Unique-ARs make complete guns, but there are 3 accessories you need to add to any AR.
If you just missed Mother’s Day, or if you’re looking for something to give for Father’s Day, then there are three accessories from Unique-ARs you need to know about.
Custom handguard, custom upper and lower, custom color mags to match, and a custom serial number. Sheesh.
Unique-ARs can create a complete milled gun in custom colors with matching mags and your own unique serial number. These complete guns are cool and the customization is limitless, but they also make some accessories that everyone can use and the prices are very approachable.
Their custom machined handguards are amazing, but I’ll show you their Unique-Grip and ROOK brake first.
Unique-Grip
The Unique-Grip is a truly customized grip, but it works mechanically and can be re-customized instantly. That means anyone can shoot your gun and get a custom fit.
How It Works
The grip is composed of stacked plates with a bolt at the bottom. You just unlock the bolt, then shoulder your gun and squeeze the grip, then lock the bolt. When you squeeze, the grip shifts to fit your hand.
Typical grips are built in the same plane with the body of the rifle and your hand has to conform. This means that as you grip the rifle, you’re also torquing against the grip in the places it doesn’t fit your hand. The really unique thing is that this grip doesn’t just shift to make dents for your fingers. It also shifts side to side to fill your palm.
Just loosen the bolt, squeeze the grip, and tighten the bolt. You get a fully-dimensional custom fit.
Natural Point of Aim for Your Hand
When you shoot prone, you should find the natural point of aim for your body so that you don’t pull the rifle against itself. The Unique-Grip is like giving your hand its natural point of aim. You may be surprised when you fit it to your hand to see just how much dimensionality your grip has. You’ll probably see that the grip ends up an angle to the barrel. The team at Unique-ARs calls this “canter” and they say folks are always amazed at how the shape of their grip is nothing like a typical gun grip.
The Unique-Grip fits your AR to you much like a shotgun fitter would fit a shotgun to your shoulder by adjusting for cast and toe. This grip makes the gun come up more naturally and I bet it makes you a better shooter. It fits all standard ARs and it costs just $65, so add it to your list for easy gifts.
ROOK Brake
A muzzle brake redirects the gasses that come out of the barrel when you shoot. The ROOK brake uses the gases to apply a directional force to the end of the barrel for two effects.
How Brakes Work
Normally, the gases exit straight out the end of the barrel, and that pushes the whole gun back toward the shooter. The ROOK brake uses the large slots to direct those gases to the sides and backward so that they are not pushing the gun directly backward. The small ports on top of the brake use the gases to push the barrel downward and help you keep on target between shots. There are no ports on the underside so that dust isn’t sprayed up when you’re shooting prone.
The ports and slots in the brake redirect the gases from the barrel to give you more control.
Brake for .223 …?
Shooters often use brakes with larger calibers, like 300 Winmag, because it’s much easier to keep your eye on-target and in the scope to see the bullet reach the target. Using them on .223 and .30 caliber rounds in your AR will make it much easier to stay on target and significantly reduces the recoil. Brakes make the gun louder for the shooter, and especially for anyone standing to the side, but overall they still make the gun a lot more fun to shoot.
The ROOK is 2.6″ long and it seems a little longer than some other brakes I’ve used, but it shoots really nicely. I used both the .223 caliber brake and the .30 caliber brake and they were both very effective at keeping muzzle rise under control and they made the guns easy to shoot. They boast that it reduces recoil 60% more than a standard A2 birdcage; I can’t corroborate that number, but I can say I liked using it and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
The ROOK is very effective and makes it more pleasurable to shoot and helps keep your eye on your target.
The ROOK is machined from 4140 steel with a black oxide finish. It weighs 4.2 ounces and comes threaded for either 1/2″-28 for .223 or 5/8″-24 for .30 caliber bullets. It’s just $90, and it’s made in the mountains of Idaho with all of Unique AR’s products.
The Unique-Handguard
These handguards are really fun. The designs are all machined into each handguard at varying depths for all kinds of detail and then they are finished with Cerakote with incredible specificity. You can get multiple colors on a single unit and they even have mesmerizing iridescent finishes.
