Choosing a handguard

[PRSDietitian]

Building a new rifle and narrowing down a handguard selection. It’s for a 13.9” criterion core barrel

Icon defense drive lock 13”
Ripcord industries LDR1.5 13.13”

Lockup looks good on both and I assume both will perform comparatively.

 

[Charmingmander]

I'd just get a BCM and call it a day tbh.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I just looked those up and they're some damn expensive rails for brands most have probably never heard of before, I certainly hadn't.

I would go with neither of those and pick something from a well established company personally.

 

[Shoreglide]

Went through this thought process just last week for an 18” Grendel build.
Clicked the easy button and ordered a blem BCM upper and 15” handguard.

 

[PRSDietitian]

I just looked those up and they're some damn expensive rails for brands most have probably never heard of before, I certainly hadn't.

I would go with neither of those and pick something from a well established company personally.

Icon defense was started by Mike Miller, who started Mega Arms. He sold Mega to Zev and was their VP. He wasn't satisfied with how Zev handled things so he started Icon with guys from Killer Innovations. So it's not like it's a nobody. They are the OEM for SOLGW and hodge for their drive and S lock rails
I believe the ripcord is made by MSP manufacturing

 

[PRSDietitian]

Went through this thought process just last week for an 18” Grendel build.
Clicked the easy button and ordered a blem BCM upper and 15” handguard.

already have an icon defense receiver set(tightest fit ive ever seen. They stay together even without pins installed) and a criterion barrel so I won't be doing that route unfortunately.

 

[Shoreglide]

All my 2A Arms receiver sets are like that. Sucks that Nemo bought them out.

 

[PRSDietitian]

All my 2A Arms receiver sets are like that. Sucks that Nemo bought them out.

I have no experience with nemo. Did they go to crap over the years?

 

[Charmingmander]

I can definitely understand wanting to stick with 1 brand for multiple parts.

Wasn't aware of who Icon was. I will admit the Ripcord rail is neat. I just try not to spend north of $220 or so on rails. Diminishing returns and all that.

 

[PRSDietitian]

I can definitely understand wanting to stick with 1 brand for multiple parts.

Wasn't aware of who Icon was. I will admit the Ripcord rail is neat. I just try not to spend north of $220 or so on rails. Diminishing returns and all that.

I can definitely understand that. My previous rifle has a CMT quad rail, though I'm looking to replace it eventually with a centurion arms C4 quad rail. My biggest flaw(potentially, not saying it's baD) is I am OCD and i go down rabbit holes hahaha

 

[Charmingmander]

I can definitely understand that. My previous rifle has a CMT quad rail, though I'm looking to replace it eventually with a centurion arms C4 quad rail. My biggest flaw(potentially, not saying it's baD) is I am OCD and i go down rabbit holes hahaha

Same. I don't fanboy for brands but I do try to remain in 1 house for things when I can. I like standardizing on brands that are good where it makes sense.

I put a BCM quad rail on an M16A5 clonish rifle I put together last year and I love it. Solid lock up. Lightweight. Not too bulky.

 

[PRSDietitian]

Same. I don't fanboy for brands but I do try to remain in 1 house for things when I can. I like standardizing on brands that are good where it makes sense.

I put a BCM quad rail on an M16A5 clonish rifle I put together last year and I love it. Solid lock up. Lightweight. Not too bulky.

This is my backup rifle, however it is also going to be my girlfriends rifle. With the world being a fucked up place right now, I think to myself "ok i want to make her the most bomb proof rifle possible" so i get ocd about it. And I'm a huge fan of the drivelock, which i've used on friends m89 builds, but i also like how ripcord has some area without m-lok to increase rigidity and having a rather long barrel nut like the drivelock rails. From MSP I can get the ripcord rail for 260 and the icon 13" rail from kit resource for 275. So luckily they're well below MSRP

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Icon defense was started by Mike Miller, who started Mega Arms. He sold Mega to Zev and was their VP. He wasn't satisfied with how Zev handled things so he started Icon with guys from Killer Innovations. So it's not like it's a nobody. They are the OEM for SOLGW and hodge for their drive and S lock rails
I believe the ripcord is made by MSP manufacturing

They may have a good background but I'd still rather buy from a more well known company.

 

[LRRPF52]

All my 2A Arms receiver sets are like that. Sucks that Nemo bought them out.

All this time I’ve been assuming I could just go back and order more 2A Armament receiver sets and handguards. They were the best when it came to a lightweight, strong build. There was even a guy who had a case failure catastrophic malf with his build and the 2A receiver set was unscathed, no signs of warping or bulging like you typically see. They appeared to be using denser, stronger aluminum. I know some manufacturers start with stronger aluminum billet and have gone over the specs with them.

I think 2A asked that guy to send him his blaster so they could analyze it, and offered to provide a free replacement/compensation just so they could see if there were any issues with it from an event that normally turned standard uppers into umbrellas.

For handguards though, you have to ask 1 main question.

Do you need it to stay aligned tightly with the upper for LAMs or Clip-on NODs?

If so, here is the order of precedence I would go:

LMT MRP monolithic upper

Vltor VIS

LaRue Stealth 2.0 upper/handguard combo

If not, I would go with something affordable from any of the lightweight rail makers, even a cheap Guntec.

 

[Shoreglide]

I have no experience with nemo. Did they go to crap over the years?

I have no experience with Nemo myself, but happened to watch a video they posted on their website about the buyout.

https://nemoarms.com/2a-parts/

Maybe it’s just me, but I found it off putting. Dude talks out both sides of his mouth.

 

[LRRPF52]

Some other criteria I would add for handguards is whether you’re suppressing or not, whether you want to sleeve or not sleeve, or use a bipod. So the decision tree for me goes like this:

Does it need to be rock-solid for a forward-mounted LAM or clip-on TWS?

If not, will it be suppressed and sleeved or the suppressor in the open?

Will it have a bipod mounted frequently?

Is it primarily a target rifle or HD/CQM blaster?

For a target rifle or varminter, it’s nice to have a rigid handguard that minimizes flex input from a bipod or bag up front.

For HD/CQM, I prefer lightweight and enough real estate for the barrel length.

A lot of the lightweight & slim handguards made over the past 15 years don’t do well with mounting bipods, so it’s something to think about.

These slim MLOK tubes almost always require you to get another mounting point to attach to the bottom for bipod QA/QD, or stud attach.

 

[PRSDietitian]

So it is going to have a suppressor and I’m using a 13.9 inch barrel so I’m trying to get a suppressor that’s going to close that gap between the rail and the suppressor. That’s more for aesthetics. Initially, it’s just going to have a light on it but I would like to get a LAM. I do like on the ripcord how it has interrupted mlok slots where I would normally put my hand and it gives me the ability to put grip tape there. The rip cord is going to be a few ounces heavier, but between the two versions of this firearm it’s only going to be maybe 1/4 of a pound difference. Since it is a little bit shorter than a standard duty style rifle, which I typically see at like 14.5 inches, it’s primarily going to be for 300 yards and in and I like it for easier maneuverability inside of spaces. I mean I did CQB in the Marine Corps with a 20 inch M-16 A4 so I’m not really too concerned.