Setting the Bar

Blk Lbl is a small company out of Canada, born from professionals and avid hunters. The idea was simple: create a high-quality handguard and offer the ability for an integrated premium bipod that stores inside the handguard without creating bulk or adding excessive weight. This may seem near impossible, but upon burning the midnight oil and countless cases of Molson Canadian, the team at Blk Lbl accomplished the seemingly impossible. The Blk Lbl handguard with an integrated bipod was born.

Apart from the aesthetics, the Blk Lbl handguard is not simply an attractive choice for appearance; this handguard was intended for hard use in the worst conditions. The finest materials and massive man-hours were used to create a functional combat handguard intended for the worst of environments and still make the gun safe appear more cosmopolitan. The handguard from Blk Lbl is as much a piece of art as it is a combat accessory.

The Blk Lbl handguard comes in two different configurations: the handguard with an integrated bipod and the handguard without. There is a wide selection of handguard choices, ranging from the benevolent AR15 to the more obscure Springfield Hellion. While there is a distinct focus on higher-end bolt-action rifles, Blk Lbl has also focused on bullpup rifles to ensure these platforms have options, given the nature of a shorter handguard. Blk Lbl handguards are also designed to be suppressor compatible, allowing for the average-sized suppressor to integrate into the handguard.

A Strong Base

The Blk Lbl handguard is more than a place to hold the rifle and mount accessories; this handguard was meant to streamline use by having an integrated bipod built into the handguard and provide the end user with a highly functional bipod that would meet and exceed the needs of hunters and soldiers in one attractive package. The bipods are a full metal outer construction and carbon fibre legs with traction pads at the base of each leg. The bipod legs are independently employed and held in place with magnets. Once locked into extension, a simple pull of the leg releases the locking mechanism, and the leg can be folded back into its flush fitment of the handguard. There is a quick-release tab that provides rapid length adjustment and can easily be slipped back to the original short length. Cant is fully adjustable by up to 40 degrees and has a tightening mechanism to fix the movement of the cant for stability. This is a fully functional professional bipod that integrates directly into the handguard seamlessly and operates completely with the use of one hand.

Hell of a Handguard

The first handguard to analyze is the rarest option. The Springfield Hellion is fairly well known in the US market, but overseas, the Hellion is known by its military name, the VHS2. This platform has seen its fair share of combat in the Middle East and has earned a well-deserved reputation for its reliability, accuracy, and excellent ergonomics. The one real improvement needed was an upgraded handguard, and Blk Lbl rises to the occasion.

The Hellion handguard upgrade comes in both flavours, with or without an integrated handguard. The handguard can be acquired in either a long or short model. This option allows the user to mount forward of the carry handle and provides a little more protection for the hand and the barrel; this longer option is especially useful when considering the 20” barreled version of the Hellion. Another significant advantage of the longer-barreled variant is the extra mounting over the barrel for accessories. For a platform that, like all bullpups, has to place a premium on mounting space second to a more compact platform, the handguard with an integrated bipod provides a significant and effective use of space.

We mounted the standard handguard on the Hellion for our VCR Project. This is a fully customised Hellion, hence the name, the VCR (Very Cool Rifle). With the improved handguard being the crown jewel of the rifle and the only part truly holding the rifle back, we had the trigger reworked by Black Talon, stock/bolt release/selector by Manticore Arms, and Lunar Tech for extended mag release and flared magazine well. The VCR Project has taken the Hellion to the next level and truly customized this platform to perform.

ARs and More

What weapon accessory company would be seen as serious if they didn’t cater to the AR15 family of weapons? Blk Lbl felt the same way and created a handguard for the AR15 and AR10. The two platforms obviously have their differences, and as it pertains to the barrel-nut, they are different, but the handguards look and operate identically. There are different lengths ranging from 14”, 15.5”, and 17”, allowing for the individual to choose a length that meets their needs. The fitment is solid, and the appearance is stunning, with a clean, almost oval shape. The handguard fits into the hand very well and makes indexing targets in the off-hand as natural as setting up with the bipod. The front has a unique appearance with relief cuts to add to the appearance and clear space for side ported compensators. The use of the handguard feels the same from an AR15 to an AR10.

In the case of the AR15, the handguard was installed on a custom Ruger American Ranch in 7.62×39 for a gen 2 variation of at Scout Rifle and this smooth integration of the bipod built in and the comfort of the handguard coupled with a rigid mounting makes the system a significant upgrade for what I would think Mr. Cooper would be proud to call a true Scout Rifle. We had the action fluted and micro slicked by AD Arms and had Anarchy Outdoors provide us with a new bolt handle with improved angle and sweep with interchangeable bolt knobs. Indian Creek provided a chassis and an AR15 handguard adapter. Fire Castle Custom modified the receiver to use Magpul AK magazines for cross-platform compatibility, and Midwest Industries gave us the Alpha Stock for adjustable length of pull, comb, and buttplate placement, all the while allowing us to fold the stock.

On the AR-10, we set it up on a platform I am calling the SIPP or Straight-Pull Intermediate Precision Platform. This is an AR10 with a true free-floated Criterion barrel mounted to a Midwest Industries AR10 with a Devil Dog Arms Hard Charger side charger and LAW folder, combined with a Reptillia Designs Recce Stock to provide us with a compact spring-assisted bolt-action AR-10 that has all the ergonomics and logistical support of an AR with the precision of a bolt-action rifle. The seamless handguard truly finishes off the platform with a system that rewards simplicity and forward thinking by staying lightweight, streamlined, and cross-platform compatible.

Conclusion

Given the nature of such a well-designed handguard, we are left wanting more. There is so much value wrapped up in the handguards from Blk Lbl; we want to see more options for use. As more platforms are created, we would love to see the AK series and even the Jakl see adoption. Of course, known platforms like the Sig MCX and Spear would benefit greatly from the Blk Lbl touch of grace; it can only be assumed that more platforms are coming soon or are in development.

The Blk Lbl handguard is a lightweight, robust, and excessively adaptable handguard aimed at providing its users with either a traditional handguard or one with an integrated bipod. The use of either provides users with a suppressor-friendly lightweight combat handguard that lacks none of the modern considerations or the adaptability needed for the consistent evolution of combat. Black Label is a title synonymous with quality and exclusivity. Blk Lbl handguards meet this name from the front with class and tenacity rarely seen, embodying both. Blk Lbl is a true masterclass of performance and appearance.