It’ been about a month since my last Dumb Question, so I figure enough time has passed to ask another (I’m trying to keep them spaced out, ya know?)
This has to do with dust covers. Before we get started, let me clarify that I am not asking whether or not dust covers are necessary or if they are useful- that question has been hashed out ad nauseam (did I spell the right?).
What I am curious about is, do you ever use your dust cover? Myself, I almost never close the dust cover. When at the range, I simply insert the mag, charge the rifle and set about what I’m doing. I often close it before setting out to hunt or hike and close it when setting the rifle by the bed at night before turning in. Other than that, I almost forget that it’s even there.
Is closing the dust cover part of your routine? If so, when do you close it? Do you close it after each time you charge your rifle before a patrol or setting off on a hunt? Is closing it part of your routine after each mag change? Never? How often and under what circumstances do you use the dust cover?
I close mine fairly religiously. All of our ARs were nasty, dirty after our shoot Saturday. The wind was horrible… and even with moving blankets to shoot on, dirt was everywhere.
Useful? Yes. If nothing else it certainly can not hurt and when closed it keeps debris out better then if it were not there. I don’t leave it hanging open for no reason and if the rifle is not in use, being carried, or slung it is closed.
Do i use it? Yep. I keep mine closed when not in use. At the end of a drill after accessing threat and other possible threats I will close the dust cover after I safe the rifle and before I sling the rifle.
It’s a good idea to sneak a peek at what your closing the cover on. Closing your cover on a malf or locked back bolt will be very confusing when you go to fire again. I know this first hand.
Once I start firing i never really close the dust cover. However, a lot of times i have my rifle in the back of the truck or on the back of the atv/utv thing and it can accumulate some dust and debris if i leave it open. Or if i am done shooting for an extended period of time i will close it but i am not throwing my dust cover on and off like i do with my safety by any means.
It’s great when someone closes the cover on a locked back bolt. Even better when the bolt is now the buffer because they forgot to put buffer assembly back in.
I rarely close mine. Not a priority, Minnesota generally being a very clean state. I view the dust cover as a kind of non-functional vestige of the rifle’s roots. Sort of like that that push-button thingy on the right side of the upper receiver.
During my last training class, by day two I had shoved my trigger finger (actually between the digit and the nail) up the dust guard at least four times before lunch. My finger started to bleed a little, so I just removed the damn dust cover.
I use my dust cover religiously. I also use those funky black plastic muzzle condoms that you buy by the bag at gun shows. I live in the desert southwest where sand is a fact of life. If the wind gets over about 10 miles an hour here, you have the potential to get sand in your weapon. I had to separate the two halves recently and clean some sand out of the handguard, front sight, and hinge pin areas. My rear sight still has some grains in it, I see.
It’s a testament to the AR’s design that the innards appear to be devoid of any sand particles. I shot the rifle a couple of weeks ago and had no issues.
I’m debating whether to hose the gun down with cleaner/degreaser to get the remaining sand out of the rear sight and delta ring area, or to just leave it since those aren’t ‘moving parts’ per se.
I close the dust cover as part of my press check routine. After being trained that way, it’s now just habit. I’ve never really considered that it does anything, though I suppose it could help keep things clean.
pretty much a habit since day 1 of my first EAG class. has it been 10 years already? geez. 9 at least
edit: i recall another instructor grinning at me on day 1 of his class and starting a side conversation about being able to tell who you’ve trained with by these little things