Mark_Daiute wrote on Mar 4^th, 2019 at 6:05pm:

. . . If I use the one handguard I have remaining I can not replace it. . .

Of course you could replace it. Making a Krag handguard is a pretty basic hand woodworking project with a bit of rudimentary sheet metal bending and riveting thrown in. No rocket surgery required!

This one used to be an old chair leg, a steel packing band, four nails and a snort of raw linseed oil -

---