Each design is perfected and flawless.
It’s Lovely, But Who Cares?
Ok, these handguards are pretty. But the main thing is that they are a pleasure to use. The finish is comfortable to hold and the cutouts make a positive grip while reducing weight. My current handguard has Picatinny rails all the way around and now that I’ve shot with these, I’m dreading using mine again because it’s rough and uncomfortable. These are much more fun to shoot, and I think folks new to the sport will enjoy using them much more than guns covered in tactical rails.
The handguard fits your hand comfortably and makes it more fun to shoot. New shooters will enjoy it more.
6061 T6 Aluminum
Each handguard begins life as a billet of 6061 T6 aluminum alloy. Most normal AR handguards can be machined in 20 minutes or less. It can take an hour to cut and craft Unique AR’s handguards on CNC machines. There are the original size and the new slim model. The original is 2″ outside diameter, and the slim is 1.80″ outside diameter. The original comes tapped with holes for accessories on the 12:00 and 6:00 positions, and, when it fits the design, the 3:00 and 9:00 positions, too. The slim comes standard with a full-length Picatinny rail on top and M-Lok slots on the bottom.
The original design is 2″ diameter with holes tapped for accessories.
These are the slim model with Picatinny rails on top finished in black.
Off-the-shelf Customization
They have crafted a number of designs that’ll get your mouth watering. One thing you’ll notice about Unique-ARs is the pride they take in their craftsmanship, and it even shows in the designs. They haven’t just cut out a tessellating design and wrapped it around the barrel. Their layouts fit the barrel precisely so that there aren’t any truncated shapes or incomplete patterns. The patterns look like they grew organically on the handguard and they are flawless.
The off-the-shelf designs are enviable. The top two are the original designs, and the black one is the slim.
Truly Unique Heirlooms
Their pre-designed handguards are terrific. But, you can also work with them directly to create your own truly custom handguard. You can make a one-off, or you can get a bunch made for your own brand. When I told my seven-year-old daughter I was going to check these out and described what they can do, her imagination went wild. She rattled off three cool design ideas immediately. Imagine the value your gun would have if you worked with your kids to make the handguard. You’d take a typical “black gun” and make it into an heirloom. And you may even convince your spouse that it’d be a great purchase.
Almost anything is possible. This is the Juliet with two colors.
Colorize
There’s more than a rainbow full of colors available, too. You can get more than one color and there are metallics and iridescent choices, too. Of course, there’s a price change with each color and certain colors cost more than others. Just call them and talk about what you want. You’re going to love working with their team. On the other hand, the black looks really good, too.
Choose any color, including many metallic colors, like the gold for the “Freedom” shown here.
You can choose from 7″, 9″, 12″ or 15″ handguards, and they include the barrel nut and are ready to mount to your gun. AR-15’s will need a standard M4 armorer’s wrench to attach the barrel nut, but you’ll need their UAR wrench for .308 rifles (and the UAR wrench also works on AR-15’s).
The included barrel nuts for AR-15s work with an M4 Armorer’s wrench.
If you get more than one handguard, they are easy to swap with an Allen wrench.
Prices go from $185 to $299 for the off-the-shelf designs. A full-custom design with colors starts at about $375 for a 15″ handguard. The ordering process will guide you through the options, but you can also give them a call.
Put These On Your List
I spent several hours shooting with Unique-ARs and used all the different combinations. If I were putting together an AR wishlist, it would include the Unique-Grip, the ROOK brake, and a 15″ slim handguard with an awesome design–probably one my daughter helped me with. The first two would make me a better shooter, and the third would make me a better dad and turn the gun into an heirloom.
For more information visit Unique ARs website.
While the designs are pretty neat, when I received my Unique AR’s handguard, the barrel nut rubbed against the lower receiver points where the pivot pin rides. Back then (approx. 6yrs ago) you had to use their rails as well.
Very neat!
“..This is my weapon, there are many like it, but this one is MINE!…”
Davis comment above says it all – Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
The handguards are the best I have seen and the one custom one I had made with my own design and Cerakote colors is almost as beautiful as my wife. The manufacturing time is very long ( 3 months for mine) due to a long list of customers..