Anyone using a JP enterprise handguard on their precision rifle? I'm thinking about ordering a 17" for my AERO M5. How rigid are they?

I would avoid based on my experience.

I really liked the JP look and bought it for an ar10 build. The rail would sit at a noticeable offset on the barrel (barrel & rail pointing in different directions). Tried installing the rail on 3 different uppers and barrels with the same result.

I learned the hard way that JP customer service is non existent. I sent a number of emails, was just deflected person to person, until I stopped following up and bought another rail.

I have the 17.25 mkiii RC rails on a 224Valkyrie and 6.5creed. I’ve got the 15.5” on a 223wylde. The handguards are rigid, but keep in mind they can impart force on the receiver and cause a deflection if you load the bipod HARD, which is true for the majority of the rails out though. A solid monolithic or rail system that bolts to the receiver and not the barrel extension will offer the least potential for POI shifts. When properly used, the MKiii rails are very nice and JP has lots of accessories. The rails do require a bit more steps to install compared to others, but it’s not bad. There’s a step for gluing a portion in place, but I’ve always skipped this and just manually timed this piece to save the cure time.


To the poster above, there is a way of adjusting the orientation of the rail. It’s done with 4 screws on the barrel collar face. If this can’t be done to properly align, I would look to see if the receiver/rail mounting threads were cross threaded or the receiver extension threads were slightly off center.

Yes, I tried making the adjustment using that instruction, but that lends itself to finetuning, not when the rail is pointing such a way that the barrel sat towards the 7 o'clock position. I used 2 different aero receivers + a third upper brand I cant recall right now, all had the same result.

Sent many emails to JP Enterprise w/ detailed explanations, including photos and was only deflected to other ppl. Zero help.

Interesting, this is 180° the opposite of my experience with JP customer service so far. LMT on the other hand...

@SuperJlarge

Is there a tutorial on how to time the handguard? I have a factory JP and I don’t know what’s up but the handguard could use another 1/8th turn to get tight but then the bottom Arca rail I have on there is offset. I thought it used shims or something but your description makes it sound like no

The timing I was mentioning is for the collar that the gas tube goes through. For timing the rail, that is done by getting it tight and compressing against the O-ring. If you can’t go further to time at 12/6 o’clock, back it up just slightly to get the right orientation. The rail will be secure, and the o-ring pushing back puts pressure on the threads to lock it in place.

Believe me, I was just as surprised as you bc I have only heard great things as well.

I have one on my lrp-07 and i have one on a 223 18" I built.  LRP-07 is new and I've never mounted anything up top, but overall, it's very nice. I have the full length arca rail along the bottom.  The 18" 223 I have mounted a thermal up top in front of my optic, and it was fine.

In regard to JP customer service, I've always had good luck with them.