Traditional AR-15 handguards offer limited flexibility here. However, you need to be able to attach accessories to your weapon to realize its benefits. One of the advantages of the AR-15 rifle pattern is its compatibility with a wide variety of accessories. If you’re interested in building a match rifle, this is one of the best AR-15 handguard types you can choose. While not as durable as mil-spec two-piece handguard sets, free-floating designs can increase inherent accuracy. Some free-floating handguards extend to the muzzle, increasing the available rail space for accessories. Many free-floating handguards have dedicated barrel nuts that replace the delta ring. If your rifle has a low-profile gas block, removal may not be necessary. If your rifle has a traditional set-up, you’ll need to remove the muzzle device and gas block/front sight to slide the free-floating handguard over the barrel. While there is no length requirement, the free-floating handguard should, ideally, cover the gas tube. Free-floating handguards are usually monolithic-i.e., made from one piece-and attach to the rifle by the barrel nut in the rear. Free Floatingįree floating means the handguard does not contact the barrel or gas block, reducing interference with barrel vibrations. However, two-piece military handguards, while durable, are not free floating. If you prefer a drop-in handguard set, you’ll need to choose handguards that are compatible with the gas system length of your rifle, as these handguards connect to the gas block in the front. In the 21st century, there are numerous accessories available to the self-defense practitioner, hunter, or competitive target shooter, designed to enhance stability, speed, or augment the function of the rifle in some way. One of the disadvantages of the triangular and circular handguards is that they don’t readily enable the attachment of accessories. While these are still familiar to AR-15 owners, the accessories market for the AR-15 rifle pattern has spat out so many handguard choices that you’re not limited to what was available 40 or 50 years ago. Later, the triangular handguards were replaced by the familiar circular vertically ribbed handguards on the CAR-15, M16A2, and later M4. These handguards had holes in the top and bottom to promote air circulation and contained aluminum reflectors to absorb heat. When the AR-15 first entered commercial production, its handguards were triangular, consisting of two pieces.

Top quad rail handguards