Anybody know if there exists a free floating carbine length DCM style tube that can take normal carbine handguards?  I'm replacing my barrel and rail system for something more accurate but don't have the money to buy a nice free floating system and I already have MI railed 2-piece carbine handguards which I could use on the tube if it exists.

Thanks

You may have to modify the 2 piece hand guards you are talking about, if a DCM type free float exists for a carbine.  When I put a free float tube on my service rifle I still had to modify the handguards.  If you are not running a leather sling and putting a lot of tension on the bbl I would not even worry about it.

rifle length dcm ff tubes are over $100.  so if they made a carbine one which nobody probably does, it would be cheaper to buy a normal carbine length ff tube.  yhm.

I think I have about the only one.





FYI: You can see in this picture that I had to grind/open up the front inside dia. of the HG's to fit around the front of the float tube. Simple process with a Dremmel and a sanding drum.  Also had to take out the heat shields so it would fit with the FT, no big deal. They are Cav. HG's BTW.

Here's another Pic less the HG's.



and on the rifle:

Did you make it yourself or did you buy it?  If you bought it, where?  If you made it, what would you charge to make one more?  I'm thinking of building a carbine upper but instead of the rather complex handguard changes involved with Free float rail systrems I wanted a free floating one with the ability to use any drop-in handguards.  I mainly want to do this so I can find a free floating use for my MI #17 railed handguards.

BTW: that's pretty good lookin

I have a DCM tube on my 20" DCM gun, but why a CAR version?  Are they DCM legal now?  

Accuracy Speaks makes one.

Quoted: I have a DCM tube on my 20" DCM gun, but why a CAR version?  Are they DCM legal now?

No they aren't DCM legal.  I just wanted The ability to switch out handguards and still keep it all free floated  Plus all those aftermarket drop-in handguards keep getting better abd better, they are tight, and best of all: cheap!  this way I might trick the BRD into thinking I only need 7 or 8 rifles (Monolithic carbine, monolithic rifle, DCM free floated customizable carbine, DCM free floated customizable rifle, SPR, CMP rifle, MGI modular lower and upper (might double as the monolithic carbine) then maybe a few others)  

EDIT:  I can't see the crbine style DCM tube on the bushmaster site.  Anybody got a link?  The Accuracy Speaks tube looks nice.  But I want more ventilation than it offers.  I'm not as hesitant to drill through a parkerized tube as I am to drill through a stainless tube.  Maybe AS will drill it with vent holes as an option?  I'll e-mail em now.

Nice job, Daubs.  I like the lightening holes, since weight is one of the main reasons for a carbine.  These DCM tubes weigh a ton.  They're all heavy gauge steel and stainless, and I'm all old and tired.  

I'm going to try and get around that on a 14.5" pencil-barrel midlength by silver-soldering a handguard-length piece of thin-wall aluminum tube into the front hollow of a stock barrel nut.  The delta ring holds the rear ends of the plastic handguards to the nut during recoil and indexes them.  Then jam a handguard cap with an oversize barrel hole onto the front of the handguards with some  Loctite.

Don't know if it's just a happy coincidence, but 1-1/4" OD tube is a perfect size, both in the barrel nut and under the front ends of the handguards with the heat shields in, for a rattle-free fit.  Need to notch it up front to make room for the gas tube.  

Quoted: I'm going to try and get around that on a 14.5" pencil-barrel midlength by silver-soldering a handguard-length piece of thin-wall aluminum tube into the front hollow of a stock barrel nut.  The delta ring holds the rear ends of the plastic handguards to the nut during recoil and indexes them.  Then jam a handguard cap with an oversize barrel hole onto the front of the handguards with some  Loctite.

I'm guessing that you woud be better off trying to silver solder the HG cap to the front end of the float tube. I don't think Loctite will do a thing unless you solder/weld a threaded bung to the HG cap then thread the front end of the float tube.  Good luck, and post some pic's when you get it done.

Quoted: I'm going to try and get around that on a 14.5" pencil-barrel midlength by silver-soldering a handguard-length piece of thin-wall aluminum tube into the front hollow of a stock barrel nut.  The delta ring holds the rear ends of the plastic handguards to the nut during recoil and indexes them.

If you're going for a midlength, how about just cutting down a NM rifle FF tube and re-welding the HG cap on the front?  Then drill holes to reduce weight.