AR tube length and Dia. question

I think those three lengths help cover or not cover the most common pistol length barrel/accessories.

I much prefer the slim handguard to the older ones. they help give the rifle/pistol a relatively sleek profile.
The old round free-float tubes feel ok, but make the front ends look fat to me.

I like the slim handguards as long as they have been reasonably dehorned so that they can't double as a cheese grater. The low profile gas blocks and barrel nuts have allowed handguards to be reduced in diameter to extend slim handguards over the gas block. Instead of classics like a heavy four rail or thick aluminum tube, the slim handguards are typically skelatonized and almost always lighter. Depending on your configuration and what it is replacing, a light handguard can better balance the pistol/carbine/rifle. Uppers that have a heavy DPMS four rail, for instance, make a simple carbine significantly front heavy. In this case, replacing with a slim handguard, balances the carbine, gives more real estate for gripping and accessories, and costs you $20+ per attachment (haha).

After a 10 year span between ARs I realized what I was missing; comfort! Immediately set about acquiring a few more with slim profile rails then revamped my first. The difference is night and day even for my XXL hands.

Walkalong said:

Pic looks like "Luth AR".

Click to expand...

Luth-AR PALM, 9” M-LOK, $68 w/proprietary barrel nut from Optics Planet with coupon code). Very well finished and lightweight (at 9” it’s bound to be, but vastly lighter than my old RRA quad rail).