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Precision ar handguard

BoulderE89

BoulderE89

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Jul 26, 2019
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St. George, UT
#1
I’m going to invest in a solid handguard for my precision ar in 6.5 Grendel. I’m trying to find a sturdy and robust system that won’t flex or affect shots at longer ranges. At the moment I’m stick between a bcm mcmr, geissele mk4/8 found at a good price, or the newer (but more expensive) slr hdx made of 7075. Any thoughts you guys have would be appreciated. Also any handguards I haven’t considered that you might recommend is always welcome.
 
#5
BoulderE89 said:
Yeah but when it gets out to lengths like 15 inches you can get them to flex and move under stress. I am curious which ones flex and which are like a rock, even at 15”
Click to expand...

I think the upper receiver’s rigidity and how the handguard mates to the upper has more to do with the flexing and offset from pressure put on the handguard.
 
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#6
Back Spin said:
I think the upper receiver’s rigidity and how the handguard mates to the upper has more to do with the flexing and offset from pressure put on the handguard.
Click to expand...
I think you’re partly right. I know some handguards made of 6061 are soft enough aluminum that you can just straight up flex them. But thinking about the mating of the two parts, what is the most secure?
 
#7
The junction of the handguard/barrel nut/thread receiver nose takes most of the force.
Imagine cutting the upper just behind the threads.
Everything is still held together.
The threaded section holds the nut to the receiver, clamping the barrel flange.
The handguard to nut attachment method can be threaded or clamped.

Ultralite handguards need to be well made to be stable. Can't go cheap here.
But, threaded tube styles, without fancy graphic cutouts can be quite stable if the threads fit well.

Here's my cheapo setup with a $35 tube handguard, steel barrel nut, steel lock ring, and a bag rider.
It don't flex :)
 

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#8
JP MK3 handguards are top shelf
I also like the new Brownells wrenchman “Precision” series handguards.
White Oak Armory TR series handguards are also very nice .
 
Last edited:
#9
Seekins SP3R. Flat bottom makes it super easy to add any arca rail. If you havent bought the upper yet, they also make an upper that the SP3R bolts to vs. bolting to a barrel nut.
 
#11
If you're running an 18 or 20 inch barrel then I'd give the Geissele MK18 rail a look. It's 16" and has an arca swiss interface built in.
 
#12
zev didn't seem to carry over the mega mkm flanged uppers and mated handguards, i have one that is rock solid. aero is the only one i'm aware of now that is doing that, with their 'enhanced' upper & handguard line.
 
#14
[QUOTE="Back Spin, post: 8319514, member: 112129"]
I think the upper receiver’s rigidity and how the handguard mates to the upper has more to do with the flexing and offset from pressure put on the handguard.
[/QUOTE]

I would agree with this.

For my "Precision AR", I used a 15" ALG handguard I got at a closeout price when they discontinued their V1 rail.
 
#15
BoulderE89 said:
I’m going to invest in a solid handguard for my precision ar in 6.5 Grendel. I’m trying to find a sturdy and robust system that won’t flex or affect shots at longer ranges. At the moment I’m stick between a bcm mcmr, geissele mk4/8 found at a good price, or the newer (but more expensive) slr hdx made of 7075. Any thoughts you guys have would be appreciated. Also any handguards I haven’t considered that you might recommend is always welcome.
Click to expand...

BCM's are not one of the more rigid HG's..............they have a relatively short barrel nut; good HG that feels good, but if you want rigid, there is better.

Geiselle, ALG (also Geiselle Co.) & SLR get my vote for the best blend of feel, rigidity & long(er) mounting barrel nut for stability.

I will likely end up trying one of the new WOA handguards as well & they look good..............just hate to pay the price for their wrench.

MM
 
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#19
This was on a AR10 SLR handguard. I know they recommend 35lbs which is in my opinion not enough. I believe I only had the torque wrench set to maybe 50lbs. Bottom line hold an SLR barrel nut in your hand . It weighs almost nothing you could probably crush it like a pop can. Definitely not very robust to say the least.
 
