So I was at my LGS and they had a Gen I Honey Badger and I immediately fell in love. Everything about it is great and it looks sick. However, I can't justify spending 3k on it. Therefore, I decided to build a CLONE version. Here are some things I've come up with.
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BEST Value clone
Upper                                 Same?
U. Receiver      Aero Precision n/FA   /No   $100
Barrel             Q Honey Badger        /Yes $400        from PSA
Gas Block        Q Honey Badger        /Yes $0
Muzzle Device  Q Cherry Bomb         /Yes $100        from PSA
Rail                 Q 6" M-Lock Rail       /Yes $260        from Optics Planet
BCG                 Aero P. Semi-Auto    /No $120
Charging Han.   Breen Warhammer   /No $50
Port Door V7 Systems AL                 /No   $40

Lower
Forged Lower                           /No      $75
Geisselle SD-C Trigger               /Yes     $240
Magpul K grip                           /Yes     $20
Stock  LWRCI UCIW-Stock-Kit     /No      $140
LPK no trigger / no grip             /No      $50

TOTAL  $1650

Retains much of the "look" of they honey badger, same barrel, rail, muzzle device, trigger, and grip.
Does not have the super cool stock and the buffer system that they use, or the proprietary upper/lower. I think the LWRCI stock/buffer setup with the shorter length is fairly similar to the Q version in terms of overall length.

Cheaper:
U. Receiver      Aero Precision n/FA        /No  $100
Barrel             Faxon 7.5" Match Grade  /No  $170      
Gas Block       SA Adjustable                 /No  $100
Muzzle Device  Q Cherry Bomb         /Yes $100        
Rail                 Q 6" M-Lock Rail       /Yes $260        
BCG                 Aero P. Semi-Auto    /No $120
Charging Hand  Breen Ambi             /No $50

Lower
Forged Lower                           /No      $75
Geisselle SD-C Trigger               /Yes     $240
Magpul K grip                           /Yes     $20
Stock  MFT Battlelink Minimalist  /No      $60
LPK no trigger / no grip             /No      $50

Total:     $1300 ish

Dirt Cheap
Upper                        Same?
Up. ReceiverAero Precision         /No $320
Barrel        Aero Precision 8" 1:7  /No $0        
Muzzle DeviceWolfpack Night Howler/no $60      
Rail                Aero Precision 7.3"      /no $0
BCG                PSA Full-Auto        /No $80
Charging Handle PSA                          /No $20


Lower
PSA  B5 Complete Lower FDE              /No    $180

                                                   TOTAL    $665

Decent build with a value-oriented Aero Precision upper. 1:7 twist isn't ideal but better than the 1:8 twist on the PSA uppers.
Maintains compatibility with Q suppressors like the honey badger, but muzzle device could be swapped out.

reserved

KAK 1/5
https://kakindustry.com/300-blackout-6-25-inch-pistol-gas-barrel


https://kakindustry.com/300-blackout-8-inch-pistol-gas-barrel

This is my clone.  Built on a Seekins lower that I already had SBR’d.

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That looks really good! Do you like shooting it? It looks like you are using the Q barrel and Q handguard.

Updated with photoshop mockup that I spent way too much time on.

The honeybadger does nose to charging handle rather well

these are also GTG

https://www.sb-tactical.com/product/hbpdw/

Yeah, I am running a Q barrel and 6” handguard. I had my old AAC SDN-6 converted by Ecco to the Q Plan B so that I could use the Cherrybomb muzzle device.  I was running a T1 for the longest but switched over to this Acro when I found it in stock at B&T.

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A challenger appears!

Option A: Q Honey Badger 7" 1:5 Stainless Complete Barrel assembly (Barrel / Block / Tube)  $394

Option B: Faxon Match-Grade 7.5" Barrel 1:5 twist, Superlative Arms Adjustable gas block, Pistol Tube  ~$252


Pros (to option B)
+ Longer Barrel
+ Lighter Weight
+ Lower Cost
+ Better Gas Block
+Not Q

Cons (to option B)
-Longer barrel
-Lower-quality barrel compared to Q (maybe?)
-Not Q

MrBlond

https://kakindustry.com/300-blackout-8-inch-pistol-gas-barrel


Baby blond

https://kakindustry.com/300-blackout-6-25-inch-pistol-gas-barrel

You can buy the honey badger stock for $350

Not compatible with Mil-spec receivers. Unfortunately.

this one  is.

If you are hell bent on the HB stock…only shoot subs. Your cheek will thank you.

Ah cool, thanks for that. I didn't know. For all the glitz, their website is difficult to find stuff in.

I wonder how much money you save if you use as many Q parts as possible except receivers.

I wanted a honey badger for a while until I built a "similar" gun with a 7" barrel and pdw stock and realized it doesn't get THAT small compared to a standard short barrel 300blk. In fact I ditched the pdw stock with uncomfortable cheek weld (and in the honey badger's case, a weird, small buffer spring setup) for a LWRC UCIW stock which was just as small collapsed but much more comfortable extended.

Then I picked up a Sig Rattler, and all thoughts of a honey badger build evaporated. It is super small folded down and feels more robust than the pdw stocks I'd played with.
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Thanks for sharing your experience.
You are right, if you tried to "Clone" the honey badger as much as possible it would end up costing you very close to the same price as the Honey badger, and you still wouldn't have all the right parts.

I am leaning towards a LWRC UCIW or KAK mini-mispec buffer system, but then you have other issues potentially.

Thinking KAK mini-mispec with a cut-down MFT Batellink Minimalist.

If I was buying right now, I'd get the KAK kit with a magpul SL-M.

I'm seriously thinking about the KAK kit with... some sort of stock, maybe the SL-M

A bunch of my "clone" parts came in so I should have pics sometime next week.

SL-M on an LWRC buffer tube. It doesn't lock all the way forward. I think it is supposed to on the KAK buffer tube. There was a thread on here somewhere about the KAK having a rough/missing finish inside and spur on the spring. I may be willing to try one eventually.

I’m also building something like this around the KAK tube. Hoping to have it up on my YouTube channel in the next few months!

KAK tube/buffer ordered, should be here soon. Will weigh individual parts.

No "short" stock yet except I do have an LWRC Ultra-compact I could use if needed

Barrel arrived and I learned that this part is a "thermal fit" so I haven't been able to install yet.

Dang this thing is tiny! I hope to get pics soon.