Typically we will receive the item and over a period of roughly 30 days will put it through its paces to see what it does, how it performs under some more strenuous conditions, and then we write a report about it for the manufacturing company.
Although typically these items are tactical in nature, we know many of our members are police officers, military personnel, or otherwise involved in security operations, and as such we thought you may also benefit from these reviews.
The first one we will share with you is our most recent one. This review is for an AR-15/M-4 forward hand guards. For those who don't know, the forward hand guards are the pieces that cover the barrel of the rifle, typically from action to the front sight. These guards allow the shooters to hold on to the rifle without risk of burning themselves.
The guards we got to test are made by AB-Arms. AB stands for American Built (http://www.abarms.com/). AB-Arms is an American company located in Glen Rock, PA. This company manufactures several accessories for AR-15/M-4 rifles, with its latest addition being this new Forward Hand Guard.
Traditionally hand guards are divided into two types: the old fashion round style made of plastic or aluminum, or what is referred to as a "Quad-Rail" due to the rails on every side (top, bottom, left and right). The round guards are not the most comfortable ones, and one cannot attach any accessories (lights, optics and alike) to it. The quad rails are even worse in terms of comfort because of the rail, although one can attach various accessories to the multiple rails. Needless to say, neither style was ever very comfortable and most shooters ended up adding a vertical grip to the guard just so they don't have to hold on to it.
Round Guards:
Quad Rails:
This is where AB-Arms came in with a unique new ergonomic design.
The shape of this new innovative forward hand guard allows the shooter to hold a comfortable surface, while still allowing for control due to the front end angle - pushing against that salnted front end allows the shooter to maintain a firm grip without fear of slipping. The rail on the top allows for various accessories to be attached, and the ports on either side act as openings for heat to escape and as anchors for additional picatiny rails if one chooses to put those on.
Installation of the new guards was also easy. No tools are required as there no screws on the guards. once inserted around the barrel they just latch together. The guards have heat shields inside of them which further assist in keeping them cool, even when firing thousands of rounds.
It is important to note that if the rifle's barrel is floated a tad more work is needed in removing the muzzle flash suppressor and reinstalling the original parts.
After installing I took the rifle with its new guard to the range. It handled beautifully. It was comfortable, it remained cool, and the texture on the bottom of the guards, under normal conditions retained its gripping abilities. We shot the rifle from various angles, supported and un-supported, and in tactical scenarios. The guards felt comfortable throughout.
Overall, I liked these guards. They are a fresh change from the old format, tactically functional and ergonomically accurate. If you own an AR-15/M-4 platform rifle you may want to check these out. Masada Tactical will be carrying these in our pro-shop in the very near future.
Stay Safe!
Tzviel 'BK' Blankchtein
Masada Tactical, LLC
http://www.masadatactical.com/
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