Ruger has changed this part
Ruger has changed this part. The one I received is not made from the same material, is a lot thinner material and has NO heat shield installed. The edge that wraps over the operating rod lacks the protrusion on the lower edge that prevents the channel from collapsing and binding on the op rod. While it is a functional part, I do not know how heat will affect the thinner material without the shield. I saw this version handguard on a new mini 14 at a local shop, it also lacked a heat shield. No idea why Ruger would change this part, the original design worked perfectly. I cracked my original taking it off for cleaning; it was my fault, the front lip is thin and when I popped it off unsupported it rotated down and forward and broke the lip off when it bound up between the barrel and the gas block top clamp. I tried a Choate but was not impressed, it was too tight at the front. Subsequent fitting by sanding didnt help much and it cracked at the front lip during fitting. The lastest Ruger part went on easily, but doesnt mate up flush to the left hand side of the wood stock like the original style did. If I had known these were cheapened, I wouldnt have purchased it.
