New Product Highlight: Bravo Company Manufacturing Raider
BCM is now offering a couple of new AR-15 handguards that are light but durable, just like a Marine Raider unit.
PPT Editor. Marine vet, hunter, and long-range shooter. Articles in 10+ major publications
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It’s been a while since we saw anything truly revolutionary in the AR-15 world. Instead, we get a trickle of small, incremental improvements from manufacturers when they find room for improvement.
The latest example of that is the new Raider handguard from Bravo Company Manufacturing.
You can get in on the action with a standalone Raider handguard for your AR-15, or you can buy a complete Raider upper receiver group.
BCM Raider Handguard Specs & Features
Specs
- Platform: AR-15
- Compatibility: Picatinny and M-LOK, Picatinny and Keymod
- Length: 10", 13"
- Weight: 9.5 oz, 11.7 oz
- MSRP: Starting at $239
Features
- Most rigid handguard in its class
- Available with M-LOK or KeyMod
- Picatinny rails at the 12-, 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock positions
BCM built the Raider handguard to balance weight and strength. Since it’s on the lighter end of the spectrum, you can spend less energy carrying static metal and more energy carrying accessories that improve your weapon system’s capability.
But don’t be fooled; it’s also very strong. According to the announcement from BCM, the Raider handguard is the most rigid platform in its weight class.
There are two lengths available: 10 inches and 13 inches. Both feature Picatinny rails at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, although only the top rail is full-length. The other three are short sections near the muzzle. The rest of the handguard offers either M-LOK or KeyMod mounting points.
In short, you get the rigidity of a quad-rail handguard with the low profile and reduced weight of the company’s RECCE setups.
Back in the day, people slapped an optic on their AR-15 and called it a build. Then, weapon lights became common. Now, people expect their AR-15 to support those in addition to an offset red dot, foregrip, laser, thermal optic, barricade stop, sling mounts, and other mission-specific stuff.
That adds significant weight to your handguard, which creates the potential to throw off your zero. This problem is even worse for people who try to keep weight down with an ultralight handguard.
The new BCM Raider handguard ought to solve that problem. It all sounds very promising — and it should because BCM has never let us down.
Bravo Company Manufacturing lists starting prices of $239 for the Raider handguard and $750.35 for complete Raider uppers.
What do you think of the new BCM Raider handguard? Let us know below. For more AR-15 essentials, check out our AR-15 definitive resource.