New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Talk about the AR15 style rifles chambered in 450 Bushmaster.

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New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby Jimmyfunk60 » Thu May 04, 2017 10:29 pm

Hello all, I am down here in Ohio and recently just found out about this awesome 450b round. Guy at work was talking about it and after a week or so of research I decided that I had to have one of these for my all around gun. Always hunted with an Ithaca 20guage deerslayer and now plan on using this big bore. After researching mama gave the go ahead to buy an upper. I just ordered it tonight from Walsh gun and tackle. Have some experience with the few ar-15 platform guns I have but have never built or modified one. My main question or thing I am looking for is where can I buy a longer hand guard that will screw right onto this gun? I read about the problems with the factory one being super hard to get off so Walsh gun and tackle is going to remove the factory hand guard and ship it with the gun to me. I think it would be really cool if some of you more experienced guys could put a list out there or links to hand guards that would thread right on. I'm really looking forward to this gun, I plan on putting it on an Anderson lower and running a 2x7 Nikon scope on it.. I think this gun and caliber is going to catch on like wildfire. I'm also debating on picking up a ruger America in same caliber but that better get this one all done first lol. Thanks in advance for your help, if there is already a thread with this info please point me in the right direction but I have had no luck finding it..

Also I bought the 16 inch model and I am looking for a full length or at least most the length of the gun hand guard and the lighter the better..
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby Hoot » Fri May 05, 2017 7:52 pm

Welcome aboard Jim!

Something to consider, given the threads are most likely the same is replacing the carbine length handguard with one off of a 20"upper. Some members replace their factory 20" handguard with one of those "cheese grater" handguards so that they can mount doodads on them. That makes for 20" factory handguards looking for a new home. Maybe place an ad in the Market sub-forum. Someone else did recently and IIRC, they hooked up with one.

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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby commander faschisto » Fri May 05, 2017 9:44 pm

Deja-vu all over again...
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby ScottyPotty » Sat May 06, 2017 6:22 am

I assume you mean they are taking off the barrel nut. If so than any AR15 free float handguard/rail will work. Pick one you like in your price range. Midwest Industries Gen3 is pretty good. I bought a cheap china FF handguard because I want to try to spray paint camo on it.

But there is more to it than just screwing on a new handguard, you might need a new gas block(not sure if yours will fit under a handguard). You will need some tools too (action block, barrel nut wrench, torque wrench).

What part of OH are you?

Check out:
BCM - Bravo Company Machine
MI - Midwest Industries
DD -Daniel Defense
Geissele
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby ardenkent » Sat May 06, 2017 8:57 am

My 16 inch barrel came with a carbine length handguard and the three rail gas block.
I replaced it with a smooth rifle length handguard and barrelnut by young mfg purchased
from JSE Surplus dot com along with a .750 low profile gas block.
When I couldn't break the OEM jam nut free, I went to the local shop and got it all put together for 30 bucks.
the new handguard was sloppy on the OEM barrelnut so we swapped that for the young mfg one.
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby Buckeye45 » Sat May 06, 2017 11:57 am

I was looking at mine last night to do the same thing. One nice feature on the Bushmaster upper is the gas block is the set screw type, meaning you can easily remove the block and gas tube in one move. I may change mine as well. Be careful of the cheap hanguards that come with an aluminum barrel nut. I went this route on a few builds for 5.56 and had several that wouldn't stay tight and effected accuracy. Since you've been using an Ithaca I presume you are fluent in good guns. If this will be your all around gun don't go cheap. The hassle of tearing down and re tightening the barrel is not worth a few pennies saved.
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby plant_one » Sat May 06, 2017 1:51 pm

the bushmaster handguard is proprietary. the only thing you can directly screw onto its barrel nut is another bushmaster handguard - unless you get super lucky anyway.

thankfully a basic barrel nut is cheap (10 or 15$) and so is a basic low profile gas block (~$30-$40, upwards to a bit over $100 if you want an adjustable)

both are easy swaps with some basic ar tools (ar multi tool, upper receiver block, roll pin starter punches)


or like mentioned if you have a shop local to you, it might be worth a call to see how much they'll charge for the simple swap if you dont have or cant borrow the tools.


fair warning - once you start modding, this is like big kid lego's... hard to stop :)

like hoot mentioned - dont cheese grater yourself. quad rails are a thing of the past for a reason :mrgreen: . get a nice modular handguard (full top rail with the ability to add rail sections on almost anywhere) then you wont shred your hands, and still be able to mount doo-dads if you want.

dont be shy about the UTG super slim rails.. they're quite nice for the $. their proprietary barrel nut is awesome because you dont have to line up any grooves for the gas tube.... its a low pro to keep the handguard small so the tube slides right past. Torque to spec, slide in the gas tube, line it up. and then a few locking screws to secure the handguard. Viola. done!
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Re: New 450b guy with hand guard questions..

Postby Jimmyfunk60 » Sat May 06, 2017 8:26 pm

I ordered my upper Friday I got it today, I didn't think I'd like the factory hand guard but it isn't that bad.. Gun feels pretty good. I put a 1.5x4 scope I had here on it off a shotgun.. I'm going to shoot it in tomorrow. Also I'm in north east Ohio south of canton.
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