Hey Milspec Mules! Today we are going to do a review/overview of the BCM MCMR Handguard. We’ll cover things like specs, why it’s an excellent choice for almost any build, and a few other things.
TLDR
The BCM MCMR Handguard is (in our opinion) one of the best AR15 Handguards on the market for a few reasons. First it’s extremely light weight. Second, the price is very competitive and it gives you an MLOK QD mount included. Third, it’s made by BCM which is one of the best companies in the AR15 Game. Fourth, it’s the perfect balance of durability, weight, and aesthetics. Fifth, it has an extremely good lockup and anti rotation system.
What’s in the box
In the box of the BCM MCMR handguard you’ll find the following:
- Mounting hardware
- Steel barrel nut
- Barrel nut wrench
- MLOK QD Sling
- Picatinny MLOK Rail
- BMC MCMR rail
- Loctite
What’s great is that BCM gives you everything you need to mount this thing in the box. Some handguards don’t include a barrel nut wrench or loctite, but BCM gives you everything!
Overview & Who it’s for
The BCM MCMR MLOK handguard is the latest iteration of handguard from BCM. It’s a lightweight, but tough and durable MLOK Handguard that is engineered extremely well.
The BCM MCMR is truly about function and form. It happens to be one of the strongest rails on the market, one of the best looking rails on the market, and also happens to be one of the lightest and affordable.
The BCM MCMR is intended for anyone who wants a duty or patrol grade rail. No corners are cut with this rail and it’s not a “budget” option. Every BCM AR15 comes with this rail installed and those are used by police and military all across the world.
If you are looking for something that looks great, is lightweight, is duty rated, and won’t break the bank, this is an excellent choice.
Fit and Finish
The fit and finish on the BCM MCMR is basically perfect. No sharp edges, everything feels smooth, the machining is excellent and the anodization is strong and perfect.
What we really like is the fact it has MLOK slots all the way around, and the numbers the picatinny rail at the top.
Fit and finish is top of the line.
Specs & Models
The BCM MCMR MLOK Handguard comes in a few sizes, 15”, 13”, 10”, 9”, 8” and 7”. Giving you a perfect selection to choose from.
Here are the common specs:
- 6061-T6 Aluminum Rail
- Steel Barrel Nut
- Hard Coat Anodized
- 1.3” Inside Diameter
- 1.5” Outside Diameter
Weights & Overall Length (With Hardware)
- 15” – 11.5 oz and 15” to flare
- 13” – 10.5 oz and 13.4” to flare
- 10” – 8.9 oz and 10.5” to flare
- 9” – 8.2 oz and 9.4” to flare
- 8” – 7.6 oz and 8.14” to flaire
- 7” – 7.1 oz and 7.39” to flare
Here are links to each version for purchase:
Positivies
In our opinion this is the best rail on the market. We’ve done tons of research and handled many different handguards and we recommend the BCM MCMR over and over again for its value, weight, durability, and aesthetics.
There’s a few big things that make the rail stand out in our opinion. First is the lock up, it has anti rotation tabs and a solid lockup, one of the most solid lock up designs we’ve ever seen and it’s simple and that’s something we love. On other rails, the anti rotation tabs aren’t always tight, and there is some play, with the BCM MCMR it’s as tight as it could be.
The second thing that’s great is the design of the rail. Most rails put all the hardware on the bottom of the rail under the barrel nut and this creates what we like to call a “ballsack”. The BCM rail has no “ballsack” and is just straight, because it puts the mounting hardware on the top of the rail, and makes it look super sleek.
The last great thing about it is the weight and barrel nut material. It’s one of the lightest rails WITH hardware on the market and when it comes to weight savings, a rail is one of the few places to save weight. The barrel nut also being steel is great, super strong and durable. This weighs in at 11.7 oz on our scale with hardware! (excluding MLOK qd mount and pic rail attachment)
The icing on the cake is the price, and what’s included. AR15 Handguards seem to keep getting more expensive and there are many rails on the market that are not as good as the BCM MCMR that cost more than it! The BCM MCMR is a good value for what you’re getting, there is no price gouging here and you are getting a quality product. What’s nice is that all the mounting hardware and barrel nut wrench is included, and they give you an MLOK qd mount and a picatinny mount. This way you can add a QD sling easily or some kind of picatinny attachment.
Oh and one last thing, the rail is very aesthetically pleasing. Having a winged front end, the spacing and staggering of the MLOK slots, also having MLOK slots all around and not just at the 3,6,9 position. It’s just a no brainer to buy really!
In our opinion, most other rails are just trying to copy the look of the BCM MCM rail!
Negatives
There aren’t too many downsides of the BCM MCMR rail, but there are a few things to be aware of.
First, the rail currently comes in black or FDE, so if you wanted Grey, OD Green, etc you’d have to do that yourself or look for another rail.
Second, installing the rail is not difficult, but putting the rail over the barrel nut is TIGHT (which is good) so you may have to heat up the rail to expand it, some lube helps too.
Last, the “winged” front of the rail means that the very front part of the rail is not fully flat, it has “wings” on the right and left that protrude forward a bit. This gives it a really cool look, however if you plan on running a large suppressor, I would make sure you buy the correct length rail because some people do have issues with the suppressor hitting the winged part of the rail.
Install Procedure
The installation procedure is simple. Lube up the receiver threads with grease, put the barrel nut on, torque it down 3 times, put the handguard over it (might require some lube or to heat up), put the key holder in, then put the mounting hardware on to tighten it down.
Later if you want to install the included QD MLOK or Picatinny MLOK accessories you could.
Final thoughts
Overall we love the BCM MCMR Handguard and have for years. We love the handguard market, and love seeing new handguards come out. Throughout the years we believe most companies try to copy the look of the BCM MCMR, as it’s basically perfect.
What most can’t due (due to patents) is recreate BCMs MCMR lockup system. Once you study the market long enough and get your hands on many other rails (like we have), you realize the sleek design of the BCM MCMR rail can’t really be beat and the lockup itself is so tight, and well thought out that it’s not going anywhere. It creates as good of a monolithic type upper receiver as you could ask.
Pair that with BCMs quality control, and reputation for battle ready products, and the price point, and it’s a win, win, win.
We know you’ll love this rail as much as we do. It’s the best on the market!
Thanks for reading!
If you still have any questions or comments, just let us know and we’ll be happy to help!
