Free Float vs Drop in Guards

[grinder08]

I would like to put a front grip either sloping or vertical (not really sure yet) on my 14.5 barrel Windham AR15. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the selection available. Being new to all this I wanted to narrow it down a bit.

Free Float.
So far what I have tried tends to be uncomfortable to hold in that it is generally too wide and too many sharp edges.
Heavy; the ones I have handled tend to be heavy especially front end heavy and in my view detract from the general handling of the firearm. I already have a decent optic which adds enough weight.
Expensive; especially the better ones plus the cost and effort of installation.
Advantage: Obviously the accuracy of a free float is better than a drop in.

Drop in.
Much less expensive except for the Danial Defence Omega which is basically a free float drop in but also very expensive. This seems like the best option but $$$$$$.

So my big questions are;
With a 14.5" barrel how much difference does the free float really make to accuracy. I am not a great shot with a rifle and certainly not in the 1 MOA category. Maybe 3 MOA on a good day.
I am not interested in adding anything other than a grip to the front but obviously a grip is going to affect accuracy the most. I am just trying to make it more comfortable without messing anything up. Can you name any good options?

 

[Blastattack]

What is the purpose of your rifle? What do you want to achieve with it?

 

[grinder08]

What is the purpose of your rifle? What do you want to achieve with it?

Generally a plinker but I also want to use it to improve my rifle shooting in the 100 to 300 yards range. I know that a bolt gun is generally better for this but even with the 14.5" barrel this gun is better than me and the AR is better at my indoor range where I do most of my shooting. Not expecting to do long range precision shooting. Not a competition gun. If I can get down to 2 MOA I would be more than happy. I am well aware this gun is designed for short to intermediate ranges. I have a Burris MTAC 1-4 optic mounted.

 

[Paladin308]

I tend to prefer free float handguards, since they let you get your support hand closer to the muzzle for better control. As for weight, some of the newer free floats are actually lighter than a standard delta ring, heat shield and handguard. The main downside is installation. Most of them require replacing the barrel nut, and a low profile gas block (though you can make one out of your standard FSP with a dremel) you'll need an armourer's wrench and a torque wrench to do the job right. Drop in systems have the advantage of being dead simple, installation requires only basic tools if any at all. The downsides being that you can't generally get them any longer than the gas block, and they don't tend to be as secure.