Grok from United States, TX Public Profile

This is a good, solid FREE-FLOATING quad handguard. Free floating meaning, it solidy mounts/attaches to the barrel nut - a USGI barrel nut in the case of this series - and does not require front end attachment with a front cap or otherwise, although it is compatible and will work with M4 round front caps. But if installed correctly and torqued to the recommended in-lbs (see instructions) this thing is not going to move on you.

Of course, being Midwest Industries this is a very well machined and solid quad-rail handguard with standard picatinny rails. These are very standard and they are said to support most piston systems as well. I may get around to trying that someday, as I AM a believer in piston-driven systems. Especially when you're running a suppressor, it helps keep things a LOT cleaner -- which translates to your rifle running a lot longer before you HAVE to clean it because the action is full of carbon fouling.

Although they don't really advertise this as a feature anymore that I've seen, one of the great features of this particular model -- and I'm talking about the carbine-length 7" model in this series in particular -- is that it has the correct "full cutout" slots on the forward and aft ends of each 3/6/9/12 rail to be fully compatible with the USGI Knights/P&S/etc. RAS rib rail covers' metal retention clips. So if you like those rib rail covers and others that use the same spring clip retention clips -- and need the "full cutout" slots these clips need

The handguard is made pretty well as far as M4 double heatshield handguards go. I purchased one because of positive things said about IMI's over at ARFCOM forums. The black inner heat shields basically pop into place with 4 tabs in the 4 corners that snap into their own slits above slits for the silver colored outer heat shields, and I imagine they will stay put.

The other brand of these I've seen, which I had seen good things said about, are Doublestar USA ones. I have to give the IMI ones a better review for how the metal heat shields are retained inside -- the black inner heat shields on the Doublestar double heatshield models are basically pushed onto plastic pin extensions from the handguard molding sticking down through both heat shields, but don't stay in place well. This is why I went looking for another brand.

Another comparison I'll make between the IMI Defense and Doublestar ones is the look/feel of the handguard itself. The (black) Doublestar ones -- at least if you get ones that aren't scratched/gouged up straight out of the bag -- are more of a uniform, matte black. One of the first ones I got ordering direct from Doublestar was apparently a demo or returned unit, it was scratched up and the scratched up places were shiny. (they replaced that one after seeing the pictures I sent them). The IMI Defense handguards, which I have black and OD ones now to speak from seeing/handling, are a more glossy type of polymer material. They're fine too, just more g