handguard pic

[djack]

does anyone have a pic of a rifle with non plastic handguards??

 

[Brett248Vista]

The picture thread has some. I think they are towards the end of the thread, not sure how many pages the thread is up to now, but there are some guys here who are running non standard hand guards.

 

[piston22]

The picture thread has some. I think they are towards the end of the thread, not sure how many pages the thread is up to now, but there are some guys here who are running non standard hand guards.

Hey Brett, great vids. Just looked and want to see the barrel removal one... Thanks for your efforts. Do you or does anyone else know if the FF aluminum airsoft version forearms will work on the 15-22? What exactly would be needed?

 

[Brett248Vista]

Don't know if airsoft versions would work but Tacticool22 makes a barrel nut adaptor that allows you to run a hogue ff handguard and you could adapt it to run an M4 style setup too, I don't like the idea of a floated hand guard on these rifles due to the plastic upper receiver.

 

[chuck s]

does anyone have a pic of a rifle with non plastic handguards??

"A" rifle? Not a bit of plastic on this one:

-- Chuck

 

[grimreaper21]

Think he means metal

 

[piston22]

Don't know if airsoft versions would work but Tacticool22 makes a barrel nut adaptor that allows you to run a hogue ff handguard and you could adapt it to run an M4 style setup too, I don't like the idea of a floated hand guard on these rifles due to the plastic upper receiver.

djack, I saw some pics in the pic thread as well. yeah I know, they are in there somewhere, I'll look again if I get time. I saw the Hogue fore end pic Brett mentions above as well. Thought I saw that one somewhere else. Can't find it now either. Not to hijack your thread, but then my next question after seeing these photos is... okay, how did these folks do this when the upper receiver is "plastic"?

Like Brett said, I don't like this idea either but maybe more so I don't like the idea of hanging 50 lbs of tactical junk off of the stock polymer forearm like a lot of folks here on the forum are doing without knowing or seeing for myself what and how exactly the barrel is attached.

Anyone see the "nutnfancy" utube review on the 15-22? At the range he was getting some wildly different groupings. He attributed the "off" groupings to the "flexing" of the stock hand guard when he put too much weight or leaned into the gun too heavily when shooting.

I'm still conditioning my barrel and have only gotten about 60 rounds (yes 60 not 600) through mine. Haven't gotten to test for replicating the "flexing" scenario yet. I would really like to see Brett's vid on the barrel removal so I know better how things are put together.

Tacticool or Brett, can you guys take some close up pics or diagrams or something to show how things go together in the barrel meets receiver area? I haven't gotten to the point of taking the barrel off to see for myself yet. When I get to 100 rounds I will. If there is indeed a flexing issue does Tacticools barrel nut fix or alleviate the issue? If not, can we get our heads together and maybe design or fabricate a plate or CNC'd hunk of metal to drop into the upper to reinforce things a bit? Tacticool?... Shoe?... anybody?

 

[jsimmons]

Putting one of the lightweight handguards on your rifle won't hurt the receiver. The adapter barrel nut threads into the receiver, and the actual handguard barrel nut threads onto the adapter nut. After that the handguard either bolts to or is threaded onto the handguard barrel nut. As long as the nuts are tight, there is no danger of the receiver being structurally compromised. Beyond that, most floating handguards are mad of aluminum and the weight difference between it and the factory handguard will be negligible.

As far as hanging all kinds of crap on the rails, hey, that's up to you, but on a .22 it's kinda laughable (IMHO).

Finally, there is a polymer rreceiver available for the full-size AR-15, and I would think that if it can withstand the firing/recoil of a bigger caliber rifle, it can certainly handle the weight of a floating handguard.

 

[Brett248Vista]

The barrel nut threads onto the barrel. The barrel inserts through the receiver from the breech side, there is a small stainless steel "sleeve" inside the end of the receiver and the inside of the plastic receiver has slots which mate with ears on the Barrel's chamber. When you tighten the barrel nut you are essentially sandwiching the barrel from the breech side through the plastic upper receiver, through the hand guard.

The metal sleeve in the receiver does little to nothing for horizontal stability it's purpose is to keep the barrel from being over tightened and deforming the receiver. The stock hand guard does not "float" the hand guard end cap does touch the barrel so it lends to support duties as much as it is to plug the hole in the end of the hand guard. If you install a barrel nut adapter and a floating hand guard, I can see some flex being possible.

That's why if I was doing anything to my front end on my 15-22 it would be to covert it over to an M4 front end, that way the hand guard is supported by both the Delta Ring and the end cap, which would be pretty much the same as it is now.


Piston22,

The video will be coming real soon, Tacti is shipping me out barrel vice jaws, as soon as I get those I will be able to get my barrel unstuck and get a good video shot!

