What else do I need for my AR build?

[TrickyNicky]

Ok so I guess I do have another few questions. If my handguard is only 6.75" long, and I want to do this




What length operating system am I looking at? Am I pretty much in pistol town or do will carbine work?

My limited research tells me carbine length should be fine but I'm just wondering what you all thought.

[Oh Shoot]

Ok so I guess I do have another few questions. If my handguard is only 6.75" long, and I want to do this




What length operating system am I looking at? Am I pretty much in pistol town or do will carbine work?

My limited research tells me carbine length should be fine but I'm just wondering what you all thought.

 

 

Don't understand question. Gas system (pistol, carbine, midlength, rifle) is determined by gas port location on barrel, i.e., how far the gas port is from breech. Any given gas block can fit any of them.

 

- OS

[TripleDigitRide]

Pretty sure you'll need a carbine length.

Edited July 7, 2013 by TripleDigitRide

[Oh Shoot]

Pretty sure you'll need a carbine length.

 

Oh, I guess I didn't get it. Tricky, you want to spec your rifle because of handguard length preference?

 

If so, a midlength handguard (and of course barrel) gives you a lot more real estate for stuff (and your hand).

 

Although with free float handguards you can put a longer one on a carbine length system by using a low profile gas block that the handguard can clear. Then your front sight has to go on the handguard itself, unless you add a second "dummy" block with sight base ahead of it.

 

But midlength gas system is very nice.

 

The  handguard you mentioned is for carbine config using that front gas block/sight base. I believe the actual mounting length spec for fixed handguards is 6.5" for carbine, 8.6" for middy, and 12" for rifle.

 

- OS

Edited July 7, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[TrickyNicky]

So after doing a bit of shopping it seems like what I wanted to do just isn't going to happen on this one. I had read that an 18" barrel uses a carbine length system but that doesn't seem to be the case. So since all the barrels I am looking at use a rifle length system it seems a rifle length guard is in order.

Being as that's changing I may as well go back to my plan of a long barrel.

So now I have my barrel, handguard and gas block all picked out, I've got my gas tube picked out as well. Fo I need a crush washer doing a free float build? I've seen a video from Brownells and it didn't look like he was using one? Also, do most gas blocks come with their own roll pin? The one I'm looking at doesn't say one way or the next.

[Oh Shoot]

Fo I need a crush washer doing a free float build?...

..Also, do most gas blocks come with their own roll pin? The one I'm looking at doesn't say one way or the next.

 

You mean gas tube roll pin? It usually comes with gas tube.

 

If you mean roll pins for the gas block, the one you pictured doesn't use them. Those that do have to be drilled to fit individual barrel.

 

Btw, crush washer is for muzzle device, doesn't figure in free float tube. You realize free float tube takes a different barrel nut assembly than fixed handguard arrangement, right? And no delta ring/spring/ring, all that, yes?

 

edit: looking back, seems you've already bought the short free float with hardware to attach it, so guess you know that part.

 

 

- OS

Edited July 7, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[TripleDigitRide]

Have you considered a clamp style or set screw style gas block? I'm not a fan of pinned gas blocks. Are you going with a low profile gas block, or a railed gas block like the one pictured above?

Edited July 7, 2013 by TripleDigitRide

[TrickyNicky]

You mean gas tube roll pin? It usually comes with gas tube.

If you mean roll pins for the gas block, the one you pictured doesn't use them. Those that do have to be drilled to fit individual barrel.

Btw, crush washer is for muzzle device, doesn't figure in free float tube. You realize free float tube takes a different barrel nut assembly than fixed handguard arrangement, right? And no delta ring/spring/ring, all that, yes?

edit: looking back, seems you've already bought the short free float with hardware to attach it?


- OS

Your right, gas tube roll pin is what I was referring to. And of course I was referring to the delta ring assembly as wel.

I do have the short tube and mounting hardware for it already but it looks like the short tube will sit in the parts drawer since I'll be going with a longer one.

Have you considered a clamp style or set screw style gas block? I'm not a fan of pinned gas blocks. Are you going with a low profile gas block, or a railed gas block like the one pictured above?

The one I have picked out is not pinned but I think a set screw. I'm going with a railed block to install iron sights, not unlike the o e pictured above. Edited July 7, 2013 by TrickyNicky

[Dolomite_supafly]

You mean gas tube roll pin? It usually comes with gas tube.

 

If you mean roll pins for the gas block, the one you pictured doesn't use them. Those that do have to be drilled to fit individual barrel.

 

Btw, crush washer is for muzzle device, doesn't figure in free float tube. You realize free float tube takes a different barrel nut assembly than fixed handguard arrangement, right? And no delta ring/spring/ring, all that, yes?

 

edit: looking back, seems you've already bought the short free float with hardware to attach it, so guess you know that part.

