Looking to put a free floating handguard on my AR. 16" barrel with a 8" drop in quad handguard. I know I will need to replace the barrel nut but are the nuts for the free floating guards universal or brand specific to the guard?

Some tubes use proprietary nuts, some use "common" non mil-spec nuts, and some just attach to a standard mil-spec barrel nut. 

The real issue in options is a matter of what you have in terms of a front sight/gas block on the gun.  Even using one of the mil-spec compatible solutions, you still need to get the tube over the gas block/front sight to install it. 

If it need s something other than the mil-spec nut, with very, very few exception, it is included with the handguard. 

If you have a pinned muzzle device that will have to be cut off as well.  The barrel nut will not fit over the gas block in all likely hood so that will have to be removed.  See if there is a proprietary wrench for the particular nut as well.  Some barrel nuts work with the standard multi-function AR armorers tool others have their own wrench like ALG.

If you are looking to install a tube on an already built rifle with a pinned muzzle device check out the Troy SOCC tubes. Slim, rock solid, lightweight, MLOK attachments, and inexpensive - Primary Arms has the best deal right now I think. Joe Bob outfitters usually has a good price as well.

Most importantly, they use the mil-spec barrel nut, so there is no need to grind off your muzzle device to get the gas block off so you can replace the barrel nut.

It’s a 15 minute job with a Dremel, a cold blue pen, and some high temp (BBQ) spray paint.

If you are going to go free float on a 16” barrel, you want to maximize your real estate - get longer than 8” tube. 12-14” is nice

I went from this 14.5” Midlength BCM EAG upper with 9” Magpul handguard:

I cut off the delta ring and spring. Then ground down the FSB with the Dremel and hit it with some cold blue then black BBQ paint:

Then slid the rail on to end up with this:

The longest part was waiting for the paint to dry. 

 

 

Was planning on a 12" tube with a low profile gas block. Don't have a muzzle devise just a thread cap so I'm hoping everything fits over.

17 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

If you are looking to install a tube on an already built rifle with a pinned muzzle device check out the Troy SOCC tubes. Slim, rock solid, lightweight, MLOK attachments, and inexpensive - Primary Arms has the best deal right now I think. Joe Bob outfitters usually has a good price as well.

Most importantly, they use the mil-spec barrel nut, so there is no need to grind off your muzzle device to get the gas block off so you can replace the barrel nut.

It’s a 15 minute job with a Dremel, a cold blue pen, and some high temp (BBQ) spray paint.

If you are going to go free float on a 16” barrel, you want to maximize your real estate - get longer than 8” tube. 12-14” is nice

I went from this 14.5” Midlength BCM EAG upper with 9” Magpul handguard:

I cut off the delta ring and spring. Then ground down the FSB with the Dremel and hit it with some cold blue then black BBQ paint:

Then slid the rail on to end up with this:

The longest part was waiting for the paint to dry. 

 

 

i'm about to do the same but with a fortis rail going on.  going to use the barrel nut but shave the fsb.  which dremel did you use?

26 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

If you are looking to install a tube on an already built rifle with a pinned muzzle device check out the Troy SOCC tubes. Slim, rock solid, lightweight, MLOK attachments, and inexpensive - Primary Arms has the best deal right now I think. Joe Bob outfitters usually has a good price as well.

Most importantly, they use the mil-spec barrel nut, so there is no need to grind off your muzzle device to get the gas block off so you can replace the barrel nut.

It’s a 15 minute job with a Dremel, a cold blue pen, and some high temp (BBQ) spray paint.

If you are going to go free float on a 16” barrel, you want to maximize your real estate - get longer than 8” tube. 12-14” is nice

I went from this 14.5” Midlength BCM EAG upper with 9” Magpul handguard:

I cut off the delta ring and spring. Then ground down the FSB with the Dremel and hit it with some cold blue then black BBQ paint:

Then slid the rail on to end up with this:

The longest part was waiting for the paint to dry. 

 

 

Question what are those upside down bottles  on the side of your house doing.

10 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

Question what are those upside down bottles  on the side of your house doing.

It’s called a bottle bush. My wife loves it.

20 minutes ago, myhatinthering said:

i'm about to do the same but with a fortis rail going on.  going to use the barrel nut but shave the fsb.  which dremel did you use?

I used the Dremel Cut Off wheel:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-1-4-in-Cut-Off-Wheels-for-Metal-Thin-Wood-and-Plastic-36-Pack-409/203362590

Probably something better out there, but I had them, and they worked.

I’ve probably done 8 carbines like this so far between my own and those of friends. It is super easy.

6 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

It’s called a bottle bush. My wife loves it.

I used the Dremel Cut Off wheel:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-1-4-in-Cut-Off-Wheels-for-Metal-Thin-Wood-and-Plastic-36-Pack-409/203362590

Probably something better put there, but I had them and they worked.

I’ve probably done 8 carbines like this so far. Super easy.

thanks, I'll take a look and watch a youtube vid.  I've done a lot of things to ARs but never this.  don't want to fk it up..lol

25 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

Question what are those upside down bottles  on the side of your house doing.

Ha!

owned

Think I'll try this

 

That’s pretty much what I did.

Except, I do not remove the gas block from the barrel if and I did not need all those tools. I just locked the upper in a vice and used a regular Dremel with the cut off wheels I linked to above.

The first one I did with an angle grinder. That took longer. Partly because it wa the first time I did it, and partly because the grinder was harder to be as precise as you can with the Dremel.

Check out Daniel Defense Omega ...free float and works on standard barrel nut

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

9 minutes ago, jrfly3006 said:

Check out Daniel Defense Omega ...free float and works on standard barrel nut

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

fortis as well and you don't have to deal with the traitorous DD

Want to shave the FSB on my MP15 and get a free float hand guard, some nice options here. I have a Burris MTAC and the front sight is in the way on the lowest setting. I have a FastFire on it as well so I don't really want backup irons. I don't want to take the barrel nut off so this has been informative to me. I don't really want to take the FSB off either, do you think I could shave it with the dremel on still attached? 

I have shaved the front sight off of a standard gas block on about 6 rifles now without removing the block from the barrel. No issues whatsoever.

As for a handguard thatbworks with the standards barrel nut - look at Troy.

I really like the Troy SOCC hand guard. 

Piece of cake

24 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

Piece of cake

 

I like Ice Cream with my cake................

lol

you got to post up the tools you guys used, etc....this way people can follow what you did.  I'd assume the high heat spray paint for the block after but good to include

blork

2 hours ago, myhatinthering said:

you got to post up the tools you guys used, etc....this way people can follow what you did.  I'd assume the high heat spray paint for the block after but good to include

Vice

Dremel with cut off wheels

Cold Blue pen

Black High Temp BBQ paint

8 hours ago, High Exposure said:

Vice

Dremel with cut off wheels

Cold Blue pen

Black High Temp BBQ paint

I also use a bench grinder. i also use masking tape and some duck tape on the barrel  just in case.

I need to go to harbor freight and get a drill press, grinder etc

I guess I need to cut off the delta ring and the plate that holds the hand guard on if I am not removing the block? In that case I might as well just get a bench block and knock off the FSB. 

Unnecessary work.

Grind off the delta ring and spring. Tom Snips for the frond bracket If you don’t want to use the Dremel.

Any of you still have the butchered top of the sight ? I just bought a stripped FSB and it does not come with the sight assembly. Can anyone sell me the sight assembly ? Feel free to PM me. Once we are on the subject, if anyone has a spare rear sight assembly for the carry handle sight I am looking to buy one of those too.

ok, goikng to hf this weekend.  other than press, what do I need?  exactly please, what model etc?