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School me on free floating

Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:27 pm
by Weetabix
I saw a comment somewhere recently that one cannot free float a semi-automatic rifle. Why is that?

Free floating a bolt rifle simply means making sure there's no forearm touching the barrel, right? Why could that not be accomplished on a semi-automatic rifle? For example, a 10/22?

Maybe the comment was talking about an AR? Would that have something to do with the gas system?

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:16 am
by Jericho941
There's a ton of free-floating AR handguards on the market. Mine has this. I'm not sure what that person was talking about.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:21 am
by First Shirt
My Ruger 10/22 has a match-grade, sporter-weight 22" barrel that is free-floated in the original Deluxe stock. You should have told me that it couldn't be done, before I did it!

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:31 am
by Darrell
My Daniel Defense M4V7 AR was advertised as "free floated".

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:54 am
by Denis
Weetabix wrote:I saw a comment somewhere recently that one cannot free float a semi-automatic rifle. Why is that?
Whoever said that was probably thinking of the gas-impingement systems, which necessarily have some connection between the receiver and the gas port on the barrel (unlike direct-blowback systems). Whether that connection counts as negating a free float of the barrel depends on how you define "free-floating". It's certainly possible to have the handguard on such a gun not touch the barrel, which is how I expect most people would understand the term.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:16 pm
by Vonz90
Weetabix wrote:I saw a comment somewhere recently that one cannot free float a semi-automatic rifle. Why is that?

Free floating a bolt rifle simply means making sure there's no forearm touching the barrel, right? Why could that not be accomplished on a semi-automatic rifle? For example, a 10/22?

Maybe the comment was talking about an AR? Would that have something to do with the gas system?
As I understand "free float" it is that there is nothing connecting to the barrel what so ever. This would be different from just "free floated handguard" which could obviously be achieved on anything.

There some semi-auto's that cannot be free floated. M1/M1A/M14 or FAL being the classic example as the gas piston has to be in contact with both the action and the barrel. Technically I guess the AR cannot be free floated because the gas tube still connects the action to the barrel, but it is really negligible.

Obviously, anything that is strictly recoil or delayed blow back (1022, G3, etc.) can rather easily be free floated.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 12:39 am
by Aaron
I suspect the dude was talking out his fourth point of contact. While it's true the AR has the gas system, it is still effectively free floated for a variety of complicated reasons, there are plenty of other semi-auto rifles out there that are completely and unquestionably free floated.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 12:41 am
by Cobar
Have to agree. It has to be the gas system they are talking about.

Honestly, I have no clue how much that would really effect the barrel whipping around on a shot and effect accuracy. I can't think it is nearly as bad as a big hulking hand guard locked on to it.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:29 am
by SoupOrMan
My 6.8 AR is technically free-floated. The National Match sleeve I have surrounding it doesn't touch the barrel, just the gas tube.

Re: School me on free floating

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:07 am
by Netpackrat
Shoot, you can almost free-float an AK at this point. TWS current front handguard unit only grabs the barrel right in front of the receiver and has its own gas tube that doesn't actually contact the gas block.