Go to handguard for precision build on forged upper

[dgheriani]

What are some go-to handguards for a precision AR build on a forged upper with 20" hbar. Looking to minimize poi shift when going from bipod/prone to tripod or off a bag. Preferably 15", able to find a SA adjustable underneath, full pic rail at 12:00 and mlok otherwise. Always been partial to MI Combat rail as a good balance of price/weight but never did test one for poi shift.

 

[oldrifleman]

I am partial to the JP Mk 3 hand guards on a thermal fit barrel.

 

[MSTN]

I've had excellent results with Geissele hand guards.

 

[N_Turs]

Jp or Geissele all the way, Ive used both and have had great results. The Jp barrel nut system I feel helps minimize the POI shift but they are huge and kinda ugly. The Geissele rails are my go to now.

 

[dgheriani]

Yeah, I guess I can't go wrong with JP or Geiselle. I don't mind the look of the JP rails at all but I'm not a fan of having to add a top (full-length) pic rail. I'm leaning towards the Geiselle Mk16. Anything else to consider? I'm kinda curious about the MI Night Fighter handguard with it's long barrel nut. I know the intention is to maximize zero retention for LAMs and the like but would that also translate into less POI shift?

 

[owtlaw]

I went with an Aero Enhanced upper and I've had great results. The handguards are big for sure but they work great, especially when shooting off a bipod.

 

[epaultmbt]

I've never owned a JP hand guard, but I've had several Geissele's. I've seen POI shift from all of them, always strait down.

MK18
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.4
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.6

MK16, 15"
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.4
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.4

Superduty (MK16 15" hand guard)
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.2
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.4

I heard that bridging the upper to the hand guard with a rail riser or scope mount could improve or fix the shift. I haven't had a chance to try. If anyone has a MK16/18 and wants to try it please let us know how it works out. Anecdotally I believe that longer hand guards shift more due to greater pressure on the barrel nut. I really like Geissele's stuff and I'll keep buying it and using it. A wise man told me to zero to the center of the shift and don't shoot stuff smaller then that with a gas gun.

I haven't seen any shift from Larue Ptober large or small frame or the MGU. The only boltgun Ive seen shift is a MK22 MRAD it's down 0.2-0.4 consistently across several guns. It's been a while since I've owned a Seekins but across 3 large frame uppers and one small frame upper I don't remember any shift.

 

[N_Turs]

Depending on how much you think you'll have into the build and how much your willing to spend might look at Ridgeline Defense. I recently sold a Jp rifle to snag an upper that popped up in the px here. I haven't done any POI testing with it yet and have only shot it a bit but its a very nice upper. So far I'm impressed with the groups it produced with federal 77 smk.

 

[Biggy]

SOLGW M89 or L89 Drive lock Mlok rails are very robust and rigid.

 

[powdahound76]

I have had good success on rifles with both the BCM MCMR and the MI Combat Rail.

Hold their own to 600-700 yds and hit where I am aiming.
No issues.

 

[dgheriani]

Jp or Geissele all the way, Ive used both and have had great results. The Jp barrel nut system I feel helps minimize the POI shift but they are huge and kinda ugly. The Geissele rails are my go to now.

Same results with the JP mk3 and their Mlok handguard?

 

[dgheriani]

I've never owned a JP hand guard, but I've had several Geissele's. I've seen POI shift from all of them, always strait down.

MK18
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.4
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.6

MK16, 15"
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.4
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.4

Superduty (MK16 15" hand guard)
Single pull ckye-pod at end of hand guard, zeroed
Single pull ckye-pod at the base of hand guard, down 0.2
off a bag at the base of the hand guard , down 0.4

I heard that bridging the upper to the hand guard with a rail riser or scope mount could improve or fix the shift. I haven't had a chance to try. If anyone has a MK16/18 and wants to try it please let us know how it works out. Anecdotally I believe that longer hand guards shift more due to greater pressure on the barrel nut. I really like Geissele's stuff and I'll keep buying it and using it. A wise man told me to zero to the center of the shift and don't shoot stuff smaller then that with a gas gun.

