CASV Rail vs. Magpul MOE

[VTac]

Magpul seems to make good products and I hear great things about their midlength handguard. The price is unbeatable and despite being a bit ugly, it should serve the primary purpose of mounting an AFG and flashlight. The CASV-M or S seems like it is also well made and I like the ease of installation. It seems to be priced competitively with other quad rail systems. I would like to be able to mount a Nikon BDC scope and be able to remove it for a red dot as needed. It looks like the S model CASV might allow it to be mounted without a riser. Free float barrel would be nice, but I don't know how big a difference it really makes on a chrome lined barrel?

Curious to see what people who have run these two products think. I am interested in weight, durability, and functionality. If you were going to build with one of these two products as your handguard option, which would you select and why?

[Paulo_Santos]

I know someone that swears by the CASV rails because they are very light and he actually likes the fact that they raise the optics by 1/2". It all depends on your setup and use. Free-floating a barrel, including a chrome lined barrel will definitely help in accuracy, but you will only see that accuracy difference in certain situations. If given a choice, I prefer a FF barrel, but I would rather use a Troy TRX Extreme or standard rail instead of the CASV, but they are harder to install. Chrome lined barrels can be very accurate.

[Uglyduck]

I installed the CASV on my previous rifle, great product, no complaints. It offered a free float barrel option, the ability to add rails where needed, and a monolithic top rail. The 1/2" of rise is nice if you prefer it, otherwise the TRX is my first choice in rails. The benefit of the MOE is cost, obviously. Like paulo stated, you'll see the difference in free float vs. non in specific situations, like firing from a barricade with the handguard supporting the rifle. I also prefer free float if given the choice but if price were a factor I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a MOE.

[Stickman]

I own both, and like both, but for different projects. I would have no concerns using a MOE handguard on my duty weapon.

[Atticus_1354]

I was thinking about the CASV for a future project. Does anyone have any specs on the weight? Also, a random question that I just thought of. Does anyone know how much barrel is covered by the CASV midlength handguard? I was just wondering what a SBR would like with a very small amount of barrel sticking out and a suppressor mounted.