 

 

- OS

Actually there are a lot of free float tubes that use the original barrel nut. Gieselle, Noveske, Rainier, some of the Midwest Industry and a few others all use the orginal barrel nut. They clamp onto the original barrel nut after you remove the delta ring and spring assembly. It is actually a pretty ingenius design and if you look at my wife's 9mm AR next time we get together you can see the setup.

 

I would get a clamp on gas block before one that is held in place by setscrews. The one you have pictured is the one to get.

[KKing]

You mean gas tube roll pin? It usually comes with gas tube.

If you mean roll pins for the gas block, the one you pictured doesn't use them. Those that do have to be drilled to fit individual barrel.

Btw, crush washer is for muzzle device, doesn't figure in free float tube. You realize free float tube takes a different barrel nut assembly than fixed handguard arrangement, right? And no delta ring/spring/ring, all that, yes?

edit: looking back, seems you've already bought the short free float with hardware to attach it, so guess you know that part.


- OS

Actually there are a lot of free float tubes that use the original barrel nut. Gieselle, Noveske, Rainier, some of the Midwest Industry and a few others all use the orginal barrel nut. They clamp onto the original barrel nut after you remove the delta ring and spring assembly. It is actually a pretty ingenius design and if you look at my wife's 9mm AR next time we get together you can see the setup.

I would get a clamp on gas block before one that is held in place by setscrews. The one you have pictured is the one to get.

On this note, I have to recommend the Troy Ind. handguards. Simple to install (3 bolts to the barrel nut), rigid, and pretty dang spiffy. They are more pricey than some of the generic free floats, but still come in well under your Daniel Defense's, Noveske's, and so on. I'm very pleased with mine

Edited July 7, 2013 by KKing

[Oh Shoot]

Actually there are a lot of free float tubes that use the original barrel nut. Gieselle, Noveske, Rainier, some of the Midwest Industry and a few others all use the orginal barrel nut. They clamp onto the original barrel nut after you remove the delta ring and spring assembly. It is actually a pretty ingenius design and if you look at my wife's 9mm AR next time we get together you can see the setup.

 

Ah, forgot there were now alternatives, and have indeed seen some of them mentioned before, duh. I'll definitely take a look at Ms. Kraut's AR so I can fully understand how that attachment works, thanks.

 

- OS

[mikegideon]

Actually there are a lot of free float tubes that use the original barrel nut. Gieselle, Noveske, Rainier, some of the Midwest Industry and a few others all use the orginal barrel nut. They clamp onto the original barrel nut after you remove the delta ring and spring assembly. It is actually a pretty ingenius design and if you look at my wife's 9mm AR next time we get together you can see the setup.

 

I would get a clamp on gas block before one that is held in place by setscrews. The one you have pictured is the one to get.

 

And there's the DD Omega, that leaves the Delta ring in place...

 

[Oh Shoot]

And there's the DD Omega, that leaves the Delta ring in place...

 

 

Hmmm, I don't quite grok how it's rock solid stable, without the side to side play of conventional rail held by delta ring. Or even exactly how it's really "free floating", since it seems to abut into front handguard cap also:

 

 

- OS

Edited July 8, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[mikegideon]

It clamps to the barrel nut with set screws. Solid as a rock. I'm pretty sure you have shot mine. The advantage is that you don't have to pull the barrel nut, gas block, and muzzle device just to remove the delta ring and weld spring. It's actually their most popular rail. Lots of military rifles wearing them.

[Oh Shoot]

It clamps to the barrel nut with set screws. Solid as a rock. I'm pretty sure you have shot mine.

 

Yeah, but I wasn't very up on AR component stuff then, not even the basics really.

 

So,  the rail doesn't actually quite touch the front handguard cap, assuming you don't cut if off and leave it in place like in the pix?

Edited July 8, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[mikegideon]

Right. There's a small gap. You can see it in both pictures. Great design. Pricey too.

[atlas3025]

The omega rails are really light too, and narrow. I finally saw one at the NRA show and really like them. I like the Troy bravo rails also, but I believe they are a bit heavier than the Omega.

[Dustbuster]

The fortis rails use an orig barrell nut and they're light as heck rainier has em. Gas block I really like the adjustable BTE ,JP is nice but bigger and more $$&
Clark custom makes a carbon fiber free float as well that is about a hundred bucks includes barrel nut weighs 6 oz ) also it's a dolomite preferred item ;)...

On the can or hider under the hand guard man, they look cool but I've heard lore about issues w going under the rail.
Hope this helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[TrickyNicky]

Since this thread is back from the dead, here's a shot of how the rifle turned out. It's the first on the left, not too far off what I originally wanted. On the far right you can see that the carbine length tube didn't sit in the parts bin too long lol. I'm building that one for my brother who wanted a no frills cheap optic ready AR. It'll end up being a bit fancier than he originally thought, but I'm helping him out with the budget.



Thanks to everyone who helped me get over what I hope is the worst of the learning curve regarding the AR platform's construction. I'm having a ball now "designing" new pistols, carbines and rifles in my head and on the web. Now if only I could afford all the drool worthy stuff I want...