Quote:
Originally Posted by Rem1492
free float means that the barrel is touching nothing. like a hunting rifle, do you see the barrel touching the stock or a bayonet or a front sight? no.
that means better harmonics and a better shot, just a barrel straight out.
Each thing you add causes infrequency to the harmonics, like a flash hider, front sight, gas tube, and especially in ARs, a front handguard retainer. It will still be accurate but not as gnats'*** as a free float.
Why doesnt the military use free floating ARs? Cause we want a bayonet lug and to lunge a bayonet in an enemy and pull up with 400lbs of force, you REALLY need a handguard retainer and a good point to stabilize the barrel from bending or ripping out of the receiver.
For most civilians and some spec ops units, a free floater is the way to go as it does provide good cooling and a tad more accuracy.
and for what its worth, I tried searching too, to no avail.
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You're pretty much right about everything... but not quite on that adding something is an issue. It's CHANGES in harmonics that are the problem. All barrels have harmonics and undergo motion when firing. A free float rail keeps you from contacting the barrel during firing, which increases accuracy.
Also, the idea that the reason for not free floating M4s &M16s has to do with anything but cost for the military is just wrong. You can still use a bayonet. It will be just as strong. The barrel and the free float rail (if installed correctly) are just as strong as one another.