Quote:
Originally Posted by copemech
Has anyone done any before and after's on this?
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I would suspect any "before and afters" would have to be done at extreme range with custom made ammo "fitted" to the chamber in order to tell the difference between a free-float versus traditional handguard.
The reason is because the pressure placed on a traditional handguard tends to be transmitted by cantilever into the receiver. Add to this the massively thick barrel between receiver and FSB and the "pressure" of a support on the handguard is negated.
I have a custom built LR-308 16" and the barrel is quite massive along the distance between receiver and gas block.
"Free floating" is more about when you have long-for-thickness barrels that can and do "flex" under loading, and also tend to display irregular harmonics during firing...meaning the muzzle "whips" in a random pattern that cannot be predicted.
AR-15 pattern rifles with their modern THICK barrels from receiver to FSB are not terribly bothered by their own weight resting on a hand or support.
The REAL reason to consider a free float tube...or more practically, an aluminum forearm is HEAT! Aluminum can accept more heat than any plastic and even metal lined hand guards still contact the barrel with plastic and are subject to melting and even catching fire. An Aluminum forearm will never catch fire from heat transferred from the barrel.