Hand guards

[Peck1631]

If I have a 16.5" Barrell what size hand guards do I need? I see some that state carbine length, some have 7'', some 9"? What are some good quality guards?
Thanks in advance.

[warped]

It depends on the length of your gas system, on a 16' bbl you could have either carbine or mid length gas systems.

I just did a special one that uses rifle length on a 16" mid length gas system, the delta ring is held back into place by a collar that is squeezed between the WCI brake and the delta.

I used a low pro gas block, this rifle does not use irons.

[Peck1631]

I just brought a Beowulf from AA. It is the entry upper. It has the plastic guards on it, I was just thinking of when I upgrade. I havent seen the weapon yet so this thread may sound stupid. If I had it of course I would just measure it and figure out if it was a mid length or other.

Do you think these would fit?
Daniel Defense Omega Rail™ 9.0 (Mid-Length)

[LRRPF52]

Peck,

I usually steer people towards rifle-length free-float tubes for barrel lengths 14.5" and higher. It really depends on what you're doing, but rifle-length tubes and handguards cover everything for me. They allow you more options when shooting from supported and unsupported positions, while carbine-length guards originated from the 10" barreled Colt Model 607, and became standard on the XM177E1 and E2's, even though they had increased the barrel length to 11.5" on the XM177E2. If you are closer to 6' or taller, then I would definitely move towards a rifle-length tube.

I have been using the following handguards since 2003:

• Viking Tactics/JP 12" Free-Float Handguard
  
• MGI QBC Upper w/ rifle length extension
  
• Troy/TRX Extreme/Viking Tactics 13" Handguard
  
• I just got a new Apex Machining 12" Free-Float Handguard w/ Gator Grip that I kinda like
  

I seem to lean towards the 13" Troy/VTAC handguard overall, but I like the integral QD sling sockets of the Apex. I also like the 12 o'clock rail and how easy it is to install the Troy/VTAC & Trx Extreme, as well as the price. The Apex is a few dollars cheaper, and easy to install as well.