Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Standard handguard vs. free-float

I've got a Doublestar 5.56 with the standard handguard, am thinking about buying a DPMS 308 with the standard handguard, and am wondering if I'm missing something. How much better do the free-float tubes shoot, in general?

Thanks in advance,
JV

If you really-really REALLY want those dime-size groups, then free float is the way to go. BUT, it should shoot really well without - I will wait for others to respond as to actual goupin's n' such

Float the barrel on most anything and group size goes down. AR's are no exception to this, so I guess it depends on if one wants to spend the money and get the wrenches out. The gain in repeatability may not be worth the effort depending on what one does with a particular rifle.

Do'nt put sling tension on a non floated one.

Rest a non floated one as close to the mag well as you can.

IMHO group size doesn't change much at all floated or not with an AR, but can depend somewhat on how "rattly" the non floated handguards are setup...

Free floating an AR does not make smaller groups but it makes shooting smaller groups easier. My first Colt shot 1/2" groups regularly so I was disappointed when it still shot 1/2" groups after installing a free float tube.

I have seen enough bolt guns with pencil barrels full length bedded that shot better than free floated to know to let the gun decide.

that full length bed deal on pencil barrels is a non winner at times IMHO simply due to weight... you buy a skinny tube for a backpack gun... but then at times you have to put bedding all the way down and you could have had that in barrel weight... but I digress...

If you are just shooting in the woods with no rest or with a hasty rest, you'll probably never notice a difference. But if you are shooting sustained strings with a sling, a float tube makes all the difference in the World.

I believe it depends on how much tension the non free float is putting on the barrel as to if replacing with a free float will really improve the groups. I personally would have a AR without the free float tube .

So easy to put on, cheap enough, that OTOH, I don't know why anyone wouldn't...

replacing with a free float is easier than changing a baby diaper.

Jeff, you ever weighed a whole package of Acraglass? It don't take much to FL bed a mountain gun and mine still come in at 7 pounds loaded and shoot 1/2 MOA, which they would not do free floated or with pressure pads.

I haven't had a non free floated AR in many years but people have the expectation that floating it will cut the groups in half, not always the case...

Don't do acraglass. Steel bed or Devcon 10110 or whatever that number is...

But my mountain gun may change that...

AR wise it floating doesn't do so much because the gun isn't a non bedded disaster like most bolt guns are to start with....

I built six from scratch, and replaced a couple and I must be doing something wrong. Often getting that barrel nut aligned took a great deal of time and effort, once or twice it was fairly easy.

The only one i have built that took some doing getting the gas tube hole lined up was the Hogue Over Mold Free Float where you had to use a Strap Wrench. Broke two strap wrenches in the process.