HANDGUARDS

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 The classic, two-piece handguards the M16 was originally designed to use. They are called “drop in” because to install/remove these handguards, you really just need to pull back the spring-loaded “delta ring” and drop in some new ones. There are 2 main types – Polymer  and Aluminum

Advantages

• Easy to install (just “drop” them in!)
• No modifications to weapon (the stock AR 15 is made for these handguards)
• Usually the least expensive (not much to it!)
• Aluminum handguards typically have rails for mounting accessories, while polymer do not. Rails can increase weight dramatically though.

Unlike the drop-in handguard, free-floating handguards mount directly to the upper receiver, hence an improvement in accuracy.  Typically made of anodized aluminum, they may be  Picatinny style railed or unrailed (tube). Again, railed allows mounting of accessories that are  Picatinny style. Railed handguards may have 1, 2 or 4 rails. If single railed, it is on top; 12 o'clock. Dual railed are top and bottom. Quad-railed has them at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. The more rails, the more weight, and while quad-rail systems look cool they can be very front heavy.  

Installing the free-float handguard is typically easy, as a barrel nut holds the barrel to the receiver and mounting screws are used to attach the handguard to the barrel nut.  The handguards usually come with the barrel nut wrench and mounting screw hex-head wrenches. Proper torquing of the barrel nut is essential and can be problematic for installation without a torque wrench adapter. 

Free-floating handguards also include the M-Lock style and Key Mod Style handguards. read below

M-Lok (modular lock) handguards typically come with a full or partial Picatinny style top-rail, but the sides and bottom are bare and slotted.  They may not come with any rails at all, allowing the user to select where accessories will go. The slots allow you to mount rails and accessories that use M-Lok mounting screws, wherein the screw inserts through the accessory rail and into the handguard slot, and is secured into a nut on the interior of the rail. If you have a M-Lok style rail, you just select a M-Lok mounting system when adding  Picatinny style rails or accessories.

Key-Mod (K-Mod) handguards typically come with a full or partial Picatinny style top-rail, but the sides and bottom are bare and slotted with key shaped slots.  They may not come with any rails at all, allowing the user to select where accessories will go.  The slots allow you to mount rails and accessories that use K-Mod mounting screws, wherein the screw inserts through the accessory rail and into the handguard slot, and is secured into a nut on the interior of the rail.  If you have a K-Mod style rail, you just select a K-Mod mounting system when adding  Picatinny style rails or accessories. 

Tube style handguards are simple and lightweight aluminum tubes and usually do not have any accommodation for rails or mounting systems. Tube style is typically used for long-distance target or match shooting, where the only attachment point is on the front-bottom, for a bi-pod with adapter. Colt and Hogue have been the most common tube handguards, but lack of popularity makes getting them difficult.

Choosing the length and diameter of the handguard is important, and depends on the barrel diameter, the length of the gas-tube and the type of gas-block.  We find it very difficult to find affordable handguards to fit bull barrels with 0.850" or larger gas-blocks. For those using low-profile 0.750" gas-blocks, handguards are typically available from 12" to 17" for all gas tubes lengths (carbine, mid, rifle), and under 12" for mid and carbine-length systems.