How is the UTG free-float handguard?

[migkillertwo]

I'm thinking of getting a free-float setup for my AR. How is UTG? If they're really bad for a defensive carbine, should I spend the extra money and go with YHM, Daniel Defense?

 

[dmancornell]

UTG = airsoft crap made in China

Go with DD or YHM.

 

[WNC Seabee]

heavy. solid, but very heavy.

 

[migkillertwo]

Do you have any experience with UTGdmancornell?

 

[wally]

I'm happy with mine, it has nothing to do with airsoft. But know going in you'll need a barrel wrench and be comfortable removing and replacing the front sight/gas block to install it.

Only you can decide if spending 3-4X more for a hunk of aluminum is worth it or not. For my purposes the answer clearly was that it was better to spend the extra money on ammo to shoot. My purpose was to mount a red dot on the top rail on a carbine that didn't have a flat top -- it came out correctly and I get co witness with the irons.

 

[strambo]

Troy has good high quality, light weight, less expensive rails.

 

[dmancornell]

Do you have any experience with UTGdmancornell?

Yes, my very first AR-15 came with a UTG quadrail (this was before I knew any better). Heavy, sharp edges, poor finishing. You get what you paid for.

 

[WardenWolf]

I have a UTG side rail mount for my AK-47. Very solid, very good quality, very well-finished. No complaints whatsoever. I also have 2 UTG rifle cases that are also very fine. and generally their products are well-rated. Leapers / UTG makes a good product for the money. Dman, you probably had experience with some of their older stuff. The stuff they make now is very nice.

 

[kwelz]

UTG is crap. Save your money and buy something better.

 

[redbullitt]

Little brother has some UTG airsoft stuff that hurts like hell... But honestly I dont have any experience with them on firearms. I wouldn't run it on my rig unless I had no other choice. I vote save up a bit for something else. Just my .02.

 

[Grantman]

The leapers/utg stuff I've used such as rings etc are perfectly fine. When it comes to chunks of aluminium there's little point paying more for the same thing. Can't justify it.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got to agree. I guess i cant see spending 300 bucks on a piece of aluminum that doesnt do anymore then one that cost a 100 bucks just because it has some fancy name on it. Ive never heard of a forend falling off or breaking in two.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

The leapers/utg stuff I've used such as rings etc are perfectly fine. When it comes to chunks of aluminium there's little point paying more for the same thing. Can't justify it.

+1
I have NOT used their free float rail, but do have one of their quad rails and the fit and finish are fine and 100% functional.

YHM would be my next choice if $ was a factor and I could not afford the $300+ rails (which I can't justify).

 

[kwelz]

And a $9000 car is the same as a $30,000 car because they both have 4 wheels and an engine.

Not the case. Some manufacturers use quality metal and designs. Others use whatever is cheapest that week and just throw stuff together.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

And a $9000 car is the same as a $30,000 car because they both have 4 wheels and an engine.

And a Chevy Suburban and a Cadillac Escalade are made in the same plant in Mexico by Government motors. But some people will pay $20k more for a different name on the grill.

 

[C-grunt]

And a Chevy Suburban and a Cadillac Escalade are made in the same plant in Mexico by Government motors. But some people will pay $20k more for a different name on the grill.

But a Daniel Defense rail and a UTG rail are not built in the same plant.

I personally went with a Troy drop in non free float rail for my rifle. It cost me 160 bucks and does everything I need it to. My rifle is plenty more accurate than I can shoot it using irons, so a free float was not needed.

 

[Grantman]

And a $9000 car is the same as a $30,000 car because they both have 4 wheels and an engine.

Not the case. Some manufacturers use quality metal and designs. Others use whatever is cheapest that week and just throw stuff together.

A car is not an absurdly simple lump of aluminium. You may as well compare a Boeing jet.

 

[benEzra]

Free float rails are not absurdly simple lumps of aluminum, either.

Lower-end manufacturers use cheaper alloys that aren't as strong, so they need to be considerably thicker (read: heavier) to hold up, and they often pay less attention to dimensional tolerances. It's the same thing with knife blades; a blade may be an "absurdly simple lump of steel" in the abstract, but when you buy, say, a CKRT or Cold Steel knife instead of a similar-looking Ozark Trail knife that's $9.95 at Walmart, you aren't just paying for the name; you are paying for higher quality alloy, more careful heat treating, and more attention to fit and finish.