#20

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ZEV's advanced handguards and ambidextrous charging handles for AR15 and AR10. Various handguards and charging handles for your 5.56 and 308 Win AR builds.
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I'm really happy with my Zev Handguards. I have both the 14" and 16" on two 308s. The quality in manufacturing, fit and finish is second two none. I especially like the titanium barrel nut, with the wedge lock it is awesome. I believe they are made out of 7075 T6 as well.
 
#23
Stavey said:
This was on a AR10 SLR handguard. I know they recommend 35lbs which is in my opinion not enough. I believe I only had the torque wrench set to maybe 50lbs. Bottom line hold an SLR barrel nut in your hand . It weighs almost nothing you could probably crush it like a pop can. Definitely not very robust to say the least.
Click to expand...


Yes, they are light & I'm sure that they can be broken, given enough torque; I also agree that 35 is not enough & is whyt I tighten the SLR's to 42-43.

MM
 
#28
JP is always good. WOA has a new handguard out that comes in lengths to stop short of the gas block, so you don't have to play the "my handguard just clears my gas block game. It also has a very long barrel nut to clamp to in order to be super stiff. Seekins is great, but I prefer their upper that mates directly to the handguard. Gotta be careful with the Seekins though the top screws don't thread in very far and it's very easy to strip them.
 
#29
davsco said:
zev didn't seem to carry over the mega mkm flanged uppers and mated handguards, i have one that is rock solid. aero is the only one i'm aware of now that is doing that, with their 'enhanced' upper & handguard line.
Click to expand...

That's interesting, I picked up one of their MKM ar15 upper/handguard sets when Brownells was blowing them out for a 3 gun build a couple years ago, and I have to say it has the most flex in it of any AR15 handguard I've used so far. I love my other Mega Maten and their super thick upper AR15 stuff I have but can't say I'm impressed with the MKM.
 
#35
The white oak rail Just feels ridged/heavy in the hand . It’s machined to a much tighter tolerance than most other rails and with a 3” solid steel barrel nut that fits tighter than a nats ass it’s as ridged as you are going to get. As far as quad rails no matter what style of rail if it’s hanging off a tiny little barrel nut you will have more flex. Now a quad rail over this white oak barrel nut now that’s another story.
 
#36
I have both the BCM (MCMR-15) and a Geissele Mk14 (13") and if was going to pick one it would be the Geissele.

I like the mounting system better and just prefer the feel of the rail overall. They're both good options but I just favor the Geissele.
 
#38
So I'm a dinosaur,,never found a stronger less flex handguard.
Easy to use QD accessories.


danieldefense.com

DDM4® Rail 15.0 (Rifle Length)

The Daniel Defense DDM4 Rail, found on many DDM4 firearm configurations, features an optimized one-piece, free-floating architecture. This design results in the ergonomics and proven durability users demand while maintaining the lightweight characteristics they expect from Daniel Defense. The...
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Last edited:
#39
BAMCIS said:
So I'm a dinosaur,,never found a stronger less flex handguard.
Easy to use QD accessories.


danieldefense.com

DDM4® Rail 15.0 (Rifle Length)

The Daniel Defense DDM4 Rail, found on many DDM4 firearm configurations, features an optimized one-piece, free-floating architecture. This design results in the ergonomics and proven durability users demand while maintaining the lightweight characteristics they expect from Daniel Defense. The...
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Click to expand...
Multi functional. Shreads your hands, cheese, and your wallet- all at once.
 
#42
In my opinion, the best cheap solution is buying an Aero M4E1 upper and a Quantum Mlok handguard. If you wait for a sale or buy blems, you'll spend $200 or less.

That gives you an inverted barrel "nut", a stiffer upper receiver snout and a matching handguard that bolts up nice and stiff.

For a large frame, use the M5E1 upper and handguard. A matching lower plus LPK makes sense on either size if you are starting from scratch.

I usually go with everything else from different manufacturers because of cost or because I can get better parts elsewhere.
 
#43
I tend to recommend the Aero M4 and M5 enhanced uppers where the handguard attaches directly to the receiver and not the barrel nut. I’m not sure if anyone actually sees a real world accuracy difference using this attachment method for the handguard when using a Bipod.
 
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