Does anyone out there have experience with the FIRST Samco M-33 handguard (carbine length).  I am looking for Picatinny rail system for my A2 carbine without having to remove the barrel.  M-33 almost sounds too good, (although Bushmaster has it in their catalog).  Thanks for your help!

I have one mounted on my shorty and it is good. I have 2 problems with it, but the corrections will be made soon.

First, the good points.  It is sturdy and holds up well to rough handling. It was fairly easy to install as well as straight forward. The rail covers fit well and the entire unit fit tightly and did't rattle. During long firing periods, it never got too hot to handle. The surface texture aided a positive grip.

The bad points. Mine has a slight side-to-side movement in it. Not much, but it takes away the advantages of precision shooting with mounted optics. Secondly, the rail covers slide freely, front to back. This movement can and has pinched the support hand. Not uncomfortable but annoying. The upper cover is held in place by the front sight tower and upper receiver, but the lower will come right off.

Someone from this board recommended using black high temp RTV when installing the M-33 to prevent this side-to-side movement. I am going to try this fix this week. I'll ket you know the results. The sliding rail cover was corrected accidentally. I installed a CQB sling which attaches via strap to the forearm. With the sling strap in place and cinched down, the rail cover does not move.

All this said and done, the M-33 is pretty damn good for what it is, and it is easy on the wallet. I purchased mine for this reason alone, it was a whole lot cheaper than the others out there (KAC, FIRSH, etc.)

I've had a many First Samco Handguards in the past... In my opinion, they are very durable, and they claim to adhere to mil-spec.

Pros about the M33: If you just want to add a grip and a light, at 6 o'clock, you can use your regular handguard for the TOP, and one of the M33s halves for the bottom.
This way you can equip two carbines for very cheap. I think this is the best part about the M33s. You can't do this with any other handguards out there. (that i know of anyway)

Cons, Even though they are sturdy enough to mount optics, I can't see myself doing it. So in fact, the 12 o'clock position goes to waste
IMHO

Bottom line, for an additional 30-40 bucks, you can get some M44 handguards, with positions at 12' 3' 6' and 9' o'clock
I've got a pair on the EE, IM me if interested.

Thank for your reply.  The RTV solution sounds interesting.  What is the application proceedure?  I have an ATN red dot sight and a "gooseneck" rail that attaches to the A2 handle.  It just doesn't work.  I can't adjust the ATN far enough down to hit anything.  I was hoping this would solve my problem.

Dan

I don't have the M33, but I do have the M44 carbine length handguards. They are, as TAC40 said, very sturdy. Mine don't have any side to side issues or any problems with the covers. My covers actually dont slide on at all, they are too tight and need to be slipped on from the top one side at a time. But, once they are on, I do feel a little play in them, nothing major, but once on they aren't tight. My only real complaint about them, is that the top rail isn't the same height as my flat top. So unless I now buy a spacer or new higher scope rings, my M44's are no good for scope mounting. Not a big deal for me really, just something to keep in mind if that was your intention. J

Did you try using a rubber mallet to push forward your delta ring? M44s shouldn't have any play at all. I used to have a few, and i had an BSA red-dot scope on it...I never lost my zero.