Free floating rails vs aftermarket 2 piece

[My-AK47]

Can someone explain the difference between these both and why I would want one over the other???? I am wanting to upgrade my cmmg upper. It is the shortest barrel with W/out having to file SBR paperwork m4 carbine, not the long version. I have included a picture.

Thanks

[djleisure]

Most free-floating rails require some special tools and a little more experience to install than aftermarket two-piece drop-ins. With most free-float rails you need to remove/replace the delta ring and the FSB, which is a pretty big deal without the know-how and the tools. Unless you are going to be doing some serious target shooting (which you probably won't be with a carbine setup like yours) then you should just get a good, aftermarket drop-in rail system. Midwest Industries, Daniel Defense Omega, YHM and TROY all come to mind. Try to avoid the UTG stuff if you can afford something a little better. Oh and make sure you get "carbine length" or a 7-inch rail for your setup.

[My-AK47]

Thanks for your input! It has made my decision easier on what I am going to buy. So the olny reason I would want to go with free floating is if I was going to do serious target shooting? Does it have something to do with the way the rifle is shot that makes free floating better?

Thanks again for your help

[hnoppenberger]

free floating puts no stress on the barrel. for target shooting this matters alot.

[maxicon]

For a carbine shooting mil-spec style inexpensive ammo (like XM193), a little stress on the barrel from normal handling won't matter, and a FF handguard won't make a huge difference.

If you sling up for shooting (not just carrying), or if you use a bipod, FF can make a lot more difference, as it keeps the force on the sling or bipod from deflecting the barrel (this is a bigger problem on skinny barrels than bull barrels).

My main complaint about 2 piece railed handguards, especially on a carbine, is that they're heavy, fat, and are not as comfortable to handle. Most people don't need all that rail space, but if you're going to mount a lot of stuff on the rifle, it's useful.

If your budget supports it, the DD Omega's hard to beat, as it's easy to install, free floating, relatively slim, and relatively light.

[esskay]

As noted by others, any time you put stress on the handguard while shooting, and it isn't free floating, you will cause point of impact to deviate from point of aim because it will move the barrel. If you sling up for shooting from unsupported positions, if you attach to cover (e.g. rest your rifle on a barricade while shooting a 3-gun match, etc) -- this could easily cause a 2MOA shift in point of impact. In fact, a common mistake folks might make during a match is resting the barrel directly on a barricade rather than the fore-end, and that can really throw you off.

Personally, I always go for a free-floating fore-end.