However, if you can’t be safe, if you don’t know how to be accurate, if you don’t know the legalities, you should probably get that figured out before you start spending money on a tool you don’t know how to use. It’s a plus I have some pretty decked-out rifles myself. Although what I will say is, if you want to do an upgrade simply because of looks, but you don’t actually know how to shoot the thing, well, you might want to take a step back. If you are going for tacti-cool, then go for it (ain’t my gun, ain’t my money).īesides safety and maybe some shooting advice, my job isn’t to tell you what to do and not to do with your weapon (so long as it’s legal). But, when it comes to needing new this and new that, well, it’s your gun. Yes, you might have to purchase a low-profile gas block. And once you start shopping around, you’ll have sellers in your ear telling you, “oh, you need this upgrade and that upgrade.”ĭepending on your handguards’ length, one upgrade you might have to make is with the gas block. But the biggest argument is, once you change one thing, you’ll have to change others. Yes, free-floating handguards can be more expensive, especially if you want quality. Now, what kind of writer would I be if I didn’t give you the arguments on both sides of the table? Here’s what you might hear for those not in favor of free-floating handguards…expenses, potentially a lot of them. And since barrels are designed to be accurate, shooters should let it do what it’s naturally designed to do (oscillate with harmonics).įree-floating handguards are actually quite simple, and if you’re looking to do an upgrade, all you need is a barrel nut and some designated set screws. Free-floating handguards let the barrel’s natural movement happen because it lets the barrel float freely under the handguard. If anything, they’re kind of fun to watch. If you look up Larry Vickers’ videos, there’s a ton of videos on YouTube where you can actually see the barrel’s movement when a shot is fired. But, you might see a difference for those further shots when using one handguard over the other. I wouldn’t go blaming your poor shot placement on drop-in handguards right away it’s probably the user. Now, how much accuracy is affected will depend on a few other things, but it can, in fact, to some extent mess with accuracy. On the other hand, drop-in handguards are a little more restricted because there’s all this pressure and tension added, which affects accuracy. When you have free-floating handguards on your rifle, it’s not restricting this natural movement. Now, here’s your argument often brought up between free-floating and drop-in handguards. There’s also something called harmonics, and that’s the vibrations coming off the barrel. This means there’s a bit of rotation going on. When you fire a round, your barrel has a slight but natural oscillation. What’s less obvious is what’s happening to your barrel when it’s allowed to float freely between the handguards.ĭid you know, when you fire your weapon, the barrel moves? And I’m not talking about recoil, but oscillation and harmonics. Instead, a free-floating handguard relies on a few screws that hold the handguard secured to the barrel nut. Free-floating handguards do not rely on pressure or tension. You don’t need the delta ring and this plate because these pieces are used to apply pressure and tension, keeping your handguards secured to the barrel. This is how your new handguard will stay secure because it’s not magic something has to keep that handguard “floating.”Īnother component missing with free-floating handguards is the plate that sits behind the front-sight post. If you decide to upgrade, you’ll forgo the delta ring and use a barrel nut. The big difference that’s easily noticeable on free-floating handguards isn’t just about looks, but the fact that there’s a piece or two missing.įirst up, we have the missing delta ring. Basically, free-floating refers to the relationship between the barrel and the handguard, and it’s a slightly distant one compared to that of the drop-in handguards. Instead, they kind of hang out secured to the barrel nut. (Photo: Clandestine Media Group) Free-Floating Handguardsįree-floating AR-15 handguards don’t touch the barrel. In today’s blog, I will cover the major differences between free-floating and drop-in (often referred to as standard) handguards and list a few pros and cons to both options. There are actually a few differences between a free-floating and drop-in AR-Style handguard, besides looking cool and getting all the chicks.
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