Handguard Question??

[5.56Geo]

I am in the process of having an AR put together and was interested in an unbiased opinion from industry professionals, LEO, active and retired military members and seasoned shooters. This build will be primarily a simple hunting rifle and will be used for some non-competition >500 yard bench shooting. It will be chambered in 6.8SPCII. My question; what is your recommendation as far as a hand guard? Should I just go with Magpul or the like or should I step up to a free float? I like practical set-ups but I am more than willing to spend the money if the functionality is warranted. I think I understand the whole free float idea but is an AR ever really have a free float barrel in the true sense of the word when the gas tube is attached to the barrel and you have the pressure of the BCG against it how ever slight it may be? Thanks for the input. -5.56Geo

[Eurodriver]

Considering the AR15 has consistently performed as one of the most accurate semi automatic rifles ever, I don't think your concern about BCG exerting pressure on the gas tube is a big deal. Those extremely accurate long range precisious rigs do, however, have free floated barrels. I won't go so far to say it's a necessity for your needs, but I personally would get one.

[HeliPilot]

I can see a noticeable difference when shooting AR's that are free float and those that are not. Now can you still make accurate hits with a non-free float rifle at range, yes you can. However, if you plan on hunting out to ranges of 500 yards, shot placement is important. That being said, if I were putting together a build for what you describe as being your intent, I would definitely go free float.

[Leaveammoforme]

Don't know how set you are on caliber but IMO it sounds like a 6.5 Grendel would better suit your 'greater than' 500 yards needs.
Free float? Yes.

[5.56Geo]

I thought about the 6.5Grendel but I went with the 6.8SPC, I already have plenty reloading supplies for it. The 500 yards reference would be for bench shooting only. I wouldn't allow myself to take any shots further than 300 yards to harvest any game.

I am just having a hard time choosing a handguard/rail! I have looked high and low but can't find one that feels right. I don't want a quad rail, I wont be hanging anything on it. Not really looking for keymod either. I like the feel of the Troy Alpha Rail but if it were only a little slimmer. ...any ideas? Thanks guys. -5.56Geo

[HeliPilot]

Geissele SMR, Centruion CMR, Lancer Carbon Fiber, there are plenty of rails that aren't picatinny or keymod...

[ColtSeavers]

Excellent choice in chambering OP! Just got done receiving all the parts for my 6.8 SPC build that will be an SPR-ish setup for nearly the same reasons (longer range pest control including coyote, gong thumping and paper punching).

As to your question about whether you should get a free floated forend or not, the answer is yes you should always go with free float if given the option.

As to which forend to get, that's gonna be a bit more personal and everyone has their favorites/least favorites for various reasons.

I personally went with a YHM 15" Todd Jarrett free float forend over a Daniel Defense 18" 6.8 spcII S2W barrel. I do not plan on taking this rifle hiking all day long. it's gonna be on a bipod overwatching high traffic pest areas and be used at the range so while the YHM might have more weight than others, it's not as great a concern for me as it may be for you. I also really liked that YHM's barrel nut/jam nut/anti-rotation system is consistantly praised as being rock solid and well built especially for the price.
(Edit: Misread slimmer as stronger in your last post OP)

ETA: Don't forget to give the Beyond 5.56 subforum here a shot for 6.8 spc info as well as 68forums.com.

Edit #2: Apologies, misread slimmer as stronger.

[ouchonyee]

Apex gator grip might be worth a look, one of the smoother looking handguards out there.. Not sure if it's slimmer than the troy alpha though.

[VIP3R 237]

IMO the Geissele SMR is the best there is right now, but price point reflects that. A good cost effective alternative is the Midwest industries SS gen 2 hand guards.

[discreet]

Fortis all the way on my long range builds. No funky proprietary barrel nuts, nor added weight. I'm a big supporter of Vltor bipods, and the 2 side rails on the fortis are perfect for them. Just my 2 cents.

[ouchonyee]

IMO the Geissele SMR is the best there is right now, but price point reflects that. A good cost effective alternative is the Midwest industries SS gen 2 hand guards.

The Midwest Ind. SS *IS* smaller than the Troy rail. I have an SSK (keymod) and despite the holes, it feels good in hand. it's almost too small.
I think it's about as small as you can get and still fit a gas block inside.

25285

25286

[MorphCross]

Pressure from the gas tube to the gas-block to the barrel is consistent unlike the pressure that a hand-guard may apply to the barrel from a rest/bi-pod. With the price of many good to excellent quality free float hand-guards this should be a non issue if you have a good budget for your rifle. I've played around with Centurion Arms C4 handguards and the Apex Gator. For my needs I'm more partial to the C4 however the Gator is a great option as it comes with all the hardware necessary to mount to the standard barrel nut.

Of greater importance though will be the quality of the barrel used. Don't cheapen out on the barrel. AR performance, Noveske, and other manufacturers that have invested a lot of time with the cartridge will be your best bet.

[GH41]

" I like the feel of the Troy Alpha Rail but if it were only a little slimmer"

I recently went from a 13" Alpha rail to a 13" KMR on a scoped rifle. The KMR is MUCH slimmer. Just because it is a keymod rail doesn't mean you have to put anything on it. GH