This past weekend I got to run my AR and a couple others as hard as I could, which is something I’ve never been able to do in southern CA (shot on private property). It was more than a hoot and half and I was amazed at how easy an AR could be shot quickly and fairly accurately. The one thing I think I noticed, but maybe it was just my imagination, was when I gripped the ARs with a completely extended arm and a “C Clamp” grip, I didn’t seem to notice the gun heating up as much as when I moved my support hand backwards. Is the AR slightly cooler out beyond the gas block when rapid firing? Again it was my first time getting to do this but it was fun as hell and I actually felt like even dumping round as quick as I could I was still able to position my dot basically where I wanted it. Such an effective tool, IMO.

Also a gentlemanly nod to the AR design that my absolute franken-ass-AR ran as well as it did in its basically 200 rounds of rapid fire and never skipped a beat.

It might seem cooler as the gas tube gives off a good amount of heat but the barrel would still be very hot, depending on how fast/many rounds you are shooting, barrel length and what type of hand guard you have might change things, but I wouldn't want to hold onto the barrel as it will get you.

From taking a bunch of thermal readings of rifle barrels (bolt actions)I've found the hottest temps aren't right at the end of the chamber, but 6-8ish inches in front of that? So out front would be cooler (I don't know if you could tell the difference with your hand)


I started shooting more and more that way (meaning reaching farther and farther out) right about the time I stopped doing that kind of shooting. The last rifle match I shot, when I was done I looked down at my hand and was shocked. Might just fail a GSR test.

Dang cas that from having a brake on it?? Don’t think I’ve seen that before haha.

Maybe it has a slight bit of merit then. When I was shooting (MI aluminum handguard) I held it basically behind my front MBUS on a 12.65” rail with a mid-length gas barrel. When I shot rapid fire a couple times, the end of the handguard was hot but I could still hold it fairly comfortably. Then I slid my hand back maybe halfway and it was too hot. I ended up buying a couple packs of Magpul rail covers and should be giving them a go tomorrow.

I agree with cas, concerning the chamber area, though I have never done any formal tests. Another contributor to a hot handguard is the handguard itself. The contemporary, slim, minimalist handguards get hotter quicker than "old" quad picatinny rails.

quote:

Originally posted by SigSauerP226:
Dang cas that from having a brake on it?? Don’t think I’ve seen that before haha.

SJC Titan, cutting edge stuff 15+ years ago.

This picture isn't that old, but you can see if I got all the way out, it's close. (when the old race gun was going to become a coyote gun)

Ya I’m using a thin minimalist Midwest Industries handguard, stays cooler than the barrel though as I found out today on accident haha. Yep I could see having a black hand reaching out near that muzzle device! I’m using a VG6 Gamma EX with the CAGE on it, but my handguard doesn’t quite extend out close enough to the muzzle device. I will say the rail covers helped like they obviously should, happy with those, no hot handguard today haha.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:

Nice to see a Sun Devil lower again. Built 3 ARs based on Sun Devil several years ago. Still have one left, a registered NFA lower. Didn't even realize they went out of business, until I looked them up earlier this year.

I have two of their lowers, one upper, they made good stuff. A while back I realized I hadn't heard about them in a long time, and of course when I looked, that was why.

I just looked them up. Bummer, they were here in Mesa. I would've picked one up if I'd known about them.