YHM Smooth Free-Float

[TheDeej]

Hey all,

Anyone here have the YHM Smooth handgaurd on their AR? How do you guys like it? I've been strongly considering this as I'm not a huge fan of the feel/high price tag of most quad rail setups I've handled and I like the simple design of it.
My AR has a mid-length upper, but I like the design of the carbine (how it wraps around the front sight) and was thinking about purchasing the rifle-length model and milling it to achieve the same effect. What say you?

[Don29palms]

How are you going to put a YHM free float handguard on that goes around the gasblock? It is a 1 piece tube design.

I really like my YHM handguard though. I wish they made a handguard for a GPU.

[damon1272]

I think that having the handguard around the site is doable. You may need to have access holes to drive the sight pins on through the guard. I think it is doable. I like the rifle length handguadrd on teh mid length rifle. I have them on my rifle but I cut the front sight off.

[Don29palms]

I think that having the handguard around the site is doable. You may need to have access holes to drive the sight pins on through the guard. I think it is doable. I like the rifle length handguadrd on teh mid length rifle. I have them on my rifle but I cut the front sight off.

It will work with a low profile gas block (sight cut off) but not with a regular front sight/gas block.

[Dave A]

Are you talking about the YHM model that has flutes, with some milled out and some solid, but smooth to the touch?

If so, I have two of them mounted on rifle length AR's, one a 20" and one a 24". They are great and come with a hole pre-drilled for a sling lug, which I use for a bipod mount. They also come with some attachable picatinny rails should you want to mount them.

A word of warning though. If you have varmint barrels, which usually are around 1.040-45 before the gas block step, you will have a problem mounting the fore end front acc piece. YHM says it is 1 1/16, (1.0625), which would give you about .020 clearance. However, I found that they actually measure about 1.047, which gives you very little clearance to maintain a free float condition on the barrel.

You will need a 2" pin type spanner tool to tighten the threaded ring that they use to tighten the fore end to the barrel nut.

[TheDeej]

The ones at this site are the ones in question, http://www.pkfirearms.com/Free_Float_Tubes/18/c

the YHM 5000 (carbine), 5004 (mid), and 5005 (rifle). You can see how the carbine model has the cutout at the front so it flanks the front sight post/gas block. The other models simply stop short of that point but I do like the look of the carbine design. With the right tools and planning I figure it should work and look very clean refinished in FDE with the accessory rails back. I think I just need to find the length of the rifle model and determine how much would have to be milled away to clear the sight.

[Don29palms]

The rifle length is 12". That what is on my rifle in my signature.

[donking]

If at all possible you should try/hold one to see if the "feel" is right for you and then compare it to the high price rails. Some manufacturers have a larger diameter than others and thus some fit your hands better. Usually the higher price is due to weight savings or perceived strength / quality, but what matters most is that it feels right in your hands.

[oldsmoboat]

The ones at this site are the ones in question, http://www.pkfirearms.com/Free_Float_Tubes/18/c

the YHM 5000 (carbine), 5004 (mid), and 5005 (rifle). You can see how the carbine model has the cutout at the front so it flanks the front sight post/gas block. The other models simply stop short of that point but I do like the look of the carbine design. With the right tools and planning I figure it should work and look very clean refinished in FDE with the accessory rails back. I think I just need to find the length of the rifle model and determine how much would have to be milled away to clear the sight.

I can't tell from the pic, are there picatinny mounts on the bottom of that carbine rail?

EDIT. it does...

[donking]

Saw this in another thread. Not sure if the cost is in-line, but it seems to be a good deal.

http://www.spikestactical.com/new/z/spikes-tactical-10-bar-rail-p-461.html

[juliarobert]

I was a little concerned it would not fit as I have the particular model that has the sling loop and bayonet lug hanging off the bottom, but I figured I’d give it a go. Worst case scenario was I would be grinding off the bayonet lug that I never use