Can someone educate me on free floating quad rails?

[jpatterson]

Hi all, I am looking to turn my Colt into a wanna-be M16A4, so I am looking into getting a 12" free float quad rail. I have read several sites on the installation and I think I can do it with relative ease, but what is all this about "simply cutting off the delta ring"? (http://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=74)
Can this be replaced if I later decide to switch back to the A2 style handguards?
I definitely don't want to do any permanent damage to my rifle. Besides Midwest Industries, does anyone have any feedback from full length less-expensive models? I am looking to free float rather than just get one that fits into the A2 slots.
Thanks!

 

[gvnwst]

Um, the M16A4 is a A2 handguard, so if you want the actual look..... jsut a flat top upper, that is all that is different. I have never installed free float handguards, so i haveno clue...

 

[jpatterson]

All the ones we train with have the quad rails on them, (same with the majority of A4's I have seen) so thats what I am trying to have myself.

 

[Coronach]

Why not go with a Daniel Defense Omega rail? They have them for rifle-length gas systems now, I think. I installed on one my carbine, and, frankly? The hardest part was taking off the original handguards. Dead nuts simple:

1. Remove hand guards
2. Slip top piece behind delta ring
3. Slip bottom piece behind delta ring
4. Bolt top piece to bottom piece
5. Torque down mounting screws, while watching to make sure the rail is straight

They're light, free-floated, and rock solid. The Omega is probably slightly heavier than Daniel Defense's one-piece design, and probably not quite as robust as a design that uses its own barrel nut (as opposed to co-opting the existing one) but the differences are small.

Mike

 

[MrCleanOK]

There are two reasons I know of that you'd want to go the "cut off the delta ring" route:
1. You have a permanently attached muzzle device, and can't disassemble the upper to remove the D-ring assembly.
2. You don't have the tools, knowledge, motivation, whatever to disassemble the upper to get the D-ring assembly off.

When I installed my MI free float handguard I cut the D-ring off. I don't have an armorer's wrench to remove the barrel nut, nor do I have a bench block to help with driving out the gas block pins. I do have a dremel tool, and I didn't plan on going back to the old two-piece hand guards.

The d-ring, spring, and E-clip aren't expensive, and if you want to buy another assembly and put it back on in the future you can do it, but you'll need to get the tools that you didn't have the first time around. Unless you get a little crazy with the dremel you won't hurt your gun. Just cover up the parts you don't want to destroy with a few wraps of rag in case the dremel gets away from you or something. When in doubt, follow the instructions.