If UTG/Ozark Trail/whatever meets your needs, great! There's nothing wrong with buying budget stuff if it meets one's needs. But the recurrent meme that "people who pay more for higher-grade products are gullible fools paying for cool name tags" really, really needs to go away.

 

[WYcoyote]

I bought a DoubleStar.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Double-Star-Tactical-Handguards-Carbine-DS416-p/dsc%20416.htm

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive shot as much ammo out of an ar as anyone here and have good rails and cheap rails and ive yet to see or hear of one of the cheap ones breaking. I just dont see how it could happen. Its only a couple pieces of aluminum no matter how you look at it and id be i could hit it with a hammer and it may dent but it isnt going to break. If spending 300 bucks or more on a forearm makes you think your gun is going to shoot any better or last any longer is something you believe then i have this bridge! Ill say the same about most of the high end ars. An ar is basicaly an ar. Add a good bolt control group to a cheap gun and it will run right with most of the high end guns. To me i think anyone who would spend 2k on an ar has a few marbles loose or just has a big ego.

 

[benEzra]

ve shot as much ammo out of an ar as anyone here and have good rails and cheap rails and ive yet to see or hear of one of the cheap ones breaking. I just dont see how it could happen. Its only a couple pieces of aluminum no matter how you look at it and id be i could hit it with a hammer and it may dent but it isnt going to break.

The point isn't that the cheap rails are fragile; they're not. The point is that the cheap rails have to be made thicker, and therefore heavier, than more expensive rails of similar strength (due to the use of cheaper alloys and less rigorous heat treating), and will be rougher in fit and finish. If you don't mind the weight and the inexpensive rail works for you, great! But someone who is willing to pay more for a rail that is just as strong but weighs 50% less is not stupid, they just have different needs/priorities than you. There's certainly room in the market for both groups, is there not?

Ill say the same about most of the high end ars. An ar is basicaly an ar. Add a good bolt control group to a cheap gun and it will run right with most of the high end guns. To me i think anyone who would spend 2k on an ar has a few marbles loose or just has a big ego.

You certainly don't have to spend $2K on an AR to get top-tier quality, more like $1200 or so. And again, most people who buy $1200 or $1400 BCM's, LMT's, and Colts are neither egotistical nor stupid; they simply want certain features that are not found on the lower-priced AR's. If you are happy with 4140 steel instead of 4150, don't mind a commercial-spec buffer tube, non-chrome-lined barrel, etc., great! But someone who saves up and pays extra for a 4150 1:7 chrome-lined barrel and other top-grade parts generally isn't being stupid, crazy, or egotistical, they're just acting on a different set of priorities.

It's sort of like buying cars. Some people would rather buy a basic Camry than a loaded Corolla, and others would rather have a full-featured Corolla than a stripped Camry. Neither choice reflects stupidity.

 

[rjrivero]

YHM is a decent product for the price.

 

[wally]

It's noting like buying cars! Its a hunk of aluminum, with no moving parts, and tolerances anyone that can use machine tools without cutting off their fingers can hold.

If saving a few ounces of weight from some "stronger alloy" is worth $100+ to you go for it! Scandium was worth it to me on my S&W SC360 pistol, but I'd have a hard time noticing it used for a minor part on a 7 lb rifle.

I'm very happy with the UTG free float quad rail tube I picked up at a gun show for $45. I don't care for the UTG quad rail hand guard because its "too fat", but I found one branded "Fastfire" that had the same size as the one on my SR556 for $50 and am very happy with it as well -- same situation, wanted a red dot in front of the carry handle on my Olympic .40S&W AR carbine -- works great with a Vortex Strikefire sight.

 

[kwelz]

It isn't just he wright it is also the hardness of the Aluminum used and the Spec of the rails.

 

[C-grunt]

Also the lower quality rails have been known to be off center. Thats not good if you are using a flip up front site. The higher quality rails have better quality control.

The price difference between a basic Bushmaster M4gery and a Colt 6920 is about 250-300 bucks if you shop around. To some, the extra price is worth the milspec parts and higher QC.