If the freefloat is about how it improves the shooter, then the question of cost effectiveness is still important.
The basic function of a freefloat is to prevent moving the barrel around by pressing on the attached handguard or tensioning the attached sling swivel. NOTE CAREFULLY: the military has a 2MOA standard on the M16, and freefloating it isn't the standard - millions of M16A2's are still in service.
Adding an optic will tighten up things just as much, if not more, because it removes shooter error, not enhances them and makes them better. One shot after they install a scope doesn't make them highly qualified long distance marksmen. They still make the same errors in judgement, the scope just narrows the DEGREE that they perpetrate.
What too many confuse is that some upgrades might make the gun more accurate, it doesn't make the SHOOTER more accurate. Across the board, a newb vs MOS qualified sniper, both shooting an issue M16A2 or issue M24, you will see major differences in targets. The better gun doesn't make the newb shooter better, it just minimizes their inaccuracy. Compared to the pro, the degree of difference is still there.
You can't buy ability and bolt it on the gun. You can buy improved accuracy and reduce the degree inability affects it. Don't confuse the two - you aren't really a better shooter just because you move up to a better gun. The ugly truth is there's probably someone else who can take your gun and shoot 1/2 the group size with it.
It's just hard to accept with our testosterone altered logic circuits. I've said it before, if a free float and target trigger could actually make that much improvement, we could slap them on a $599 gun and compete at National Matches. No, not really, it doesn't work that way, another $600 in those two parts doesn't make it a $1100, less than 1MOA gun.
It's flatly deceiving to imply it can - except in advertising. Then, let the buyer beware.
