I’m in the market for a new set of railed handguards, equal to or longer than 9 inches. However, because I’m a NYS resident and my muzzle brake is permanently pinned to my barrel, I can’t remove the front sight and I can’t remove my stock barrel nut.
So far my top choice would be the Vltor CASV-EL, as it is the easiest handguard to install that I’ve seen, with no modifications to the rifle at all. Unfortunately, I own an EOTech 512 and co-witnessing is very important to me. I would also have to buy a whole new rear BUIS, as my Magpul MBUS wouldn’t fit. These flaws in the CASV-EL’s design seem so obvious to correct, but to my knowledge there aren’t any versions of the CASV-EL with a bi-level top rail that is also shortened to allow the use of most rear BUIS’s. I thought about taking a hacksaw to my front sight, getting the midlength CASV-M, and a new rail mounted front sight so that my irons and EOTech could all be on the same rail. Getting the CASV-S would be pointless, as even though my EOTech would be low enough to cowitness, I would still have to chop off the old FSB, buy a new FSB, AND get a new rear BUIS that would fit behind that top rail. But the simpler solution would be to wait for Bravo Company to get a new shipment of Daniel Defense OMEGA-X 12.0 FSP rails, hunt down and buy the X/Lite nut wrench (why it isn’t included with the rails is beyond me), and pay a gunsmith to do the install… that is, IF Bravo Company even continues to price the Omega-X 12.0 FSP at its current sale price…
Goddamn, what was Vltor thinking when they developed the CASV-EL? Couldn’t they have made a carbine length version with the features of the CASV-S instead of having us take a freakin’ hacksaw to our rifles until things begin to work with each other? ><
Are there any other drop-in handguard options? The only other rail system that could work for me and possibly save me a crap load of money would be the Midwest Industries 20x Carbine Free Float. But from what I’ve gathered, MI’s rail systems can’t hold a candle to Vltor’s or DD’s.
… or can they?
EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, the CASV-S could work for me if I mounted my EOTech far enough on the top rail to allow my rear MBUS to fit in the rear-most slot of the top rail. But I’d still have to hack off my fixed FSB and get a new one. I also imagine that this setup would look pretty freakish.