I very well may be getting an AR-15, and I've been wondering about a few things.

-what is a "free-float tube" and what is its purpose?

-How can one use stripper clips in them?

-What is the purpose of a cheekpiece/cheekplate?

Thanks in advance

A free float tube prevents anything from touching the barrel and throwing off the impact of the bullet. It lends itself to consistancy.

A stripper clip is used in conjunction with a stripper clip guide to quickly reload magazines. Unlike the SKS where the rounds are loaded directly into the perminatley afixed magazine, with the AR15 one must remove the magazine, affix the stripper clip guide, insert the loaded stripperclip, and push the ammo off of the stripperclip and into the magazine.

The purpose of a cheekpeice is to elevate the eye to the level of the scope. You see, the stock of the AR15 is settup so that the eye is centered on the plane of the front and rear sights, when one mounts a scope on the carry handle of an AR it becomes nessasary to raise up ones head to see through the scope properly. This also lends itself consistantcy. A cheek piece is not nessasary if the rifle has a detachable carry handle.

Stripper Clips are cheap, and more then likely can be obtained from your local or nearest Army-Navy Store. Get a speed loader as well, they make loading easier on your thumbs