Mid length v. rifle length?

[coyotebait]

Helping a buddy build an AR, he bought a 2 piece drop in rifle length hand guard, He doesn't have a barrel yet, what length barrel and is mid length the same as rifle length?

[jarhead714]

I want to say 18?

[Nathan Krynn]

No midlength is shorter than rifle length.

When you talk about 2 piece drop in plastic handguards the length is the same as the gas tube, I.E. carbine, mid, rifle.

To use that handguard he needs a rifle length gas system and it should be a 20" or at the least a 18".

[Elwood_Blues]

What are the differences between a carbine-length, mid-length and rifle-length handguard?

Carbine-length = 6.75 inches
Mid-length = 8.5 inches
Rifle-length = 12 inches

These lengths are approximate and may vary slightly between manufacturers. If your handguard measures 6.5 inches long, it is a carbine length, 8.25 is mid-length, etc.

Plus, what Nathan said.

[coyotebait]

Thanks, that's what I thought. He keeps insisting on drop in, I tried pushing him to free float......Oh well, his rifle.

[ohlone]

16" barrel with mid or 20" with rifle, that way you can mount your bayonet LOL

[MrPlink]

Nothing wrong with drop in. Military seems to be doing fine with em

[FeuerFrei]

Yeah. 20" rifle length for the first AR clone.
He'll want something different on the next rifle. You know he'll NOT stop at 1.
None of us did. Right?