Ultra light handguards,do you prefer carbon fiber or lithium or magnesium alloys...

[georgeib]

Do any quality carbon fiber handguards dip under $200 with MLOK attachment points?

Light, Cheap, Strong.

Pick 2.

[JediGuy]

Light, Cheap, Strong.

Pick 2.

That was my thought as I typed it

[.223Pound]

Carbon fiber is on par with certain steel alloys or stronger. It is lighter weight and significantly stronger than aluminium. Magnesium is not significantly lighter than aluminium and not worth the trade off since aluminium can be anodized where as magnesium will require a painted finish.

[vicious_cb]

I would not trust carbon fiber due to the lack of data in terms of mounting surfaces. I mean how long did it take for reports to come in that MgAl keymod slots were getting deformed and accessories were falling off guns? As far as I know there arent any real world dudes running around with lasers mounted on carbon fiber handguards, that might be a clue as to the durability of the mounting slots cut into carbon fiber . A light might be fine but I would not trust mounting lasers or even irons on a carbon fiber handguard at the moment.

[MistWolf]

I don't think we're talking about mounting military grade lasers here. Mounting iron sights to a carbon fiber handguard (not sure why anyone would want to on a lightweight AR) isn't any worse than an aluminum handguard. In fact, a good carbon fiber handguard is usually stiffer than its aluminum counterpart.

[10MMGary]

Ultra light handguards,do you prefer carbon fiber or lithium or magnesium alloys...

What do you personally prefer?

I'm leaning towards carbon fiber but am open to suggestions.

TED

Are you sure you meant Lithium ?
From WIKIPEDIA "Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in mineral oil.

jpmuscle
"Are you guys using your rails to pound nails building a deck or?" <<< my thinking and question also, and I can break a steel ball bearing in less than an hour.

[MorphCross]

https://www.smithmetal.com/2099-lithium.htm

2055 Al-Li is also in limited use.

[scottryan]

You cannot cut a MLOK or keymold slot into CF without using a steel or Ti insert on the bearing/loading surfaces of the slot.

Fastener connections cannot be made directly into CF.

[ntxyankee]

CF is my favorite. The older I get the better CF gets.

[mrdap]

I prefer CF