect the magazine to see what side the raised round is on, and make a mental note
- Insert the loaded magazine
- Pull the charging handle back to the rearward position and let go to chamber a round
- Switch the safety to the “safe” position
- Remove the magazine
- Visually inspect the magazine – If the raised round is now on the opposite side as before, that means you have successfully chambered a round.
- Re-insert the magazine firmly
- Once the magazine is inserted, tug on it to make sure it is seated all the way and won’t fall out
- Your rifle is now chambered, on safe, and ready for use
Many of you may already know this trick, but for those that don’t, it can be indispensable. Even as a veteran shooter, I still frequently drop my magazine and visually check to see which side the round is on to double-check if I am good to go.
In an AR-15 instructor course I recently attended, they encouraged this technique — especially when preparing a rifle for home defense.
Hopefully, this will help a few of you folks out there.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a new series where we deliver a weekly “hack” or tip to make your life easier. Let us know if you want us to keep this series up in the comments below.
Do you have any neat AR-15 tips? If so, let us know in the comments below! If you are completely new to the AR platform, check out our article on How to Reload an AR-15.
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While performing some part of SPORTS does ensure the round is chambered, the original M16 had no Forward Assist. The practice to check the mag dates back to those days, and likely from the M14, too.
I would add a dot to the side of the back of the mag for first round stripped off - the follower doesn't switch sides, so 20 or 30 rounds will always stack to one side higher. Yes, there are those who down load - because of an old issue with fully loaded mags not working right. That goes more to dressing the underside of the feed ramp, dry lubing the interior of the mag, and after that, keeping them clean. Soldiers were initially told the M16 needed no cleaning, and if you don't need to, neither do the mags. Unfortunately, that is still the attitude - nobody cleans magazines. Im thinking that open top pouches don't help mags with them exposed scraping up dirt and sand in the prone, either.
While inserting a mag against the closed bolt isn't how the manual of arms is written, when it's important - first shot at a deer during the season - knowing you have a round loaded takes that off your mind. Beats it going "click," and yes, it's happened to a lot of us. Isn't supposed to doesn't mean it won't.
You guys are doin Good. Keep it up.
BUT y'all REALLY need to check out American Resistance Shooters. I have stated this before but I thought I would throw ya a reminder....LOL
I have one of their Breakdown 9mm AR's. It is Awesome.....
At Gunsite they teach you that method, however, you perform it not by visual inspection but by feel of your fingers over the top of the mag so you can do this in the dark and/or not to have to look down away from potential threats.
If you are dealing with a deadly threat and need to use your firearm, the trigger will let you know if there is an issue with the round being chambered. Please train lots before you find yourself in this situation.
Bolt not seating all the way? Isn’t that what the funny button on the side is for?
Most people aren't going to automatically hit the forward assist every time they load, especially if they think it is in battery already. The picture is more to show how easy it is have it go unnoticed.
Well, sure. If I'm loading the gun by dropping the bolt release or pulling the charging handle all the way back, I'm not going to check my bolt every time.
We're talking about a different scenario, though, where you "pull the bolt back a little and check." In this situation, you can add a quick tap on the forward assist into your press-checking procedure. That should avoid the problem you identified with that method.
Great series! Keep it up!
Thanks for checking it out, and stay tuned!