Milspec handguard querstion...AR that is...

by rob , Thursday, May 12, 2016, 21:18 (3119 days ago)

I formally had an Armalite AR with the genuine plain jane black Milspec handguard. Now I have a Stag Arms rifle in standard trim (both are 16" Carbines) except the stag has a fat hand guard and the Armalite was slim. Is there a rhyme or reason for that? Is one old school and new ARs now use the slim or fat ones? I much prefer the slim ones and I'm debating my options (change it to a drop in slim, leave it alone or just go ahead and put a free float rail on it). The last option is appealing but I already have a rifle with a free float rail and I bought this one to keep simple. Also debating on just popping in a Magpul MOE hand guard with M-lok. Personally, out of the drop in types, I think the slim Milspec type to look the best. Any ideas or opinions on this? One reason to keep it drop in it has a back up iron sight, it's already sighted in with this FSB in the event I ever have a need to pop the scope off.