So, I'm usually shopping for deals - but some things never go on sale. On one of my rifles, I spent a little over $150 on a 12" carbon fiber handguard. It's great and I like it - but it's freaking expensive for something I don't bolt much to other than a flashlight and a bipod.
After building my wife's AR-15 - I realized that I really liked the way her Krinkov brake works and I really like the look of her 16.5" handguard (picture attached). My new Krinkov brake (1 5/16" OD) is on the way already - but before I install it, I need to have my new handguard worked out.
This is the brake
So the closest I can get to that using carbon fiber is 15" and it's nearly $200.
I got to thinking about it, and realized that there isn't any reason for me not to do it myself. It's not like there are many parts.
I ordered this barrel nut from Mentium. 1.4" diameter (35.56mm)
mentium-usa.com/products/steel-barrel-nut-slim-handguard
And I ordered this 500mm (19.6") x 40mm/od x 36mm/id carbon fiber tube on eBay. 1/2mm clearance should be nice and tight on the barrel nut - and 2mm thick should be nice and strong (and light)
Stay tuned. When the parts arrive - I'll figure out barrel nut alignment, hole placement, exact cutoff length and spend some quality time making sure things are aligned.