I've had this HBAR MT6601 for quite a while. I'm finally getting out to shoot it. Any suggestions on operating it? I've never shot an AR platform gun. I think I understand how it works. I watched a video by Hickox on his A2 and now understand the basic operation of the rifle.
MM879

Pull the bolt back with the charging handle and lock it back by pushing the bottom half of the little button on the left side of the receiver. Insert a loaded magazine. Release the bolt by pushing the top half of the little button on the left side of the receiver. Your gun is now in battery and ready to fire. Look through the rear peep sight and align the front post sight on the target.

Pull the trigger repeatedly until the magazine runs empty.

Welcome to the dark side

Don't forget to push the charging handle forward after locking the bolt back.
Don't ask why I mention that.

As Kenlguy said, "Welcome to the dark side."

When you load your magazines, always leave the top round on one side or the other. Pick a side and always do that. When you insert the magazine, shove it firmly in, then try to pull it back out without hitting the magazine release button. That will let you know the mag is, in fact, seated.

THEN, do as Kenlguy advised with one slight change: Pull the charging handle all the way to the rear, let go, and let it slam forward. Put the safety on...

Now, using the magazine release button, drop the mag and look at the top round. If it is now on the opposite side from where it was before you seated it, you know that the chamber is now "hot" or loaded.

No need to "sneak a peek" by easing the bolt back and then having to use the forward assist to bring it fully into battery. Seat the mag again and try to pull it out as before.

The number one cause of "fail to feed" malfunctions is failure to properly seat the magazine. In other words, "Operator Headspace Issues".

Get in the habit of always engaging the safety when you lower the muzzle and remember to disengage it when you shoulder the rifle, looking at your target. It takes as much time to turn the safety off as it does to get proper sight alignment, so there is no need to keep the safety disengaged when you're not engaging a target.

Keep your rifle lubed. AR's like to be run wet. Not dripping as if you're the son of a Saudi Oil Minister, but well lubed. They run better AND clean up easier.

After all that, prepare for a big grin, 'cause they bring that out in folks.

Also, to paraphrase an old Lay's commercial " You can't have just one."

Ed

Am I the only one that can "hear the round chamber"?

When loading from empty, I always listen when I chamber a round, then flip the rifle sideways to check and make sure the bolt is in battery.

Tell me I'm not the only one that 'listens' to hear if a round is chambering...

Everybody, thanks a lot. I read all the comments carefuly and tried them out. As crazy as it sounds your informatin has helped a lot.
MM879

OK, you're not the only one that listens to hear if a round is chambering. Sometimes, it's too F'ing noisy to hear anything.

Train like you fight. Press-checks, right-left load (what I described above), checking a "cleared" chamber by sticking your finger in it, making sure your magazines are all pointing in the correct direction in your mag pouch (there's only one correct way to grasp a magazine), etc. All these things are tactile confirmations of what you think you know about your readiness to fight.

Ed