At STNGR USA, we know the gear and the industry inside and out. We appreciate that many of our customers may be new to the firearm world and we want to provide them with the highest quality handguards and accessories, whether they’re a seasoned gun owner or they’re just getting used to using their first firearm.

If you’re fairly new to the scene, you may have already noticed that there is a lot to learn – terminology, form, strategy, safety, maintenance – guns are an investment, so it can be overwhelming when you’re still getting the hang of it! Let us help you get started with the basics of selecting the best free float handguardfor you.

Handguards
The overall purpose of using a handguard is to protect your hand from heat when firing. Handguards allow you to grip further down along the barrel, while simultaneously preventing your hand from coming in direct contact with the barrel. This makes your experience both safer and more comfortable, which allows you to use your gun longer without issue. Safety should always be the number one priority when operating a firearm, and we take that precaution very seriously for both our customers and ourselves. Safety and protection should never be sacrificed, and we invested in enough cheap, unreliable equipment to have learned that the hard way – so we want to make sure that you don’t have to!

The number-one benefit of using a free float handguard in terms of performance is increased accuracy. Traditional handguards, as you may have experienced, are prone to barrel warping – they make contact with the barrel and can warp the barrel affecting the trajectory. Even a slight change in your angle decreases the accuracy of your shot – and what is the point of shooting, if not accuracy? Our best free float handguards, however, hover or “float” above the barrel, thus avoiding any direct, and therefore potentially harmful, contact with the barrel.

Types of Handguards
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s delve into the two main mounting systems for handguards: KeyMod and M-Lok.

KeyMod
KeyMod free float handguards are incredibly lightweight, made with our light, American-made aluminum. These handguards allow you to attach KeyMod-compatible accessories directly to the rail, as they consist of rows of essential “keyholes” that easily allow accessories to slide in and be attached by simply screwing them on. Accessories applied to KeyMods are easily attached to the rear, narrow section of the KeyMod. Lightweight, easy, hassle-free, and incredibly user-friendly, whether you’re a beginner or a long-time user!

M-Lok
M-Lok free float handguards are very similar in their benefits to KeyMod handguards. The main difference is that instead of keyholes, the M-Lok free float handguards use a slot system. Accessory attachments for M-Loks are bi-directional; attachments can be applied to the front of the slot or the rear of the slot, while with KeyMods, attachments can only be applied to the rear of the KeyMod. For this reason, attaching accessories to an M-Lok free float handguard may require slightly more attention and time than attaching accessories to the KeyMod. However, both remain essentially simple and user-friendly. It’s also important to note that the USSOCOM sponsored a head to head test between M-Lok and KeyMod. The tests were conducted at NSWC-Crane and it was found that M-Lok was a more reliable mounting system than KeyMod.