SLR Rifleworks ION Ultra Lite

The SLR Rifleworks ION Ultra Lite is the handguard that competition shooters keep coming back to. The seven-sided extrusion puts M-LOK slots at every usable angle, while aggressive lightening cuts and vent holes strip weight down to 8.9 ounces with barrel nut and hardware included. That weight figure is not a typo, and it is not a stripped-rail number. Full system, under nine ounces.

SLR's slip-fit mounting system slides the rail over a 7075 hardcoat-anodized barrel nut, where an anti-rotation insert and four set screws lock everything solid. No timing, no shims, no wrestling with proprietary torque specs. The melonite-finished mounting hardware resists corrosion even on suppressed guns that see heavy carbon fouling. The 1.35-inch inner diameter accommodates most low-profile gas blocks and fits all mil-spec forged receivers and most billet receivers.

The top rail runs a minimal Picatinny section at the front and receiver junction, enough for irons or a forward-mounted optic, while keeping the rest of the rail skeletonized for weight savings. Four integrated QD sling swivel points are machined directly into the rail body. Available in lengths from 9.5 to 16 inches, the ION Ultra Lite is built for shooters who weigh their rifles in ounces and their split times in hundredths.