I haven't seen any shift from Larue Ptober large or small frame or the MGU. The only boltgun Ive seen shift is a MK22 MRAD it's down 0.2-0.4 consistently across several guns. It's been a while since I've owned a Seekins but across 3 large frame uppers and one small frame upper I don't remember any shift.

Yeah, zeroing in the middle of the shift makes sense, or zeroing prone and knowing the offset for positional, lotsa ways to skin that cat. I'm not expecting no shift like with a monolithic upper but the more I can minimize it, the better.

I also think you are a correct in that the further out you run your bipod, the more shift there is, I remember seeing something about the latest HK version of the M110 only having a rail that's a certain length cause they found unacceptable poi shift if the bipod was further forward than that.

I've thought of bridging the upper and handguard like on the Mk12 mod 0 with the PRI handguard and rail but part me of me wonders how much of a difference it made seeing as the Mod 1 has the KAC handguard... I dunno.

 

[dgheriani]

I have had good success on rifles with both the BCM MCMR and the MI Combat Rail.

Hold their own to 600-700 yds and hit where I am aiming.
No issues.

Any poi shift going from prone to tripod or bag at the magwell with either of those? I have a large frame with the MI Combat Rail, I'm gonna test that and see. If it has minimal shift then I might just grab another one for this build.

 

[oldrifleman]

Or you just go LMT and you should get zero shift as it is a single piece receiver, of course there are other trade offs.

 

[oldrifleman]

Never had an issue with any of this so signing off

 

[dgheriani]

Or you just go LMT and you should get zero shift as it is a single piece receiver, of course there are other trade offs.

Yeah, in this case I'm really just trying to do what I can with a regular receiver, as nice as the LMT are.

 

[N_Turs]

Same results with the JP mk3 and their Mlok handguard?

Ive never ran their Mlok handguard and Im not sure if the barrel nut system is the same as their MK3. The Mk3 is just a tank of a handguard and the rather stiff. Anything will flex to some degree tho...

 

[powdahound76]

Any poi shift going from prone to tripod or bag at the magwell with either of those? I have a large frame with the MI Combat Rail, I'm gonna test that and see. If it has minimal shift then I might just grab another one for this build.

No
Haven't shot off a bag much, but do have rails near the barrel nut to clip into a tripod
And 70% shooting is off bipod, 30% tripod.

 

[kentuckyMarksman]

I tend to go with Geissele, haven't had any issues at all.

Also have used ALG in the past. They work, but the Geissele is better. Still have some ALG though.

 

[db2000]

Seekins IRMT-3
Hand guard bolts to the receiver for near monolithic strength and stability.

https://seekinsprecision.com/seekins-precision-irmt-3-upper.html

 

[dgheriani]

No
Haven't shot off a bag much, but do have rails near the barrel nut to clip into a tripod
And 70% shooting is off bipod, 30% tripod.

Do you know if the BCM MCMR clears a Superlative Arms AGB?

 

[johnjohn301]

For a precision AR build, it sounds like you’ve got some solid specs in mind. The MI Combat Rail is definitely a good choice, but if you’re looking to minimize POI shift, you might want to consider a few other options as well.

The Geissele Super Modular Rail MK14 is a great option. It has a full pic rail at 12:00 and M-LOK slots, and it’s known for its rigidity, which helps with minimizing POI shift. Another solid choice is the Aero Precision Enhanced M-LOK Handguard. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and has the features you’re looking for.

Well, both of these should actually work well with a 20" HBAR and give you the stability you need when switching between different shooting positions. Happy building!

 

[mkrem]

I run a geissele mk18 on my 6 arc precision gasser. Today is the first time that I noticed a poi shift. But it was 1.7 moa E and .4 moa W at 100. This was prone using a ckye pod. Glad I found this thread so I can try some other Handguard options.