So, I'm not really sure if this is accurate, but I'm getting the vibe that folks who have the new enhanced ACR prefer the plastic hand guard? The aluminum/pic rail hand guard doesn't feel like it weighs a ton, but I guess bits add up?
Definitely not a light rifle to lug around, but it's not horrible like people make it out to be. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try her out this weekend.
So, there's no heat shield with the aluminum hand guard but there is with the plastic Magpul one? I've been lurking over at the ACRforum and there was 14 pages of guys mucking around with an Airsoft handguard so I got curious. I really like how it looks like the Remington ACR handguard (that is supposedly unobtainium). The next closest thing would be the Clandestine one, but I've been reading that the guy is next to impossible to get a hold of, and his webpage shows sold out of everything. A couple of Carbon fibre options
And also kemod options, and yes, it's probably very functional, but it looks a bit weird:
And this one seems to be another popular one, not a fan of the way it's mounted:
So, I searched high and low for the WE MSK hand guard and it is not sold on its own unless in private hands. No where to be found. I contacted WE and they referred me to their HK distributors who were complete retards. They took forever to get back to me, said it was backordered by two months and would cost about half the cost of a complete Airsoft rifle. Anyway, I found a used one that arrived today (day after my real one arrived) and thew on the hand guard from it for a quick test fit and surprisingly it fit rather snug, except for a bit of wobble in the front as discussed over on the ACRforum. A solution has been found, so I'll get around to doing it properly, but for now, I McGyvered a quick and dirty solution and we'll see if my ghetto method works. You'll see, it's pretty ghetto, and most of you will probably shake your heads thinking what a moron, but it feels solid (for now). No heatshield with the Airsoft version, but then again, no heatshield with the original one either.
Time will tell if this was a waste of time or not, but for now, it seems like it will work, and I've got a airsoft rifle with no hand guard to sell, lol!
Before I post pics, I have to say that these Airsoft guns are being made better and better. Putting the two side by side, it was damn near hard to tell at a quick glance which was real and which was not. The look, the feel, and even the weight isn't far off. Anyway, on to the pics:
http://3.bp.########.com/-v39VWGCye2Q/Vkv7Oog2oyI/AAAAAAAAZRg/NcdnO0njv40/s1600/DSC_0657.JPG
Bottom one was the Airsoft one. I was just stripping the real one down when the doorbell rang and the Airsoft version appeared.
http://2.bp.########.com/-2y-Cze2bB3c/Vkv7QJA5pJI/AAAAAAAAZRs/fzhBD6UOPuo/s1600/DSC_0658.JPG
http://1.bp.########.com/-tSCBMWAS_WU/Vkv7Qts6P9I/AAAAAAAAZRw/rt1oSx9wYBM/s1600/DSC_0659.JPG
http://2.bp.########.com/-1v-lFmpe7d4/Vkv7VaDXeaI/AAAAAAAAZR8/5nTd9-Ly2g0/s1600/DSC_0660.JPG
http://1.bp.########.com/-gMjB4owtdHY/Vkv7XFSPzbI/AAAAAAAAZSE/Y1vbAFcg4_c/s1600/DSC_0661.JPG
http://3.bp.########.com/-lalG7B_hW70/Vkv7X3AI3mI/AAAAAAAAZSM/Iw_oxf5yox0/s1600/DSC_0662.JPG
So, the guys on the ACRforum replaced the screws from the WE unit with some screws they found at Lowe's (will have to visit soon) called M5 screws...no idea what that means, but hope the local Lowe's has them...couldn't find them at Home Depot today. So, this is what they've been doing:
As quoted from the thread:
Brass shims made from M5 threaded 10mm long brass stand-offs.
Did as much as my patience allowed me to on the mill to keep consistency. The "height" of the slot in the receiver is 0.250" +/- 0.002 depending on the side.
Take 0.030" off one side of the stand off. Take off the remainder on the other. From point to point diameter wise on the stand off they were 0.310"
Mill the 45° cut.
The distance between an M5 screw's threads and the end of the depth of the slot is super small. Maybe 0.002".
I had to VERY lightly use the grinder and primarily hand files to get the rest shape. Brass is easy to work with at least.
With the shims there is 0 play. Of course since it is brass they will give over time. Better the 30c shims than the anodized aluminum of the receiver since the steel M5 screws will win that battle.
The M5 screws are not the original that came with the HG. The original M5 screws have the threads turned down at the end.
Then there's the ghetto method I tried:
http://1.bp.########.com/-DKMwARNlppk/Vkv7gPVQUdI/AAAAAAAAZSk/7vofOxCmIgg/s1600/DSC_0709.JPG
http://2.bp.########.com/-LilChxDyNDQ/Vkv7glGfvHI/AAAAAAAAZSs/KH17nK4pWis/s1600/DSC_0710.JPG
Rubber plugs jammed into a .22lr shell casing cut down to about just under half size, then capped on to the factory WE screws.
http://4.bp.########.com/-sJEmmjzUmvo/VkwG8sUHBiI/AAAAAAAAZVs/iqO1uWzzuhs/s1600/PB171322.JPG
http://1.bp.########.com/-INLzIzomGpY/VkwG1a0Ay9I/AAAAAAAAZVI/KAl7T8ynH_E/s1600/PB171317.JPG
http://2.bp.########.com/-dAQTfLWKRGk/VkwG1orwzsI/AAAAAAAAZVM/Uk_SNV5tL7Q/s1600/PB171318.JPG
http://2.bp.########.com/-xYahrEh5d_M/VkwG38cSR5I/AAAAAAAAZVU/X54Lfnw9djA/s1600/PB171319.JPG
http://4.bp.########.com/-X4IQ8_0-EbM/VkwG77cmTCI/AAAAAAAAZVk/7kErXbp1CwU/s1600/PB171320.JPG
http://2.bp.########.com/-x_uc0fpzkEo/VkwG8Ud2vXI/AAAAAAAAZVo/rI-kfsEhUEE/s1600/PB171321.JPG
Now, if I can find a permanent way to affix the 22 shell casings on to the factory WE screw tips, it would probably work. Right now there's zero wobble, but as I said earlier, time will tell.
