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As the end of my 3rd year at Unique-ARs is coming to a close I’m stopping to reflect upon all that has transpired since I’ve been on board. I’ve seen a small shop with just a few employees blossom into an up and coming force to be reckoned with. There can be a direct parallel drawn between the company that we are and the handguards and accessories we’re creating. Of course, the credit goes to the owners for their relentless ambition and vision, but there’s still something to be said of the team of artists creating every day.
As a fledgling business, we were limited to just a single coating of cerakote on our handguards, and people were already impressed just for stepping away from the “black rifles” that remind me of the original Model T in your favorite color. We then developed a methodology to create two-tone jobs with one color on the surface of the handguard and another for the cut edges and inside. Customer demand and a neverending ceiling have us masking and applying multiple bakings but that’s just the beginning of the possibilities that are out there with Duracoat, Gunkote, Hydro dipping, etc.
Directly in-line with these layers of coatings, we have been creating designs with 3D effects unlike any other in the industry. A typical AR-15 handguard might have circles or slots cut directly through the material, but we use a v-bit at varying depth that makes our handguards come to life. As design after design comes across my desk and into my inbox these pieces have become much more intricate and in some cases, it becomes difficult to even tell that this all started from a simple aluminum tube.
I’m not here claiming responsibility for this growth, but to give credit to the passion of our customer base. As we continue creating designs “from mild to wild”, it seems like the appetites of our customers continue to grow more and more (which is true of me as well). On occasion, I’ll read a custom handguard description and just stare into space wondering how in the world anyone could dream up the concept, but at the same time, I love the challenge of making it work, making it happen, and seeing it through till the end. A few weeks later I’ll post the finished product into our gallery and someone will see it, love it, and ask for another layer of complexity added to it. Every day has been an adventure, and I keep looking forward to seeing what is coming on the horizon.