Floating handguards

[Ruark]

I've often thought about changing my 6-inch quad rail to a 15" floating handguard. It'd be kind of a hassle, though, messing with the current front sight, gas tube, etc. It also looks like dirt, etc. would build up under it. Do these things have any real, practical benefit, or are they just a fashion statement?

[txhoghunter73]

I've often thought about changing my 6-inch quad rail to a 15" floating handguard. It'd be kind of a hassle, though, messing with the current front sight, gas tube, etc. It also looks like dirt, etc. would build up under it. Do these things have any real, practical benefit, or are they just a fashion statement?

I love mine for multiple reasons. 1 more room for attachments, 2 more room to place a rest, 3 more room for forward grip towards the muzzle(more stable shooting).

[txhoghunter73]

I actually have 2 15 inch MI hand guards.

[DRT]

It also free floats your barrel. With my weapon I cut my groups by 2/3rs in size going to it.

[Ruark]

It also free floats your barrel. With my weapon I cut my groups by 2/3rs in size going to it.

That's a major consideration! You got me thinking now.

[Jspradley]

You won't regret it. It's well worth the minor hassle.

[Tower43]

A lot of it is looks, and if it is a hunting gun you are not going to see a huge benefit from free floating the barrel inside 300 yards. I do free float most of mine because it keeps the front sight assembly out of your sight picture with an optic. Also the farther out on the barrel that you can mount a flashlight the better, it reduces shadowing. And I like the looks of a clean handguard setup.

[Tower43]

Don't do a quad rail for a 15 inch. I have one and they are much heavier. Get a rail top model and add smaller rail sections where you are actually going to put accessories. You will never use all 15" of rail space

[TxNurse]

I used a 12". Same benefits with a little less weight.

[TacticalCowboy]

The longer handguard allows you to get your arm further out on the rifle, helping control muzzle rise and speeding up transitions.

[Gummi Bear]

Floating handguards

I love mine on my 300BLK. It is a 15" YHM.

I need to order one for my 223, but I keep forgetting to.

[Crosby Tx]

I just like the looks of them

[rost495]

I shot the AR in competition to 1000 yards for years. Very good at what I did.

Float tubes can help a bit. And if you run a bipod or sling tension on them are a must.

If you shoot it out of a blind or off a bench, a float tube does almost nothing for the groups.

This is out of a good top line gun capable of shooting 10 shot groups of 1.5 inches or less at 300 yards consistently.

But tubes and stuff are so easy to put on and take off, play all you want.

Personally, I don't see the need for all the stuff folks want on em, I generally use a hogue AL tube on my non compettion guns and bolt 2 short rails up front and put 2 swivel studs on the bottom of the tube, for sling and bipod. Most I'll ever put on a float tube would be a light and or a laser.