handguards

[fatdan81]

I'm fairly new to AR's. I bought a RRA about 5 years ago and haven't really started researching them until now. I'm planning on building one now and starting off with a BCM upper. Can anyone tell me what the biggest differences between handguards are? why is there such a price difference between Daniel Defense, Larue, Troy, MI, Double star ect....
Thanks in advance,
Dan

[bkb0000]

you're just gonna have to do some reading around here... this topic is actually a lot more broad than it probably seems like it should be.

but in summary:

"Free float" handguards are more expensive- these handguards usually take the place of the OEM barrel nut and delta assembly, contacting the weapon only at the barrel nut, allowing the barrel to "float" freely. this prevents stress put on the handguard from changing your Point of Impact (POI) at ranges past 100m. the amount of play in POI caused by putting pressure on the handguard usually isn't enough to change POI more than a couplefew MOA (minutes of angle) at even 300m... so the big benefit really comes from distance and/or precision shooting. if all you need is rails, you can get two-piece handguards systems that are not free-floated that cost about half as much.

most people consider Daniel Defense, Larue, and KAC to be the "best" handguards on the market. these guys definitely dominate the market, and are the most expensive, with KAC's floating URXs by far the most expensive, in the neighborhood of $500+. DD has a number of rails in the 200-300 range, with speciality rails in the 300-400 range. these handguards are generally very light, are well built, and KAC and Daniel Defense are actually defense contractors who provide handguards for some of the most abused weapons on earth. they're not indestructible, but they're as close to it as you're gonna get. most of the rails i've owned have been from these guys. another one to look at, for high quality, is Superior Weapon Systems.. who make Noveske's proprietary handguards. very good stuff.

Troy and Vtac are what i would call "in between" manufacturers... they produce less expensive handguards that are a little heavier, but seem to be pretty decently made. i haven't really seen where anyone has broken any, but we do see more rails from these guys (troy, specifically) going back because of defects than with DD/Larue/KAC. i have a Vtac, and it's great for the money, but is not as solid a platform as a Larue- way too many screws holding the thing together. and it's a bit heavy. the new troy extremes seem to bolt up pretty well, and are really light.

MI, swanson, YHM, doublestar, etc, etc., are all competing at the bottom of the quality market, with MI probably being the most respected among these budget manufacturers. these rails tend to be of less sturdy designs, are heavier, and often come with out of spec rails, missing parts, or other defects, which the manufacters generally seem perfectly willing to "make right," but still cost a guy time.

from an install standpoint, FF handguards tend to be a little more difficult to install, requiring special tools... if being installed on an already assembled upper, they require dissassembly of the barrel assembly, unless you go with one of he couple two-piece free floaters on the market, like the DD Omegas (not the Omega-X series, which does require disassembly), the Troy version (which still requires cutting off the delta assembly, but without disassembly of the upper).. whereas non-free floating rails just "drop in," requiring no special tools nor any disassembly.

keep reading... don't spend money till you got it down

[hikeeba]

I will jump in here and state that for the most part, I agree with most of what bkb0000 stated. fatdan81, definitely research and enducate yourself on the broad range of choices before plunking down your donuts. I suggest you ponder the reasons why you want a different handguard than you currently have, consider how much you want to spend, and then go from there. Like bkb0000 stated, if you plan to go with a free-floated handguard and want to install it your self, some know-how and special tools will be needed (at least highly recommended) prior to beginning the project. Also, if it makes a difference, some free-float models are easier to install than others.

And while I agree with bkb0000 regarding the different 'tiers' of handguards, I need to reiterate letting your needs and budget be your guide. Regardless of price, a free-float handguard will do just that; free-float the barrel. In that respect, a free-floated (FF) handgaurd from YHM will do the same thing as a FF handguard from Daniel Defense or LaRue. Where they will differ will be in how they are manufactured (design, shape), and how they attach. Unless I am mistaken, all major recognized brands in all tiers will have some sort of lock-up or anti-rotation feature. Typically, the lock-up/mounting is more robust as you step up in the 'tiers.' If you're considering taking courses in which you'll really be manhandling your rifle/carbine, you may want to consider a middle- or higher-end unit. If all you think you'll be doing is recreational shooting off-hand or off a bench, anything will work.

I have YHM Lightweight handguards. Although I someday aspire to seek formal instruction, and possibly participate in some sort of AR-related sport or activity, for now I just shoot at the range. For my current application, the YHM handguards work well.

Finally, I do believe a FF handguard can make a noticeable difference in accuracy, even at 100 yards. I have two nearly identical 16" chrome-lined, 5.56 NATO chambered, 1:9, heavy profile carbines - One has standard handguards, one is free-floated. After shooting the same ammo through both guns on the same day, in the same conditions, the carbine with the FF handguard grouped consistently better than the one with the standard handguards at 100 yards. Not by a lot, but there was a noticeable difference between the two. As with anything/everything, your mileage may vary.

[LMTRocks]

I'll chime in a little bit too.

I've been installing FF HGs on all my ARs from different brands over the last few years. I did a DD Omega 7 on my LMT carbine just a few months after I got it. It locked up on the rifle very well although I never took it out because it was too darn cold outside.

I sold the rail to a store because I knew I wanted a little more rail to attach a light to so I purchased a Troy MRF-R and cut the FSB down. That rail connected to the barrel nut only so I had to discard the delta-ring assembly. Upon tightening the rail down I noticed it did not sit flush with the upper receiver and for it to sit flush the screws needed to be loose. The anti-rotation lugs were also wider than the upper receiver so the thing would turn left or right. My solution was to shim the barrel nut pocket with brass and that made the rail sit slightly higher to maintain the "monolithic" profile it supposedly claimed to be manufactured with. It came out nicely after I figured out how many shims to cut. For a $270 rail then I thought I was getting something that would bolt right up and I'd be happily on my way.

