Between 2017 and 2022, I was working at Los Alamos National Laboratory. I was also one of the few local firearms instructors.  One issue kept cropping up in my classes: clients would show up with rifles that were poorly configured, unreliable, or simply not suited for the kind of training we were doing. More often than not, I’d end up loaning out my own carbines just to keep the class moving.  Except… I’m left-handed and my gear was optimally configured for the left-handed shooter.  Swapping slings or other attachments for right-handed shooters ate up valuable class time and I started thinking about how I might solve that problem.

When clients asked for gear recommendations, I’d point them toward reputable shops—only to find out later they’d been talked into buying something suboptimal, overpriced, or ill-suited to their needs. It was frustrating to see students held back not by their skill, but by their equipment.

Then came the 2020 pandemic. With more time at home and fewer classes to teach, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I got my FFL, became a licensed manufacturer, and began designing carbines specifically tailored to the needs of my students. Drawing on my experience as a trainer, research and development armorer for the lab, and competitive rifle shooter, I engineered a platform that prioritized adaptability, ergonomics, and performance.

One of the key innovations was designing my own line of handguards to differentiate my brand, solve adaptability issues, and incorporate design features that I find advantageous.

I dug through some literature that I saved from SHOT Show and found a machine shop that would manufacture my design to my specifications, which were:

1. Free floating
2. Slim middle section equipped with Mlok slots
3. Forward Picatinny rails straddling the front sight to move flashlights further forward to minimize barrel shadowing and create more real estate.
4. Ambidextrous QD sling jacks behind the Picatinny rails so slings wouldn’t interfere with attachments.
5. An extended 6 O’clock Picatinny rail for QD bipod mounts.
6. Cutout for the front sight or railed gas block to mount the sight on the barrel where it belongs, rather than the handguard.
7. Preferably compatible with my favorite aftermarket folding front sights.

I sent this drawing to my machine shop, and after some back-and-forth and a few sample runs, I received and tested the first prototype:

The design proved successful in classes and was greeted with an enthusiastic response by my friends and clients.  It even won an award at SHOT Show 2022.

 

After this initial success, I decided to expand the line to Carbine and Rifle-length offerings.  In addition, I decided a matching railed gas-block would solve some supply-chain issues with the aftermarket sights I was using.  This new design featured a hybrid mounting system (set screw and cross bolt). It also increased the free-floating clearance for the handguard.

Getting these manufactured was more challenging due to a little conflict that had popped up in Ukraine and was really beginning to escalate, which diverted a lot of domestic manufacturing capability.  After almost a year of messing around with the original shop (and getting nowhere) on the gas blocks, I almost gave up on the project.  By then I had relocated to Idaho, and a friend hooked me up with a contact for a machine shop in Idaho Falls.  The new shop cranked out my gas blocks in no time at all and I was back in business.  I had lost a year of time waiting though, and the market was changing, but I was still convinced in the uniqueness and utility of this design.

These proved popular with clients in ADC’s Idaho classes, particularly the Designated Marksman Rifle classes for precision carbines like RECCE and Mk12 pattern guns.

That’s the development part, but why these specific design features?

• Free-Floating Barrel: This improves accuracy by eliminating pressure points that can shift point of impact. Essential for precision carbines and DMR-style rifles.
• Slim Midsection with M-LOK Slots: Comfortable grip for extended shooting sessions, while M-LOK slots allow shooters to mount accessories exactly where they need them without excess bulk.
• Forward Picatinny Rails: This increases usable rail space, and saves money by eliminating the need for add-on rails.  Picatinny accommodates throw-lever accessory mounts that can be quickly attached or removed without tools.  Moving them forward reduces barrel shadow from weapon lights.
• Ambidextrous QD Sling Mounts Behind the Rails: Works equally well for left- and right-handed shooters, prevents sling interference with lights or grips, and speeds up transitions.
• Extended 6 O’Clock Picatinny Rail: This provides secure mounting for QD bipods, stabilizing the rifle for precision shooting without compromising handguard ergonomics.
• Cutout for Barrel-Mounted Front Sight or Railed Gas Block: Notching the front of the handguard allows proper placement of the front sight directly on the barrel/gas block.  Not many shooters are relying on iron sights these days for precision shooting, but as an old National Matches Highpower competitor, I like it to ensure any pressure on the handguard from slings or bipods doesn’t deflect the sight away from the barrel.
• Hybrid Gas Block Mounting System (Set Screw + Cross Bolt: Using a dual retention method for the gas block ensures a stronger, more secure fit than set screws or crossbolts alone, while still easy to install and service. Improves reliability under heavy use and causes less barrel deformation than set screws alone (which can pinch the bore and is measurable by air-gauging).  The crossbolt handles the majority of the work, but the set-screw is there to keep the gas hole in the block locked tightly against the gas port in the barrel.

These mission-driven design features are meant specifically to improve handling and precision for the armed citizen and law enforcement professional.