I like the Knights Armament, but they are 300+!  Any other suggestions on a quality piece that won't break the bank?  These will be going on RRA Entry Tactical.  Eventually they will hold a surefire and a forward grip.   Something like this is what I had in mind.  http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/donovan007007/gat001.jpg

I'm interested in hearing any personal stories or suggestions.  Thank You.

YHM is the best bang for the buck imo

check w/ brightflashlights.com in the Industry section--just got a new set of 2 piece YHMs midlength from him for a great price, great service AND fast shipping (2 days!)

LaRue .

Quoted: LaRue .

+1

You can get a LaRue for well-under $300, and as far as I'm concerned, it is the best on the market.

G & R Tactical

MSTN

+1 YHM

I love mine.  Excellent product, great price.

Seydou

But you can get a YHM for a 1/3 of that $$...

I do believe in "buy the best you can afford", but I don't know his budget for the build?

LaRue or Daniel Defense.

Quoted: LaRue or Daniel Defense.

I agree with these two options

Free float rails, top-shelf quality, and the choice of professionals world-wide

Personally. I'd love to hear some OBJECTIVE reasons why Larue, Daniel Defence, and one or two others are really WORTH the extra $200 (give or take) more than the YHM models. Stronger alloy? Better machining? Better fit?    OR, is this just another Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge pissing contest??

Quoted: Personally. I'd love to hear some OBJECTIVE reasons why Larue, Daniel Defence, and one or two others are really WORTH the extra $200 (give or take) more than the YHM models. Stronger alloy? Better machining? Better fit?    OR, is this just another Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge pissing contest??

Although better alloy and machining are some of the very good reasons why they are better, the best reason is the stronger mechanism that they have. LaRue is the strongest currently available, followed by DD. The weakest is probably the OAI FIRSH, which attaches with set screws.

Quoted: Personally. I'd love to hear some OBJECTIVE reasons why Larue, Daniel Defence, and one or two others are really WORTH the extra $200 (give or take) more than the YHM models. Stronger alloy? Better machining? Better fit?    OR, is this just another Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge pissing contest??

Well, the main selling point of the LaRue rail is its anti-cant locking system. Once the rail is tightened onto the upper, it cannot loosen itself up. I don't know about every other forearm model out there, but all four of the LaRue's rails are mil-spec and it is free-floated. I'd also rate the machining, fit, and finish as excellent. I could have afforded to buy any railed FF tube on the market, and chose the LaRue 7.0.

Quoted: Agreed, method the rail attaches and secures itself is a VERY good reason one rail may be better than another. YHM free float rails has a lock nut that puts tension on the railed forend. Thats it. While it may be finctional, it is inferior to the better systems used by KAC, Daniel Defense (wich are 100% the same as one another) and LaRue (which is the best).

I think that when people in this thread are mentioning YHM, they are talking about the two-piece railed handguards - as a cheaper (and easier) option to get solid-feeling rails, without the expense of the free float tube and installation.  They are actually really solid (and mine don't really move at all), but not fixed in place in the same way as the FF tube.

Obviously the free float is "better" but since the YHM handguard is about a third the cost, it may be worth it for some people on a budget.

Quoted: Oh, and I realize the pic of the above gun is not yours, but do you know if your rifle has a 14.5" barrel (like in the pic) or a 16" barrel. That might play a big part in what you wind up with. a 14.5" barreled gun (like in the pic) requires a lot of work to install a 1 piece FF rail. Work that includes removing the permanently attached flash suppressor, then permanently re-attaching it when you are done. Not a easy job with out a lot of tools.

hmmm.  The RRA website says it's a 16'' Wilson R-4 Chrome Moly.   But it looks like the one above. http://www.rockriverarms.com/images/nbrentry.gif so is it 16'' or 14.5?

Everyone: I really appreciate all the info :)  This is all new to me so anything you can suggest is greatly appreciated.

So far i've purchased 500 rounds of xm193 and Eotech 512.  So i'm waiting on the gun to arrive next week and i have plans to replace the front handguard with a free floating rail of some sort but i'm pretty sold on LaRue. Which model will I have to get (7.0?)and are there rail covers available like the ones pictured above for the LaRue? All the pics i've seen do not have rail covers.  Just curious.

Also, will this have to be installed by a gunsmith?

All the pics i've seen do not have rail covers.  Just curious.

if you are going to do a lot of shooting get a few, or a VFG.it will get hot at some piont.

YHM is the best bang for the buck imo

+1

check w/ brightflashlights.com in the Industry section--just got a new set of 2 piece YHMs midlength from him for a great price, great service AND fast shipping (2 days!)

+1000
Calvin w/ brightflashlights.com provides great service, great prices, and is excellent to do business with.

I replaced the YHM handguards for the YHM ff system.  I didn't like how the bottom rail of the handguard wobbles slightly from side to side.  I had Calvin install the ff tube, problem solved.  It doesn't budge, and is rock solid.  I have used it at a 2 day carbine class, and put about 1,600 rounds through it since.  I love it, especially being that it is slightly cheaper than the handguards.

Quoted: I'm pretty sold on LaRue. Which model will I have to get (7.0?)and are there rail covers available like the ones pictured above for the LaRue? All the pics I've seen do not have rail covers.  Just curious. Also, will this have to be installed by a gunsmith?

I use Magpul ladder rail covers on my LaRue 7.0, but any brand or type of rail cover will work. It's just personal preference.

As for ease of installation, any one-piece model will require removal of the front sight base. A quick overview: You'll need to remove the handguards, flash suppressor, gas tube, front sight base, and barrel nut assembly. Then you'll install the LaRue and reinstall all the gas tube, front sight base, and flash suppressor. It sounds more difficult than it really is. If you have the right tools (action block, barrel wrench, 1/16" punch, moly lube, hammer, 3/32" nail set, and vise), it's a pretty straight forward procedure. I could even give you a more detailed walk through if needed. That said, I'm sure that you could send the upper to one of the LaRue vendors, and they'd be happy to install it for you.

As for what length you want to go with, again it is just personal preference. You can get a LaRue low profile gas block to replace your front sight base, and use a longer LaRue rail with a flip-up front sight on the end of it.

Hope this helps somewhat.

I ordered a LaRue 7.0 and Magpul XT covers.  Also I got a Tango Down vertical grip.  All on order.  So hopefully it will all work out well. :)   Now, I just have to figure out how difficult this will be to put on.

Quoted: I ordered a LaRue 7.0 and Magpul XT covers.  Also I got a Tango Down vertical grip.

Same set-up I'm running above, except I chose ladders.