rigid free float tube ?

[1911 guy]

Talking ARs for a minute:
Search turned up a lot of info but not what I was looking for. I'd like to free float a barrel and mount a red dot foreward of the reciever, out on the float tube. Who makes one that is stable enough to not change POI?

I like the look of the Midwest Industries SS series, as it mates to the rail on the flat top reciever, but don't know how tightly it locks up, being just two set screws around the barrel nut.

Any thoughts?

 

[ugaarguy]

Any free float tube or quad rail from any of the reputable manufacturers will be a true rigid free float. As you get into higher prices you're paying for lighter weight. The MI SS you're looking at will work perfectly fine.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Don't forget DD as well.

 

[JustinJ]

I like the Troy Alpha Rail. It has an indexing tab that aligns it's upper rail and helps prevent twisting.

With any rail the closer you mount an optic to the receiver the more rigid it will be. Really though i'm sure most will hold zero wherever you mount.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I've got a Midwest Industries 9" T-Series on my AR. I am using YHM flipup sights, of course the front sight is on the end of the hadguard. I have taken it out 3 times over a period of 5 months and shot 450 rounds through it, the POI is still right on at 100 yards.

 

[1911 guy]

Very good. Thanks for the replies. I am familiar with the float tubes that screw on and understand how they stay rigid, but was wondering about the stability of the "clamp on" set screw type. Question answered. I'll be ordering one shortly now.

 

[helotaxi]

The Samson rail that I have on one of my ARs clamps on to the standard barrel nut and is probably more rigid than any of the thread-on forearms.

That said, I would recommend not mounting an optic on the forearm regardless of how rigid it is.

 

[plouffedaddy]

That said, I would recommend not mounting an optic on the forearm regardless of how rigid it is.

Agreed, but your gun so do as you please. The MI locks up extremely tight as it 'locks into' the barrel nut which is somewhat secured by the gas tube. But there are many different sturdy designs out there...

Here's my MI:

 

[ol' scratch]

I have a DD Omega 9 rail on my AR that fits over the standard equipment and uses screws to secure it into the barrel nut. I love it and it is very ridgid. Part of the reason I decided to go this way is because it uses the standard equipment and I can go back to standard handguards if I want to (even though I don't think I ever will after using this). I have read, according to Danial Defense, when they tried to screw the handguard off with the rifle in a vise, it took the barrel off of the receiver.

 

[1911 guy]

Maybe a dumb question (I'm far more familiar with carry handle and iron sights) but why is it considered alright to put your front post on the rail and not an optic? I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just looking at the better performance obtained from RDS by mounting them a few more inches forward plus the resulting non-interference with BUIS because the RDS is out of the way.

Thoughts? I'm just about decided on an Aimpoint PRO, if that makes any difference to the discussion.
I'm an iron sight freak, most of my rifles that have glass of any kind simply came factory with no irons.

 

[TCBPATRIOT]

Noveske makes a pretty good one.

 

[hentown]

Unless the OP is opposed to two-piece handguards, then I'd highly recommend the YHM free-float tube that has removable rails and that indexes. It's about $100. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars, in order to get a quality, rigid, free float tube.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=...INCxzzx/Product/AR-15-M16-TACTICAL-HANDGUARDS

 

[fatcat4620]

Maybe a dumb question (I'm far more familiar with carry handle and iron sights) but why is it considered alright to put your front post on the rail and not an optic?

Your sight radius would be a little short if you didnt put the front sight out on the rail.

 

[JustinJ]

Maybe a dumb question (I'm far more familiar with carry handle and iron sights) but why is it considered alright to put your front post on the rail and not an optic?

Its perfectly fine to put an optic on a quality rail. What you don't want to do is is have the mount halfway on both. Nor do you want to put one scope ring on the rail and one on the receiver if a magnified optic is used, unless it is a monolithic receiver.

 

[helotaxi]

Maybe a dumb question (I'm far more familiar with carry handle and iron sights) but why is it considered alright to put your front post on the rail and not an optic? I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just looking at the better performance obtained from RDS by mounting them a few more inches forward plus the resulting non-interference with BUIS because the RDS is out of the way.

Even having the front sight on the rail isn't optimal. Mounting a front sight on a gas block is a better solution because pressure on the forearm isn't going to shift POI. An optic is no different. No matter how rigid the forearm is, you can flex it if you use a sling or vertical foregrip or so on. Unless you have that pressure exactly the same every time, your POI will drift.

If you want your RDS to be out of the way of the BUIS, get a basic cantilever mount and attach it to the receiver. It will sit out over the forearm, but won't be affected at all by forces applied to the forearm.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Maybe a dumb question (I'm far more familiar with carry handle and iron sights) but why is it considered alright to put your front post on the rail and not an optic? I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just looking at the better performance obtained from RDS by mounting them a few more inches forward plus the resulting non-interference with BUIS because the RDS is out of the way.

Thoughts? I'm just about decided on an Aimpoint PRO, if that makes any difference to the discussion.
I'm an iron sight freak, most of my rifles that have glass of any kind simply came factory with no irons.

That's a good question. The long floating tubes I have are very rigid. There is no flex like you see with barrels. I have one rifle with the front sight mounted on a 12" YHM TJ tube. It's co-witnessed with a micro dot and you can put all your weight on the tube and not see any deflection.

 

[sfsmedic]

Mounting the optics not on the receiver but on the free float isn't recommended unless its a back up as it won't hold zero well. Use a cantilever mount to push it out further such as this.