AR15 new handguard fail = chopped front end

[Smittty]

My new handguard turned out defective and instead of leaving the rifle in pieces untill I order the replacement, I put the plastic Magpul back and this is what I ended up with.


I’m kind of digging it and may leave it like this. A Holosun ARO optic needs to go back on it.

What you guys think?

 

[riceman]

I like the look everything seems to blend in nice.

 

[NukeRJ]

Was the guard you ordered full rifle length?? I have only run a rifle length guard as the longest that I like on my long guns. I know they make rifle + or SPR length (18in) that will cover almost all of a 20in barrel. The only reason that i can think of running with that extra weight out front is if you do a lot of barricade shooting or want a dedicated marksman setup for urban environments.

Here’s a comparison of the 15” guard on a 16” AR15 and 22” AR10

I think your setup looks great either way. It really comes down to how you want to use it.

 

[joefrank64k]

Looks like an LMT Shovel nose now, haha!! Those go for big $$!!

 

[NukeRJ]

My new handguard turned out defective and instead of leaving the rifle in pieces untill I order the replacement, I put the plastic Magpul back and this is what I ended up with.

View attachment 239886
I’m kind of digging it and may leave it like this. A Holosun ARO optic needs to go back on it.

What you guys think?

What irons are you going to run? Does your gas block have a pic rail on it for the FS?

 

[Plenty_Pack_556]

Ah the PSA Marauder in Rifle Length @home.

 

[Smittty]

What irons are you going to run? Does your gas block have a pic rail on it for the FS?

No irons, optic only.

Was the guard you ordered full rifle length?? I have only run a rifle length guard as the longest that I like on my long guns. I know they make rifle + or SPR length (18in) that will cover almost all of a 20in barrel. The only reason that i can think of running with that extra weight out front is if you do a lot of barricade shooting or want a dedicated marksman setup for urban environments.

Here’s a comparison of the 15” guard on a 16” AR15 and 22” AR10

I think your setup looks great either way. It really comes down to how you want to use it.

I tried a 15" from midwayusa and I liked the length but it canted up so much that it wasn't useable for backup iron sights. Looked like I ran it over with a truck it was that out of alignment.

What I ended up with doesn't allow iron sights but that's the result of this situation and it wasn't my intention. Now I've given up with putting another handguard on it and will live with an optic only upper.

My experience with free float handguards hasn't been great. It's been rare to see one that centers the barrel and aligns perfectly with receiver rail.

One of the few affordable uppers that did this well was Aero Prescision. I got a kodiak brown complete upper a while back and it came with the barrel so well centered it needed hardly any windage adjustment, literally perfect barrel and rail alignment.

The weight of this thing is 2.7 oz lighter than when it had the fixed front sight.

The looks of this has grown on me and now I'm liking it.

 

[Striker777]

My new handguard turned out defective and instead of leaving the rifle in pieces untill I order the replacement, I put the plastic Magpul back and this is what I ended up with.

View attachment 239886
I’m kind of digging it and may leave it like this. A Holosun ARO optic needs to go back on it.

What you guys think?

Looks good to go.

 

[AR15barrels]

My experience with free float handguards hasn't been great. It's been rare to see one that centers the barrel and aligns perfectly with receiver rail.

This is primarily caused by the front face of the receiver not being square to the receiver bore.
When you tighten down the barrel nut, the barrel nut pulls the handguard in the direction that the receiver face is shorter.

Truing the front face of the receiver makes the barel nut sit square to the bore and then the handguard will usually be very close to centered on the barrel assuming the barrel is straight.

Sometimes the barrel is the problem and not the receiver.

Without a machine shop and the ability to measure runout and cut receivers to square, the only way you can figure out what's straight vs crooked is swapping a bunch of parts around and seeing what you get.

I true receiver faces to set them perfectly square to the receiver bore.
It's common that they are 0.001" to 0.003" out of square over the 1" bore diameter.

 

[Smittty]

This is primarily caused by the front face of the receiver not being square to the receiver bore.
When you tighten down the barrel nut, the barrel nut pulls the handguard in the direction that the receiver face is shorter.

Truing the front face of the receiver makes the barel nut sit square to the bore and then the handguard will usually be very close to centered on the barrel assuming the barrel is straight.

Sometimes the barrel is the problem and not the receiver.

Without a machine shop and the ability to measure runout and cut receivers to square, the only way you can figure out what's straight vs crooked is swapping a bunch of parts around and seeing what you get.

I true receiver faces to set them perfectly square to the receiver bore.
It's common that they are 0.001" to 0.003" out of square over the 1" bore diameter.

Interestingly, the fixed iron sights on this upper, before I chopped the FSB, lined up near perfect with the rear aperture centered in the rear sight base.

Maybe the sump of all the parts canceled out the misalignment, but when I installed the free float tube with its barrel nut, the vertical misalignment placed the muzzle 1/4 up from center.

I believe some of it might be with the design of the free float tube and how it has a slice in the bottom with pinch bolts. When the bolts are tightened, it must spread the top of the tube forcing it out of vertical alignment.

Having said that, it makes me think the receiver face could be true since the iron sights and barrel sighted in perfectly.

At this point it’s no longer relevant as I’m keeping this handguard with chopped FSB, and using an optic.

 

[AR15barrels]

Interestingly, the fixed iron sights on this upper, before I chopped the FSB, lined up near perfect with the rear aperture centered in the rear sight base.

That's because the barrel is what aims the bullet and the front sight is on the barrel.
Even if the receiver face is crooked, the bullet will go where the barrel points.
With non-freefloated handguards, the handguards are supported by the barrel via the handguard cap.

You only see the misalignment when you put a freefloat handguard on and try to use a front sight on the handguard instead of the barrel.

You don't even want to see what a little sling pressure will do to the barrel compared to a freefloat handguard...