Putting together a M5 upper with a BA 16” govt profile barrel in mid length gas system. Want to use regular mid length two piece hand guards but have run into a problem. The had guard is to far forward and will not let the gas block line up. Any one have any ideas about this or have done any think like this before.

Hmm maybe if you find an M&P 10 handguard retainer and mid-length handguards. I believe that's a mid-length gas system.


What do you mean the handguard is too far forward?



Any particular reason you want  two piece handguards?


Pics of it will help us figure it out.

I'd just get a free float handguard of your desired length. I prefer a long handguard for many reasons.

Sounds like you're trying to use what you already have. Pics would help.

Indirectly related to your problem, but make sure your gas tube ends in the center of the cam key cut-out of the upper receiver with the FSB or gas block correctly positioned. You may be using a drop-in handguard for a Armalite AR-10. Here is a list of gas tube lengths that may help when you consider that gas port locations may not be in the same place across platforms.

DPMS LR-308 Gas Tube (also AR15)
 Pistol             6-5/8 - 6-3/4
 Carbine          9-3/4 - 9-7/8
 Mid-Length    11-3/4 - 11-7/8
 Intermediate  13-3/4
 Rifle              15-1/8 - 15-1/4
 Rifle+2          17-1/8

Armalite Gas Tube
 Super SASS Carbine ( 308 )   11"
 Mid length Carbine ( 308 )   12 1/16"
 Rifle ( 308 )    15-1/2 "
 Carbine (223)   9-3/4 "
 Mid (223)        11-3/4"
 Rifle (223)       15-3/16"

Edit: There are a few others that I didn't include. There are also DPMS patterned barrels/barrel extensions that drill gas ports at Armalite lengths.
Edit: Added

I have been on the hunt for the armalite mid length carbine gas tube and it is nowhere.

What caliber?

Mid length Carbine ( 308 )   12 1/16"

i usually get mine directly from Armalite, and if they're out-of-stock, like now, back-order and wait, or keep checking back.  when they're in-stock, i usually get a few, just to avoid the inconvenience for future builds.  They are frequently out-of-stock, same for their AR-10 rifle gas tubes.

Fulton Armory might be another source.

Armalite calls it AR-10 "carbine", I don't think Armalite refers to it as AR-10 mid-length.

I've found that Faxon barrels use the Armalite AR-10 gas port locations, if you're dead-set on using drop-in handguards.  My one-and-only Anderson Mfg AR-10 308 barrel also uses an Armalite AR-10 gas tube (rifle).

Here's a few pictures

pretty clear from the pics that BA uses the AR-15 length gas tubes for it's barrel's gas port location.  not gonna be able to use those drop-in HG with that barrel.  need to switch to a barrel from a mfr that uses Armalite AR-10 carbine gas port location.  JIMHO.

Same thing happened to me with a .308 Criterion barrel. In my case it was with an A2 fixed front sight. Gas port was too far back for the mid length handguards to work so I had John Thomas fill in the old and re drill an new port.

I’m just gonna go with a APEX gator grip hand guard. I want the regular look of a AR though KISS style