What is an AR-15 Dust Cover and What Does it Do?

Tacfire MAR093-308 AR15 Dust Cover Complete Assembly



Tacfire Dust Cover Assembly

A simple dust cover like the one shown serves to protect your AR-style rifle from dust, dirt, and other debris in the air. The dust cover is essentially a stamped metal flap on a spring-loaded hinge (although machined billet aluminum is available today as well). They automatically open during the ejection of a spent case, but have to be closed manually. They have been a feature of Eugene Stoner's designs for the AR-10, AR-15, and M16 since their inception.

Spikes Tactical US Flag Laser Engraved Dust Cover

Any circumstance that leads to a failure to fire (FTF) can lead to catastrophic results, especially on a service rifle. Stoner had kept this in mind during development. The bolt carrier group is exposed to the outside world through the ejection port. The M16(and resulting variants) have been exposed to extremely harsh environments all over the world, including their initial use in Vietnamese jungle warfare (talk about trial by fire!) and extensive use in desert conditions like in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is always a good habit to close your dust cover as often as possible when not in use. In reality, for most civilian AR shooters, the dust cover is more of a consequence of using a military derivative rifle rather than a necessity. But in a sand storm in a desert, they are an absolute necessity. As with all AR platform parts, you can find the perfect one to help customize your gun for you. Shop All Rifle Upper Parts
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