Samson Evolution Series AR Forend
Major Pandemic 05.04.15
In a recent review of a ASA side charge receiver build, I used a Samson Evolution Series AR forend and liked it so much I thought it deserved its own review. I am a fan of those near-barrel-length handguards, and the slimmer the better simply because I find them easier to handle and far more comfortable.
I also find longer handguards much more versatile, with added room to stretch out or more placement options to shoot from supports, so it should come as no surprise that I really liked the features of the lightweight 12.37” long Samson Evolution series handrail.
The Build
For this build, I set up the ASA Side charge receiver including a chrome carrier and topped it off with a Young Manufacturing bolt. The big fat 16” ASA .223 Bull Barrel was slipped into the receiver with a low profile ASA gas block and White Oak stainless gas tube and covered with the Samson Evolution Series billet handguard.
Fit, Finish, and Features
Samson offers a unique and lightweight option in their Evolution Series, and of course I chose the long 12.37” version and almost wish I would have picked up the even longer 15” version. The 12.37” Evolution version weighs in at only 11.5oz, and the slim 1.8” width is easy to hold even for younger and female shooters.
This handrail includes two 2” picatinny rails, which provided mounts for my Atlas bipod and an extra rail for hopefully a laser designator down the road. The Mil-Spec hard coat anodizing was a perfect, hard, deep, dark, consistent black finish on the 6010 T6 billet aluminum rail.
During installation, I appreciated that I did not need any special tools for installation, and those that have suppressors or piston systems will be happy to hear that Samson has taken extra steps in the design to assure this slim rail is still compatible with most suppressors and piston systems.
As with any free-float tube, there are concerns that it will have that little wiggle, but the Samson locked up tight and perfectly to the ASA receiver and was wiggle-free even after banging it around on various supports.
Final Thoughts
I am a fan of long handrails because they give loads more room to find a comfortable handhold or support in less than optimal situations. The Samson Evolution rail was extremely comfortable to handle, and it made the 16” ASA bull barrel feel lighter than it actually was. In fact I liked this length and slim profile so much that I simply cannot imagine living with this build without a rail this long or even longer.
If you are looking for a quality rail option that looks a bit different, a bit cooler than what everyone else has, then I think that the Samson Evolution Series rail offers an outstanding value, and it doesn’t hurt that it looks great and is comfortable.
Build Specs
- Samson Manufacturing 12.37” Evolution Series: $185
- Length: 12.37″
- Weight with Bushing: 11.5 oz
- The thermal bushing locks onto the stock barrel nut
- The inside diameter is large enough to fit most suppressors (1.56”)
- Continuous mil spec top rail
- Dual anti rotation tabs
- Thermal Bushings helps reduce heat transfer to hand guard
- Supplied with 2x 2” rail kits and 1x 4” rail kit
- Tube Matl 6010 T6, Bushing Matl. 303 Stainless
- Mil-spec Hard coat Anodized
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