Cost To Install Free Float Handguard
12 Inch Free Float Handguard
Best Budget Free Float Handguard

We review & Install the Midwest Industries part. #MI-LWM-15 AR15/M16 15' Lightweight M-lok one piece free float handguard. Upgrading from a standard to a free-floated handguard can increase your AR-15’s accuracy potential, and it isn’t difficult following this procedure. How to swap out for a free-floated handguard: Remove upper receiver and pull back delta rings to remove standard handguard. Remove retaining pins from the A-Frame — after the gas tube is removed. Installs just like a standard Magpul or RAS-style handguard Only $200, too. Install is simple and painless. For me, the hardest part of the process was removing the standard handguards.

Is a free float rail worth the investment?

Do your needs justify the cost of a free float rail? Will your rifle benefit from FF? Certain rifles, namely precision rigs and precision shooters, would benefit from a free-float rail. Let’s get that out of the way. If you want to shoot tiny groups or set up a precision rifle… yes a free float rail will assist you in maximizing the accuracy potential of your rifle. What if you have a 14 inch chrome lined or 20 inch government style rifle? Lot’s of new rifle owners will pony up for a quality rail (and many more a cheap rail) without ever realizing the accuracy potential they introduce into the weapon. People will parrot off a number of reasons to invest in rails… more room for accessories, squeeze more accuracy out of the rifle, etc. So will a rail be of assistance to you? Will it be a wise return on your money / shooting ability?

Before you purchase any rails analyze your current shooting skills. What will make hitting your target easier? A quality optic or a rail? On my two 20 inch “government” rifles, the money spent on a FF rail would not significantly improve my shooting. I have a hard time seeing the 400+ yard target. I am the limiting factor in my rifles performance and I cannot take advantages of a FF rail with the current setups that I run.

Some people might have other requirements. A home defense rifle would justify a method in which to mount a flashlight for example… but you don’t need a $150, $200, or a $300 dollar rail to accomplish that task. There are plenty of options available for mounting lights, lasers, and grips without spending a ton of coin. Look at the Magpul MOE line of hand-guards. GG&G light mounts come in various flavors. There are many alternatives available.

2 MOA Rifle… Out of the Box.

Plenty of AR15’s out there can shoot 2 MOA out of the box with good ammunition. Think about this for a second: at 500 yards 2 MOA is a 10 inch group. What will make it easier to shoot a 10 inch group at 500 yards? Nokia lumia 920 unlock code at&t free. Free floating or an optic?

Will a gun with a fancy free float rail perform better in your hands over the same rifle with a MOE hand-guard and light? Which setup costs you more money? The $35 dollar MOE guards seem much more logical to me than the latest $300 dollar Daniel-Defense free float rail if you simply want to mount a light and a fore-grip.

If you are OK with the fact that your rifle is ONLY capable of shooting a 12 inch grouping at 600 yards with good ammo… then skip the free float and go straight for an optic or other gear that will make it easier to hit see your target. There is nothing that will improve your shooting more than a nice optic. The main problem new shooters encounter is the initial sticker shock of a good optic.

Wheel and Deal:

If you want to buy something that is out of your price range, go to the equipment exchange on AR15.com and trade and/or flip your way to a quality used optic. I initially purchased a Vortex variable but found it too heavy for my build and shooting style. It was great glass though! Someone else saw its value and we swapped a CompM4 for the Vortex. Don’t be afraid to trade and deal online to get what you want. If you ponied up for a pie in the sky optic you don’t like, don’t be afraid to sell it or trade it online. I am not made of money… and sometimes I wonder how people online can afford an ACOG and night vision for all their rifles. I buy used so I can get good gear.

I can’t direct more of my budget to rifles right now (as many readers might attest… they are in the same boat) but I want to continue to shoot and learn so I must carefully choose my components based on value. Right now the value to practicality ratio of a free-float rail does not add up for me and my rifle. Does it add up for yours?

Why install a free float handguard?

One of the main benefits to free-floating an AR-15 is an increase in accuracy from reduced variability in the barrel harmonics due to sling tension. The traditional AR-15 configuration has the sling mount attachment at the base of the front sight gas block, so moderate changes in sling tension can change the point of impact downrange. A direct impingement AR-15 can never be truly “free-floated” due to the attachment of the gas block and gas tube, but the addition of a quad rail or other free float style handguard can help with accuracy and also provides a stable and convenient platform for attaching bipods, lights, grips and other accessories.

What do I need to install a free float quad rail handguard?

When planning your free-float project, take a close look at the type of gas system currently on your rifle. Most standard front sight gas blocks are held onto the barrel by either tapered pins or by clamps. Make sure you have all the right tools and parts on hand for disassembly and reassembly before starting work.

Step-by-Step Installation

Cost To Install Free Float Handguard

As always, before working on any firearm make sure it’s unloaded and safe to handle.

12 Inch Free Float Handguard

1. First, remove the original handguards using a handguard removal tool.

2. Separate the upper and lower receivers and remove the bolt carrier group and charging handle.

3. Clamp the upper receiver into a vise using a vise block and remove the flash hider and crush washer. The crush washer will not be reused.

4. Tap out the gas tube roll pin with a #2 roll pin punch and inspect the front sight gas block. If it has tapered pins, drive them out with a cup tip punch from the small side. If unsure, measure the pin diameter on each side first. If the pins are difficult to remove, apply penetrating oil, let sit overnight and try again. Sometimes applying light heat to the area also helps with removal.

5. If the gas block is a clamp-on type, use a hex key to loosen the set screws. Remove the original front sight gas block assembly from the barrel. If it sticks, gently tap on it with a soft-faced hammer until it slides off the barrel. Remove the handguard retainer and gas tube.

6. On a bench block, align the gas tube through-hole (with the large hole facing down) into the new gas block and use a roll pin holder to start the roll pin. Drive the roll pin flush with the gas block.

Assassins creed odyssey activation code free. 7. Remove the original barrel nut/delta ring assembly with the armorer’s wrench, then clean and inspect the upper receiver threads.

Best Budget Free Float Handguard

8. Remove the anti-rotation screw from the bottom of the new handguards and unscrew the new barrel nut, removing it from the handguards. Apply a thin layer of high quality lithium moly grease to the inside threads of the barrel nut, install it over the barrel so that the lock ring faces toward the upper receiver, then hand-tighten the barrel nut.

9. Set your torque wrench to 30 ft/lbs and tighten the barrel nut using your armorer’s wrench. Remove the torque wrench and loosen the barrel nut with the armorer’s wrench (never loosen with a torque wrench).

10. Re-torque to 30 ft/lbs, then remove the torque wrench and loosen ag