AR carbine/rifle handguard length.... brain fart!!

[Hungry]

I used to know all these lengths and dimensions, but here goes.....

Can some of you measure your handguard lengths for the:

20" barreled rifle
M4 profiled barrel carbine with 14.5" or 11.5" barrel
16" long midlength carbine handguards

I did know them in the past, but I'm getting older and have taken too many hockey pucks to my goalie mask (read: head)

Cheers,
Barney

 

[kako911]

I used to know all these lengths and dimensions, but here goes.....

Can some of you measure your handguard lengths for the:

20" barreled rifle 12 inch
M4 profiled barrel carbine with 14.5" or 11.5" barrel 7 inch
16" long midlength carbine handguards 9 inch
\
Cheers,
Barney

And stop farting !

 

[furet]

Actually CAR length handguards are 7.5"

edited: I stand corrected, it's 7.0", weird cus I thought that 16" mid-length barrels maintained the same muzzle to gas block length as 14.5", meaning 1.5" difference in handguard length.

 

[Paulinski]

What Kako said.

 

[Leg]

Actually CAR length handguards are 7.5"

edited: I stand corrected, it's 7.0", weird cus I thought that 16" mid-length barrels maintained the same muzzle to gas block length as 14.5", meaning 1.5" difference in handguard length.

You'd think that wouldn't you, but they don't. If you put a bayonet on a midlength you'll see that it's shorter. The bayonet sits on the flashider slots instead of the base. Why no one extends the barrel that 1/4" or so is beyond me. Afterall, wasn't that the whole point of the midlength to begin with? To be in proportion with the rifle and carbine?

ETA: Woohoo! 1000th post.... again

 

[furet]

That would mean that:

20" barrel has 12" handguard: 20-12=8"
16" barrel has 9" handguard: 16-9=7"
14.5" barrel has 7" handguard: 14.5-7=7.5"

Therefore since the 20" barrel is the reference (original design),
the forward portion of the barrel where the bayonet would site is actually 0.5" shorter on the 14.5" and 1" shorter on the 16" !!!!!

Here I was thinking that these 3 configuration maintained the same proportions.

 

[Leg]

I don't think that it's quite that simple. I'm not saying that the handguards are in exactly one inch increments, I'm sure that it varies somewhat.

The 14.5" and 20" barrels should have the same measurements from the FSB forwards. It's only the 16" midlength that differs in proportion for whatever reason.