Magpul MOE Handguard Or Samson Quad Rail For An AR

P

psycho nut

New member
I recently bought an AR15 and while I initially planned to leave it fairly stock I've changed my mind.

I was looking at a Samson rail because it seemed to not be too expensive or labor intensive, and I'm a little to nervous to try to mess with the front sight post.

But than I saw the Magpul MOE hand guard and started wondering how much of a difference there is between the two.

I plan to put a grip, light, and maybe a bipod on it. I have spent quite a while looking into rails and what not and it seems that barrel torquing from the grip is a problem. I guess my main concern is stability and not torquing the barrel and gas tube. Is the Magpul strong enough to not mess anything up from a functioning standpoint and still serve it's intended purpose?
 
Comparing those two hand guards is like comparing apples and oranges......:eek:

With that said I think either one installed properly would work fine I have a Troy full length quad rail a lot like the Samson rail and I don't have a problem with mine.
 
I have 2 MOE hand guards. More modular than a pre-railed for end. If you don't run the vertical or angled fore grips it's shape is more ergonomic for the traditional shooting (flat(ter) bottom).I like the option to place rails at the 10/2 o'clock position and since it's not free floated and you have a front sight gas block there is no reason for a top rail.
 
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The thing I like about the MOE's is they don't make the rifle front-end heavy like the quad rails do. I have vertical grips and lights attached to mine.
 
Nice looking, but a bit expensive. Looks like you do not have to remove your sight to install. It's your budget. I used a UTG MOE 2 piece. It works.

Jim
 
I've been very impressed with the MOE midlength I put on my recent build. Very solid and doesn't slop around so I'm glad I didn't go with a rail. Lots of ways to mount a light or sling but I haven't tried a VFG or bipod. After seeing how well their handguards worked I got a CTR stock and MOE pistol grip which impressed me as well. Very light, strong and inexpensive. I have to say you get a lot for your money with Magpul.
 
It could be easier to recommend one or the other if what kind of shooting you plan to do was known.

Stating what target will be shot at needing a grip, light, and bipod would help a lot. Here's the thing, the grip and light are short range CQB stuff, the bipod's dead weight then. Using the bipod imples 200 to 800 meter precision shooting - like prairie dogs, and that makes the light and grip in the way and all wrong.

I see an intent to make it multipurpose, but the uses are contradictory. And the AR will wind up being front heavy, unbalanced, and need ladder covers to keep the rails from eating the support hand.

All that could be mounted on an MOE, with short rail pieces, but no clip in handguard is known to be super rugged for that. It's the whole point the Army made an institutional decision to just use a quad rail. And, they won't be lighter, equal lengths, than the handguards they replace.

There are conflicts, too, the VFG could be in the way of the folded bipod, the light will be difficult to trigger unless the switch is on it, and unless the bipod is mounted to a free float, it will affect the POI when in use.

There's a lot of things working at cross purposes, and close in red dots won't do much good in bipod mode. A nice 3x9 pretty much is useless under 50m from the shoulder.

Get the handguard that will work 85% of the targets you shoot, and things get a lot less conflictive. VFG's and bipods are more exclusive than inclusive, tho they can be made to work together. If the plan is to swap them back and forth, most shooters will tell you it finally becomes one or the other, not both, which is what you see in professional grade equipment most of the time.

One Gun to Do It All is actually a stripped down version, and stays that way.
 
Here's the thing, the grip and light are short range CQB stuff, the bipod's dead weight then. Using the bipod imples 200 to 800 meter precision shooting - like prairie dogs, and that makes the light and grip in the way and all wrong.
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I am 100% in agreement with this. It seems that the easy accessorizing of the AR platform has lead to a bunch of inexpensive variants all tricked out with cheap gear from CTD loaded onto a UTG rail, and the shooter wondering why the Truglo or BSA red dot won't hold zero and by the way, this thing is astonishingly heavy.

If you MUST have both a forward grip and a bipod, do yourself a favor and go with a Grip Pod- no need to use two items when one will do fine.

As for the handguard, for just a forward grip and light I'd lean to the MOE; I have a railed drop in on one of my carbines, and if I had it to do again, I'd just get the MOE and be done with it (saving about $70 at the same time). As for that Samson rail, I've never used one, but with the Daniel Defense Omega rail being generally cheaper, I don't know why I'd get that Samson.
 
Mostly targets and home defense. The bipod, as I originally stated, is a maybe. I wouldn't really want it on there all the time, just when I wanted to use it.

I understand that a jack of all trades is master of none, but until I get another AR I would prefer it to specialization.

As for that Samson rail, I've never used one, but with the Daniel Defense Omega rail being generally cheaper, I don't know why I'd get that Samson.
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Actually, for the rifle length rail the DD is $10 more, but it's something to think about, I wouldn't have to cut anything off which is nice.

It seems like you guys like the Magpul. I think that I'll give it a try and see how I like it.
 
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