Why do some manufacturers and custom makers advertise “free floating”? Does it improve accuracy?
Free floating refers to the barrel, and the idea is that it does not touch the forend. You can easily see the gap between forend and barrel if the barrel is free floated. This is a way to avoid the time consuming and expensive process of properly inletting the barrel into the forend so that it bears evenly for its entire length. Free floating is primarily a cost cutting measure that has been sold as an accuracy advantage. While it doesn’t usually hurt accuracy, a hunting rifle with properly bedded barrel can shoot just as well as a free floating barrel and the tight fit between forend and barrel prevents the entry of dirt and crud.
