I want to install a free float tube on my colt ar15.  I would like to keep it cmp legal in case I ever decide to shoot in this area.   What is the best brand to go with.  Bushmaster, Whiteoak,dpms etc.  Thanks for your input. And should I get just the tube or the entire kit.

Rock River Arms. For CMP rifles and components from the factory, they are king.

EDIT - Get the tube individually if you have all the rest of the components.

I have a RRA CMP tube and it works just fine.  I like the way that the RRA and Armalite tubes put the sling swivel on a little extension.

There IS a difference in FF tubes, and the price difference between "legal, doing it's job" and "the best" isn't that big.  If 'you're going to shoot High Power, I can't recommend saving a couple of bucks on something that you'll only be buying once.

http://www.whiteoakarmament.com/

The White Oak Precision service rifle float tube is precision machined on CNC equipment and is the best and strongest available. The sling swivel lug is welded, not soldered, and the end cap is welded all the way around for added strength. The bottom of the sling swivel lug is machined to allow access to the set screw in the bottom of the front sight housing. One inch of thread engagement between the barrel nut and tube give good alignment as well as strength. Precision CNC machining ensures that the threads are straight and have a proper fit. This ensures that your barrel is in the center of the tube, not off to one side. The top of the tube is machined to allow clearance for the gas tube. Heavy walled tubing adds weight to the rifle. The barrel nut is machined to allow barrels up to 1.050" diameter to be installed without modifications to the barrel or barrel nut.

I also like the Compass Lake FFTube.  Among their customers are the USMC Service Rifle Team.  I've met these folks at Camp Perry, and they are the "real deal".   and superb customer service to boot.  (as is White Oak).

http://www.compasslake.com/float_tube.htm  Take some time to read this page.... LOTS of great info on this site.

Good luck.... Welcome to Competitive AR shooting.

Just to add; with the RRA and most likely the WOak tube also, you will have to cut off the sling swivel lugs off your Colt front sight base which is a pretty permenant mod .

The Bushmaster and DPMS tubes although extremely inferior too Arm/RRA/W-oak and in most cases more expensive allow you to leave the front sight base alone. Also if you have a Colt HBAR, the BM tube might not have a large enough internal DIA.

I like my RRA tube, its plenty heavy and I think the barrel under the tube is 1.050" .  The barrel is nicely centered in the tube.  I also like the way the gas tube fits with the RRA float tube.  WOA is excellent, I have no idea about the others.  

Welcome to High Power!

Cheers,

Phil

I would go with the White Oak or Compass Lake. RRA is OK but not the best avalible.