File this into a “what was I thinking” slot and remember the lesson learned the hard way by me. I recently purchased a GG&G “Modular Tactical Free Floating Forearm”. Now to be honest, I didn’t really sit down and think this thing through. The folks at GG&G had a sale going and the price was right so I ordered.

http://gggaz.com/products/tmfff.php

The problem is two-fold; one is design and the other is a machining problem.

First, to say this product is “free floating” is something akin to the famous line of a former President: “It all depends on your definition of naked!” It is not free floating at all. Free float, in rifle parlance, means nothing from the forend of the stock touches or disturbs the barrel beyond the action. In AR-15 terms it means nothing can transmit stress to the barrel beyond the barrel nut. In this sense the GG&G product is simply a fancy metal replacement for the stock M4 handguards. It doesn’t touch the barrel except in two places: the barrel nut (OK), and the sling-retaining ring just behind the front sight base (not OK). In essence, it makes exactly the same contact as a stock set of M4 handguards. If the GG&G product is “free floating” then one must also say the M4 plastic handguards are free floating.

The second problem is that removable screws that facilitate mounting the various 1913 rails etc cover the product. Only problem is that the half-length 1913 rails have counter-sunk holes for screws that are somewhat smaller in the head area than the screws that come out of the forend. The result is that you cannot use the supplied black screws to attach the 1913 half rails because the head is too large for the counter sunk holes. A really simple problem to fix (for GG&G) and maybe nit picking, but just something for future customers to think about before buying. I had to go buy some correct screws and spray paint them.

There is nothing else wrong with the product and it is otherwise very well made and machining is excellent. It adds rails exactly as stated by GG&G but is not “free floating” in any sense of the word.

And yes, a copy of this is going over to GG&G. In no way do I want to “punish” them. The purpose of this is to help me remember to think things through carefully before buying.

Aha!!!!

After going through the paperwork carefully and re-visiting the GG&G web site I discovered the problem. They sent me the wrong product. Go figure - two products, exact same price, same web page etc. My mistake was in ordering over the phone instead of over the Internet. I phoned them to ask if their product was truly free floating. The salesman said "Yes...we even have that product on sale." Well, that wasn't what they had on sale. What they had on sale was the non-free float version. He just didn't tell me that.

Lesson learned...if you want things done right, do it yourself.hock.gif