Ordered a BM M4 upper the other day. Today I took another look at the catalog. It looks like Bushmasters 'M4' only refers to the barrel. The handguards appear to be carbine and not M4. Am I right? If so, where can I get M4 handguards?

CMMG - find him using search.

Or I think Donnie at SableCo, www.sableco.net sells them too.

Be sure and check the EE as they pop up there alot.

Mike

For some reason Bushmaster hasn't gotten on the M4 bandwagon yet.  If I were you I'd check out the equipment exchange here on AR15.com, M4 handguards show up there quite often.

When I was at the Shot Show this year I asked a Bushmaster rep why they didn't offer M4 handguards and he tells me that unless you are full auto and need the extra insulation then why do you need them?  Well I guess I don't but my god get with it Bushy, people want them.  I mean if your Bushmaster and your loyal customers ask you for a product why question them?

Bushmaster indeed does not use the M4 Handguards.  That is a shame because to me there is more to hold onto.  Jd tactical out of Florida has them and I have had good dealings with him. Here is his e-mail.   [email protected]  

Look for "Pete-in-NH" in the equipment exchange.  He sells Colt M4 handguards for $44.  He's a great guy, and his service is second to none.  I've ordered 2 sets off of him, and when I buy another upper, I will order another set from him.

Another Plug for Pete.  His email addy:

[email protected]

Bushmaster can't have M4 feedramps or M4 double heatedshielded handguards.

Your favorite company Colt patented those features.

How does RRA get away with it then?

ie legp or where they colt m4 handguards?

I got some of those BM M4 handguards and I am very happy with them. They are only have a single heat-shield but I've yet to heat up my barrel hot enough that I'd want to have the doubles.

The Bushmaster handguards just dont look as cool, they are too skinny, also I like the grip better on the fat colt ones.

Quoted: The Bushmaster handguards just dont look as cool, they are too skinny, also I like the grip better on the fat colt ones.

Bushmaster now has the fatter styled handguards.  They have, however, on a single heat shield.

Bushmaster M4 type handguards

Another new item from Bushmaster for your military style carbine is the M4 Type Handguard. These handguards are the same length as standard "shorty" handguards and will replace them on any carbine, but they are fatter and more oval (taller height) in cross-section, and have better barrel cooling capability. Molded of black thermoplastic composite with heavy black finished aluminum internal heat shields, Bushmaster offers these new... M4 Type Handguards.  $ 39.95

Anyone have a side view picture of the larger grips ON the rifle? I have the standard M4's and would like to see how they change the appearance.

The fatter Bushmaster M4 handguards are almost identical in looks to the Colt M4 handguard. The difference is the BM guards only have single heat-shields, and the plastic is not "shiney" like the Colt handguards. I'll post some pics later this evening. Unfortunately I've already sold off my skinny handguards so I can't post a comparison pic. I'm expecting another M4 upper from BM in a couple weeks, I'll post some before/after pics when it arrives. The BM ships their M4 upper with the skinny (cheap) carbine handguards unless you specify otherwise.

Posted some pics of a BM M4 upper I have with Bushmaster M4 handguards at: www.mp40.com/ar15/m4upper.jpg and www.mp40.com/ar15/m4guards.jpg

Damn. I just ordered some stuff from Bushmaster and now I have to go and place another order for these. Oh well...good excuse to get that easyloader I've been wanting too.

Thanks for the pics guys.

Hey, on kind of a related note...anybody ever fire with the top handguard removed for cooling purposes? (AT THE RANGE ONLY) I haven't done this and not that this is even worth discussing. Just a thought.

Here's another extremely dumb thought. What if the handguard holes were plugged when doing the above and the bottom guard was filled with water for a liquid cooled barrel, especially for Dissipators but say only for slow fire shooting. Again, a dumb thought but my brain is always churning.

Wow, interesting thought. I never even considered a water-cooled AR-15. You would have to find a way to make the handguard water-tight, otherwise you'd have water leaking all over the place. And who knows that that water would do to the outside of your barrel, probably rust it all up after a while.
The old Maxims and Vickers water-cooled MG barrels never actually touched the water. The water jacket actually had a tube running through it for the barrel. Then there is weight concerns, steam venting, etc. The old water-cooled MGs put out quite a bit of steam once you heat up the barrels. A lot of them connected condensation hoses to prevent the steam from giveing away the MG's position. An AR-15 with a full length water-jacket would probably be to heavy to lug around for an extended period of time. The Vickers gun weighed something like 90 pounds, in that case, whats a few more gallons of water? Wouldn't seem practical to add a water jacket filled with water weighing more than the actual gun. Although a very interesting idea. May even be worth a look into for novelties sake. I don't think I have a water-cooled gun in my collection... hmmmm...

I thought some miniguns were liquid cooled? Not sure.

I can see doing something like that for a bench rest rifle, for someone looking for extreme accuracy. And I don't think it would harm the rifle for the short period of time the barrel was submerged; look at how many times weapons have been submerged in combat and then fired.

Interesting thought!

Here is my Bushy carbine with the standard handguards.



And with the Bushmaster M4 handguards.



I really like the Bushmaster M4 handguards. They are identical in size and shape to the Colt's.