xtian999 Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 These prices are ridiculous. From $150-300 and up. Why are people paying so much? It’s just a chunk of aluminum, after all, not burled walnut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 There are cheaper ones out there that can do the job. How much better are the high dollar handguards? I wouldn't know. I have more than a few and I think the most I've ever spent on one is in the $100 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Paying for machine time and grams of weight saved... And some of them are impregnated with awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericm Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 ...because prime rail estate is always desirable and is guaranteed to appreciate. ericm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coordinator Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 "...because prime rail estate is always desirable and is guaranteed to appreciate." Nicely played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3324temp Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 There are cheap ones. The expensive ones typically get you a nicer looking hand guard, lighter weight and the big one... excellent customer service. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 1 hour ago, L3324temp said: expensive ones get you excellent customer service. I'm new at this rifle thing, but what kind of customer service could you need on a hand guard ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 Get a carbon fiber one, rather than an aluminum ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian999 Posted May 8, 2018 Author Share Posted May 8, 2018 You’d think the cf ones have diamonds in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmc1974 Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 The Alpha rails from Troy aren't cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George16 Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 (edited) Even more expensive if you want the cool factor of a carbon fiber handguard from Isler. They look really nice though. I wonder when they’re going to have the 9” available again. It’s been out of stock for awhile now. Edited May 8, 2018 by George16 Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip3 Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 You could always make your own. Will probably cost you more than $150 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerritm Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 I did make my own CF handguard for my PCC. Got a good round type of barrel nut. Measured the OD. Went to ebay and ordered the CF tube with the closest ID. Cut if off to length I wanted. Sealed the end with black paint. Drilled 2-holes and screwed it to the barrel nut. Cost less than $100 total. Works and looks great. gerritm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troupe Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 A little tip for my fellow shooters, Chandler Hardwoods Inc. They are all I use. They have worked very well for me. Someone will complain that they are cheap. I have never had a issue and I have sold all of my stupid priced tubes now that I know better. A can of Krylon works great on the bare alum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 3 hours ago, troupe said: A little tip for my fellow shooters, Chandler Hardwoods Inc. They are all I use. They have worked very well for me. Someone will complain that they are cheap. I have never had a issue and I have sold all of my stupid priced tubes now that I know better. A can of Krylon works great on the bare alum. I don't care that they're cheap. I do care that the barrel nut is garbage. And the gas tube channel is so minimally machined that almost all gas blocks will touch. And that it needs the sharp edges de burred. And that the bolts that clamp it onto the barrel nut are just threaded into aluminum so you can't really put any torque on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12glocks Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 I asked the same question and was told that the cost of extruding machines is what drives the cost up. I am not saying I am right, but it does make sense in a way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian999 Posted May 9, 2018 Author Share Posted May 9, 2018 I have seen some cool cf gliders built with the lost foam method. Maybe that would work for a homebuilt cf handguard too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emjbe Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 9 hours ago, troupe said: A little tip for my fellow shooters, Chandler Hardwoods Inc. They are all I use. They have worked very well for me. Someone will complain that they are cheap. I have never had a issue and I have sold all of my stupid priced tubes now that I know better. A can of Krylon works great on the bare alum. wow - those are the lowest prices I've seen. Do you use these for 3gun? (dumping in barrels and the like)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip3 Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 (edited) ALG has an economy model which is $85 for the 13". I you don't need to hang a bunch of stuff off it, could be a good cheap option. May be tight on the gas block. https://algdefense.com/ergonomic-modular-rail-v0-e.html Aero makes a basic model as well. Extrusions are not overly expensive and the tooling for them can be pretty reasonable. The extruder has to set up and run if he runs 1000 ft or 10000 ft. With hand guards you probably have low volumes which lead to higher material cost and anodizing cost. The more expensive guards usually have more shaping and cuts which means more machine time. Once you throw in scrap rates, shipping, a barrel nut, fasteners, qc, packaging, installation instructions/customer service, etc. $150 is probably not a bad price. And if you consider the distributor had to make a little money as well, the manufacturer is probably not making nearly as much as it may seem on a cheap chunk of aluminum. https://cardinalaluminum.com/ is a quality extruder. Edited May 9, 2018 by Chip3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian999 Posted May 9, 2018 Author Share Posted May 9, 2018 I need a large diameter handguard about 15+ inches to go over a 10.5” barrel w/9” x 1.6” suppressor. For now, I took the last 2” off an old narrow handguard and attached the can completely outside. It won’t go anywhere but the range like that, just for break-in and tuning. The Chandler handguards are cool, but not big enough i.d. to work for me. Still looking for a relatively inexpensive long-term solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacMan Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 To get something w big ID to fit over your 1.6" suppressor, I think the only one now is JP, which has a 1.75" ID, of course, its price tag will choke most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 The Nordic NC-1 has a 1-3/4" ID and is nicely priced. I have a couple on my rifles and like them. https://nordiccomp.com/categories/nc-1-free-float-hand-gaurds/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian999 Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 I have two of those for my SR-22s and I like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1981Shooter Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 12 hours ago, xtian999 said: I need a large diameter handguard about 15+ inches to go over a 10.5” barrel w/9” x 1.6” suppressor. For now, I took the last 2” off an old narrow handguard and attached the can completely outside. It won’t go anywhere but the range like that, just for break-in and tuning. The Chandler handguards are cool, but not big enough i.d. to work for me. Still looking for a relatively inexpensive long-term solution. The Aero Precision Quantum handguard should work for you, it's 1.78" ID and designed to clear suppressors. https://aeroprecisionusa.com/ar15-quantum-mlok-handguards.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian999 Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) You get a gold star. Not in stock for my upper, but I like it. Edited May 10, 2018 by xtian999 ocd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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