Anyone here have one of these? Opinions on this handguard?

Apex Gatorgrip

I have a 15" variant.  It's a great handguard, very comfortable.  It's also pretty lightweight, assuming you don't slap pic rails all over it.  Built in QD mounts at both ends are pretty nice.  

It also mounts on a GI barrel nut, so if you want to upgrade a factory built upper (Colt 6920, BCM, DD, etc), it's a great choice.

I have one on a carbine, 4-5 years been great.

They're nice but expensive. You have to buy the top rail separately.

I've never seen these before.

Anyone have a pic with it installed?

Mine's painted, but it's a 15" with a 14.5" barrel and BC1.5.  It has a short pic rail mounted for the front sight, and a Surefire Scout light mounted with a Dropwing (I think) Scout mount.  This handguard would also support direct mounting if you'd like to avoid pic rails.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_159/1613048_14-5-BCM-BFH-upper.html

Topic Moved

Mine, one of two Apex hand guards I like.


And one I built for a friend.

I have had two of them very nicely built rails...didn't care for the weight and lockup...but they are some of the nicest rails out there imo.

I have a 15" on my 18" SPR and I like it.

Light weight and rigid, but expensive.

I like everything about mine, except how far away it is from the upper receiver.  I tried it on three different uppers and the best I got was about an 1/8 inch gap between the handguard and the receiver.  It doesn't cause any issues with the operation but, it is something I would change if I could.

Would you post a pic of this?

There is a nice YouTube video on the installation of one.

I think it is on the Apex website as well.

This is one of the only free float handguards I like and is my favorite overall.  I'm a keep it simple type person with regular handguard and fixed FSB but these Apex HGs look bad ass.  I have never liked an AR with rails all the way down it like a lot of guys here, not that there's anything wrong with it it's just not for me as I don't need the rails.  This Apex handguard looks perfect for me and I've been wanting to get one myself but the cost keeps putting me off.

For those of you that haven't looked at their discounts they have 10% off for LEO/Military and 20% off if you buy $500 or more and 30% off if you buy $1500 or more.  I wonder if they'd do a group buy, as it wouldn't take but 5-8 people to hit $1500 then ship to each person separately. Probably not, but one member could always purchase them for everyone and then ship to each member they'd just be out the extra shipping charge which would probably only be about $7-8 for most people.  It'd still be worth it if ya figure a $200 handguard at 30% off that's $60 in savings so even with an extra $7 in shipping we'd still save $50-60 each doing a group buy.  Something to think about anyways, it gets their prices down to about $125-150 each.

They do look good, the mount system is great and solid, but what you guys that never held one don't know, is how great they feel in hand. IMO they're a work of art.

I have one and love it. As posted though, the gap is slightly irritating but not enough to want to change out the rail.

I have an extended middy on a pinned 14.5 with a flip up fsb. It is a great handguard, and as the previous guy said, it is very comfy to hold. For a hunting rifle, it is one of the better choices. If you need to mount accessories, it might be a bit behind the times. The built in QD sockets are nice, though.

Lock-up is tight, and it just feels better in the hand than any of my other handguard/rails ( a few ALG, Aero COP, magpul MOE, standard A2, etc). The waffle iron texture provides great grip while not having sharp corners.

Word!  You must experience one to fully appreciate it.

I have one on an LMT since 2012. This rifle has the fixed front sight and the apex straddles it to give you more room. It is very nice.
Attached File

I have seven of them and won't be buying any more. The market has moved to a point where the Apex just doesn't offer an acceptable value any more. By the time you buy the top rail and a short rail or two they're just stupid expensive. They should have made them in MLOK configuration (they half-ass work with some MLOK Stuff now, but aren't "right" like they should be) and dropped the price $40-$60 two years ago. They also have a weak point on the bottom where there is very little metal because of the cutouts and they're prone to bending easily with nothing more than hand pressure on a vertical foregrip attached to a short rail section. Be sure to use a 4" rail section in order to spread the pressure out some if you intend to run a VFG. If you load a bipod with a significant amount of force this can be an issue as well. I do really like a lot of things about the Apex (bought seven of the damn things) but am moving on now. If you're just running an AFG or no foregrip or bipod and don't mind the $$ then they're great.

No experience,  but looks cool :) would match a mega gator lower lol

thats what they were made for iirc

And that my good man is a fact!

I really want one of these but I just can't with ALG's at their price point. Maybe I'll try to pick one up used down the road.