Here's the Daniel Lite Rail 12.0 with barrel nut, bolt-up plate, cap screws, ladder-rail covers and wrench. (Photo: Gus Norcross)

Today, the prospective buyer faces a dizzying array of high-quality free-float and non-free-float handguards equipped with mil-spec 1913 rails for attaching slings, scopes, lights, backup sights, bipods and anything else your little heart desires.

To help, this series of articles will examine some of the best products in this category and point out their strengths and weaknesses.

In my opinion, the ideal AR tactical forend will free-float the barrel for enhanced accuracy, be light in weight, and provide a standard mounting interface (1913 rails) so that all accessories may be removed for maintenance without disturbing the barrel nut.

The Lite Rail from Daniel Defense meets these criteria. The forend tube itself is similar to other products of this type and its matte-black finish nicely matches the anodizing on most current upper receivers.

Installation on standard rifles requires removal of the front sight base. See my previous TacticalGunFan article for details on this procedure. The standard barrel nut must also be removed so you have a stripped barrel.

Six cap screws secure the Lite Rail to the upper receiver. Note the unbroken top rail. (Photo: Gus Norcross)

If a low-profile gas block is being installed under the handguard, install it with the gas tube now.

The particular carbine used for this article was equipped with a 16-inch barrel with a mid-length gas-port position. I chose the new DD low-profile steel gas block for this build and it fit perfectly under the Lite Rail.

Six 10-32 socket-head cap screws secure the railed tube to the bolt-up plate to create a rigid, free-floating forend and a continuous top rail measuring a full 18 inches from muzzle to charging handle. If you can't mount your backup sights and optics on that much rail-estate, you've got a problem.

Assembled onto the rifle, the Lite Rail looks good and performs well. (Photo: Gus Norcross)

Things I don't like about it would include the necessity of a special wrench to tighten the barrel nut and the price. I paid $351 retail for the forend online and $19 for the wrench, plus shipping.

Overall, I liked this product and the positives outweighed the negatives

(A Maine native, Angus "Gus" Norcross is a retired National Guard Ordnance NCO with a passion for military weapons. A tank crewman during the Cold War with the U.S. Army 2nd Armored Division, he joined the Maine Army National Guard in 1981 and shot in military competitions with the Maine Combat Pistol, Combat Rifle and Machinegun teams at the state and national levels. In the 1990s, he served as a match-weapons armorer trained in the nuances of the 1911 match pistol and National Match M14 rifle. The proprietor of click here Angus Arms Co., a small gunsmithy that specializes in M1 Garands, M14s, AR15s, 1911s and FN/FAL rifles, he competes locally in NRA Highpower Rifle and IDPA matches when time permits. He currently resides on the Maine coast with his two Siberian Huskies and lovely wife Suzanne.)