Free Float Handguard really necessary?

[BillyJack556]

Each to his own but I have gotten rid of or switched over almost all of my rifles with standard plastic handguards to full floater designs. Not just for accuracy but all the other advantages they provide.

For me FF handguards/rails have no disadvantages except for the cost to buy them and my last one was an ALG EMR M-LOK 13" that cost $115 shipped from AIM. At that price you can't go wrong.

[samuse]

I don't have anything without a free floated barrel.

I like to know where my bullets are gonna go, with a 4moa system, hitting anything but man size targets is almost not doable.

But you have an HBAR, which increases accuracy through raw strength, floating will help, but not as much as with a lighter barrel, since you're already part way there with thicker steel.

[556BlackRifle]

In my experience, a free floated barrel outperforms a non FF barrel. My first was a 2 - 2.5 MOA rifle then I went FF and it became a 0.85 - 1.25 MOA shooter. Does that mean that I have no room in my inventory for a non-FF AR? Nope. I have one that I recently upgraded from a Magpul MOE to a KAC RAS and it's going to stay that way..... I think.

[MistWolf]

I don't have anything without a free floated barrel

Mine are half & half. The precision AR with it's 20 inch HBar tube was built with a carbon fiber freefloat right from the start. It shoots tight little groups with the right ammo. I've never tried it with snap in handguards.

The Big Smith has an 18 inch sporter weight barrel and came with snap in handguards. I noticed it had significant vertical stringing when fired from the bench. I've since installed a carbon fiber free float tube and the rifle now delivers nice little round groups. The free float tube proved well worth the money spent.

The carbine has a 16 inch government profile barrel and MOE snap in hand guards. There is minor vertical stringing when fired from the bench and 20 or 30 shot groups with Federal 5.56 ammo is well under 3 MOA using either a red dot sight or iron sights at 50 yards and in ( haven't really had a chance to shoot the carbine for groups past 50 yards). Accuracy is minute of clay pigeon out to 100 yards or more and that's all I demand from this rifle. After some consideration, the performance gained from going to a carbon fiber free float tube isn't worth the cost. Aluminum handguards are cheaper but their discomfort is not wanted.

The 10.5 inch barreled Wolf Pup will turn in 5 shot 1 MOA groups at 200 yards from the bench and almost no vertical stringing and consistently holds to minute of clay pigeon out pat 100 yards no matter how hot the barrel gets. The short barrel is stiffer than it's longer counter parts. The juice gotten by going to any type free float tube is certainly not going to be worth the squeeze.

I used to be a firm believer in always going with a FF tube on an AR, but experience from shooting mine has shown me that it's not always worth it

[BrigandTwoFour]

I'd say that it's only needed if your needs dictate it. While true that the FSB touches the barrel, it is still considered "free floated" in that the harmonics and tension remain consistent from shot to shot, which gives you repeatability. Adding tension via a sling or placing the weapon on a barricade or rest will change this dynamic (or straight up pull the barrel down if you can tension the sling that hard).

One of my favorite uppers is my BCM 20" gov't. I ran with the MOE rifle handguards for a long time, and loved them. The only reason I installed the DD Omega 12 (the one you are talking about) is that I needed a way to mount a bipod, and I started shooting at smaller targets at range while using a very tight shooting sling.

If your shooting needs dictate a higher level of accuracy, and you're not currently getting it, then consider the rail. Otherwise, I say stick with what you have.