I have two uppers with handguards I'd like to upgrade and I have a few questions... I realize I could get plenty of input from ARFCOM, but I always prefer to start here when possible. The variety of options is pretty staggering, so I'm going to start with my desired end-state and some bigger picture questions.
Here are the uppers:
My buddy borrowed it once and named it
"The Ghost." It's a 16" with a fluted bbl and quad-rail cheese-graters and a flip-up front sight. My recollection is that it was built by BCM.
.
This is a ban-era
Wilson Combat 18" upper. It has a short aluminum free-floated handguard.
Weight is a factor, I would like to keep weight down--actually, I'd prefer to shave a little weight, if possible. I'd like to have relatively smooth lines and form factor. I don't anticipate hanging much from the rail. I would like to have a sling attachment option and potentially a light on my 16" and a sling and bipod attachment option on the 18." I prefer the slings be of the style that can be used "patrol ready" as opposed to just a carrying strap. I'd like to keep the BUIS option available on The Ghost. I'd rather not have a full-length Picatinny on top, if possible. The Ghost will have a Steiner P4xi mounted in a lightweight Larue. The Wilson sometimes wears a Romeo red dot, and sometimes wears a 3-9x40 (as a back-up prarie dog rifle). Both are used for general purposes: carbine classes, coyote hunting, zombie apocalypse duty, perhaps someday a 2-gun competition, etc. I've never been trained in or used the C-clamp hold, but it does seem to be the rage, and I'm open to it, if that matters.
My understanding is that for things like bipods I will need to use aluminum, but polymer or fiberglass is an option if not attaching anything load-bearing. Is this accurate? What about with sling attachments? It also seems that M-Lock won the attachment-system wars, so I assume I should go with that.
I'm not much of a gun plumber. I've never built a complete AR and I don't plan to do the work myself. I have been watching some videos, and while I believe I could do it, I'm not sure the purchase of the tools and equipment I would need, plus the inevitable (for me) headache of "no easy project" is worth it. These uppers run great and are quite accurate--I'd like to keep it that way.
Am I headed in the right direction? Do you happen to have suggestions that might fill the bill?
Thanks!