Putting one of the lightweight handguards on your rifle won't hurt the receiver. The adapter barrel nut threads into the receiver, and the actual handguard barrel nut threads onto the adapter nut. After that the handguard either bolts to or is threaded onto the handguard barrel nut. As long as the nuts are tight, there is no danger of the receiver being structurally compromised. Beyond that, most floating handguards are mad of aluminum and the weight difference between it and the factory handguard will be negligible.

As far as hanging all kinds of crap on the rails, hey, that's up to you, but on a .22 it's kinda laughable (IMHO).





Finally, there is a polymer rreceiver available for the full-size AR-15, and I would think that if it can withstand the firing/recoil of a bigger caliber rifle, it can certainly handle the weight of a floating handguard.

 

[straightshooter47]

for what it's worth...

 

[Rustpot]

Great visual, thanks.

We just need a clamp on front sight block that fits right (or a spacer for a specific model), and I'd be interested in finding a cheap free float (or several cheap ones for various styles).

 

[SPARC]

Great visual, thanks.

We just need a clamp on front sight block that fits right (or a spacer for a specific model), and I'd be interested in finding a cheap free float (or several cheap ones for various styles).

Why would you need a FSB for the 15-22? It's not a gas operated weapon and shouldn't have a purpose if you're looking for a free float. I wouldn't want to add weight to the front of the gun because it seems to be well balanced out of the box.

 

[TAKticool]

Lol ... Conditioning your 22 barrel huh ?

Make sure to do 20 tactical flips before bed time too. Practice makes perfect and you need to be cpnditioned.

 

[Rustpot]

Why would you need a FSB for the 15-22? It's not a gas operated weapon and shouldn't have a purpose if you're looking for a free float. I wouldn't want to add weight to the front of the gun because it seems to be well balanced out of the box.

Free float tubes have no method to attach a front sight, save a few expensive ones.

Plus the front sight block would be used in conjunction with a delta ring for split handguards.

If you want a scope or dot only then you're right, no front sight needed.

 

[piston22]

Lol ... Conditioning your 22 barrel huh ?

Make sure to do 20 tactical flips before bed time too. Practice makes perfect and you need to be cpnditioned.

Great input here guys... but always a wise guy isn't there? I like the rails pic of ol' reliable earlier. An old habit I picked up long ago. I have my own method. Not the anal 1 shot clean, 2 shot clean, 3 shots clean, 4 shots clean and so on which may do more damage and wear the barrel out before you even get started possibly. Yeah, prolly way overkill for a plinker mollied 22 barrel. I haven't worked up to the tactical flips yet but I do curls with my cleaning rod offhand with my tactical railed dumbells while I run the cleaning rod with the other hand though.

Myth? Fade? Long running debate on pros,cons, whys and wherefors. Just an old habit for me. My long time smithy recommends it and I think it helps accuracy but that may just be my imagination.

Here's a brief variation off of Impact Guns site and probably only really necessary for steel barrels like they imply:

A new barrel will shoot best if careful attention is given to proper break-in. Differing opinions exist as to what constitutes proper break-in, however, we recommend that no more than 20 rounds be fired at one time before cleaning the barrel - for the first 60 rounds. Each time the barrel is cleaned for the first 120 rounds, it must be thoroughly cleaned, removing all traces of copper and fouling.
Recommended procedure for thorough cleaning: In all cases it is vital that cleaning tools (brushes, patches, etc.) be pushed from the breech toward the muzzle and then removed from the rod at the muzzle end. DO NOT drag anything back through the muzzle.
Clean the bore with a good bore cleaner.
Decopper the bore with a copper solvent.
Clean the bore again with JB Bore Cleaner paste as follows;
1. Work the JB paste into a new patch.
2. Wrap the patch around a worn bore brush.
3. Push it through the bore for ten strokes. Replace the patch every five strokes.
4. Run a dry patch then an oil patch if storing the rifle.
After the barrel is broken in , clean the bore immediately after each shooting session.
Decopper the barrel every 300-400 rounds.
Clean the bore every 1,000 rounds with JB Bore Cleaner.

 

[BELT_FED]

"A" rifle? Not a bit of plastic on this one:

-- Chuck

That looks a lot like a spanish mauser?

 

[GeoffSFAs10]

That looks a lot like a spanish mauser?

1903 Springfield

 

[tacticool22]

Here are some pics.
Pics 1 and 2 are the end result.
Pic 3 shows the barrels threads. The factory quad rail is over the barrel. The thread adapter is to the left of the delta ring.
Pic 4 shows the adapter on the rifle.
The adapter sandwitches the stainless steel bushing between the breech block and the adapter. There is no room for movement in that assembly when everything is tight.
The polymer of the upper surrounds the SS bushing and has little to nothing to do with the (linear) squeeze of the three parts.

 

[glockeyed]

would any one be interested in selling their OEM handguard?

 

[Brett248Vista]

I may be if I decide to go M4 with mine... And I may in the following weeks. I need to do some research and development first