When I saw a picture of a 6.5 Grendel rifle with a JP/VTAC rifle length HG I decided to put one on my Grendel. It was significantly less expensive than the Troy, allowed me to customize it, and looked really cool. When I got it though, it was heavy. The collar that threaded to the upper receiver and the barrel nut were heavy so I knew I'd be adding some weight to my G. I also put a toprail and 2 2" sections to the bottom in the case of wanting a VFG or light on the front. I used the toprail to keep alignment with the upper receiver in case of putting BUIS on it.

The last rail install I did was a YHM lightweight specter. It's a 10" rail system, has a barrel nut, jam nut, and optional handguard cap. I paid the least of all FF rails out there for it. The barrel nut can be installed using a PRI barrel nut wrench or any armorer's wrench because YHM designed the holes to be for the gas tube, so dimensionally they're the same. But they're also integral to the anti-rotation-screws that install. In my opinion, you can spend more on a DD or Larue and save a few ounces, but YHM did their homework when designing the LW rails. Noting that the gas tube hole's alignment can also affect how the rail positions on the barrel nut you really have to get that Top Dead Center for the rail's anti-rotation screws to be where they need to be otherwise your rail will be canted one way or another. I like it and I did torque mine down to around 50 ft-lbs because I wanted it to be very secure. Torque is basically the only anti-rotation aspect of the whole assembly outside of the gas tube.

I hope you've found this informative and you can trust any of the rail systems out there that aren't UTG and the like. Good day and God bless.

[fatdan81]

thanks for the tips, this really helps. i still haven't decided what i'm going to do but now at least i know what the options are. I'm set on the BCM 16" upper but trying to decide if i want one with the handguards already on it or not. as far as the lower goes, still undecided, going to do a little local shopping this weekend to see what i can find.

[fatdan81]

i intended on doing a little window shopping today for lowers and ended up buying a daniel defense m4 upper and a daniel defense lower, now all i have to do is tell the wife and hide the gun so she doesn't shoot me with it.
thanks again for the info on handguards

[bkb0000]

wives... gotta treat 'em like mushrooms, when it comes to money.

[The Doc]

wives... gotta treat 'em like mushrooms, when it comes to money.

If only it were that easy! Dang internet has ruined "secret" money

[MistWolf]

you're just gonna have to do some reading around here... this topic is actually a lot more broad than it probably seems like it should be.

but in summary:

"Free float" handguards are more expensive- these handguards usually take the place of the OEM barrel nut and delta assembly, contacting the weapon only at the barrel nut, allowing the barrel to "float" freely. this prevents stress put on the handguard from changing your Point of Impact (POI) at ranges past 100m. the amount of play in POI caused by putting pressure on the handguard usually isn't enough to change POI more than a couplefew MOA (minutes of angle) at even 300m... so the big benefit really comes from distance and/or precision shooting. if all you need is rails, you can get two-piece handguards systems that are not free-floated that cost about half as much.

most people consider Daniel Defense, Larue, and KAC to be the "best" handguards on the market. these guys definitely dominate the market, and are the most expensive, with KAC's floating URXs by far the most expensive, in the neighborhood of $500+. DD has a number of rails in the 200-300 range, with speciality rails in the 300-400 range. these handguards are generally very light, are well built, and KAC and Daniel Defense are actually defense contractors who provide handguards for some of the most abused weapons on earth. they're not indestructible, but they're as close to it as you're gonna get. most of the rails i've owned have been from these guys. another one to look at, for high quality, is Superior Weapon Systems.. who make Noveske's proprietary handguards. very good stuff.

Troy and Vtac are what i would call "in between" manufacturers... they produce less expensive handguards that are a little heavier, but seem to be pretty decently made. i haven't really seen where anyone has broken any, but we do see more rails from these guys (troy, specifically) going back because of defects than with DD/Larue/KAC. i have a Vtac, and it's great for the money, but is not as solid a platform as a Larue- way too many screws holding the thing together. and it's a bit heavy. the new troy extremes seem to bolt up pretty well, and are really light.

MI, swanson, YHM, doublestar, etc, etc., are all competing at the bottom of the quality market, with MI probably being the most respected among these budget manufacturers. these rails tend to be of less sturdy designs, are heavier, and often come with out of spec rails, missing parts, or other defects, which the manufacters generally seem perfectly willing to "make right," but still cost a guy time.

from an install standpoint, FF handguards tend to be a little more difficult to install, requiring special tools... if being installed on an already assembled upper, they require dissassembly of the barrel assembly, unless you go with one of he couple two-piece free floaters on the market, like the DD Omegas (not the Omega-X series, which does require disassembly), the Troy version (which still requires cutting off the delta assembly, but without disassembly of the upper).. whereas non-free floating rails just "drop in," requiring no special tools nor any disassembly.

keep reading... don't spend money till you got it down

How would you rate the PRI latest Gen Carbon Glass handguards?

[bkb0000]

How would you rate the PRI latest Gen Carbon Glass handguards?

dunno.. i don't really have any experience with them. seems generally the only non-DM guys running them are competition / bench shooters, and guys wanting exact replica mk12s. i briefly considered ordering one for an SPR build a couple years ago, but word on the streetz was that they were overly heavy, and i didn't like the idea of screwed-on rail sections.

there's a couple guys here on m4c that sport 'em, but i can't tell you who, off the top of my head.