Q Honey Badger Review

The Q Honey Badger pistol, a variant of Q Honey Badger was created for a specific military contract. It was intended to replace the MP5–SD. This gun is small and easy to use in a variety situations. This article doesn’t cover the full history of Q Honey Badger. If you are looking for a Q Honey Badger Review, you have come to the right place.
Table of contentsWhat is the appeal of the gun?Ergonomics SafetyPistol GripMag ReleasesMagazine WellBolt Release/Hold OpenCharging HandleHandguardTrigger Q Honey Badger ReviewQ Honey Badger Pistol BraceLooks Q Honey Badger ReviewMounting AccessoriesOptics Q Honey Badger ReviewLights Q Honey Badger ReviewControl DevicesSling Q Honey Badger ReviewAesthetics Finish Q Honey Badger ReviewShooting ExperienceSupersonic Q Honey Badger ReviewThe TruthFinal Conclusions Q Honey Badger ReviewRelated ArticlesProsCons
What is the appeal to the gun?
The Honey Badger’s unique color scheme will immediately set it apart from other AR-15s. Clear-coat anodizing is a process that the Honey Badger uses. Most firearms are anodized black, and then Cerakoted if the owner desires a different color. Honey Badger is unique because it uses a clear coating on the receiver and handguard.
The receiver is made from 7075 aluminum, while the handguard is made of 6061 aluminum. Because of the differences in metallurgy between the two types of aluminum, the colors can be different. Clear coat makes the receiver look gold, while the handguard becomes gray. The Honey Badger is light at 4 1/2 pounds. This lightweight is a double-edged weapon.
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The gun is great if you want it to be carried in a backpack, or you just need it to go with you when weight is an issue. It can cause problems in certain situations, however, when you are shooting. This is discussed in the shooting section. There are so many uses for this gun that it seems almost limitless. It can be used as a home defense gun, or as a hunting gun for animals such deer and hogs.
The gun is chambered in.300 darkout. It has many uses. It can be quiet if it’s running subsonics, but it can also have decent power if it’s shooting supers. It is my home defense weapon. We’ll get to that later.
Ergonomics
This gun is based on an AR-15 but there are many key differences that make it unique from the standard mil-spec AR-15 and even some of the more expensive custom rifles. Although the AR-15 platform was used in Q’s design, this gun has many proprietary parts.
Safety
Radian safety designs were specifically created for Q. The safety of the Q Honey Badger comes from Radian. The safety is very comfortable and has medium-link levers. It is easy to activate and just as comfortable. It is a bit stiff though, which is one of the things that I am disappointed with. The safety is not likely to be damaged inadvertently. The safety has a unique 70 degree throw. Most guns available on the market have a 45- to 90-degree turn.
The 45-degree throw seems to be the latest trend in higher-end AR. However, the 90-degree is still the standard. The 70-degree throw seems to be the shortest they can go for reliable safety. Q states that most guns have 45 degrees of safety. If the receivers aren’t held to a high standard, they will fail. If you want to ensure safety, make sure the receiver is set for 45-degree safety before you run it with the gun. It seems that 70 degrees is the line in the sand.
Pistol Grip
Q uses a Magpul K sender Magpul K grip for the Honey Badger. However, Reptilia Corp. has the original grip that was designed for the gun. This is the grip I use on my Honey Badger pistol. Although I prefer the Magpul, I am still going back-and-forth. I also have a Q Honey Badger RBR that I am waiting for the NFA paperwork. Once that paperwork is cleared, I will be able compare them and decide which one I prefer over a longer period of time. You can easily swap between any AR-15 solid grip available if you don’t like one of these options.
Mag Releases
The magazine release on Q Honey Badger is one thing that is standard AR-15. It’s a standard push-button release, and has no ambidextrous capability. It functions just like your standard mil-spec AR-15.
I don’t have much to add. Although it would have been nice for Q to add an ambidextrous or better design, I don’t feel like I’m missing it. I’m a right-handed shooter so there isn’t much to it. This is something you might miss if you are a lefty.
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Magazine Well
The magazine is excellent on the Q Honey Badgers. It is flared and very wide. This flare magazine well makes it easy to reload this gun. If you don’t get the magazine well, it is your fault and not the gun.
Bolt Release/Hold open
This is yet another feature that comes standard with the AR-15. It’s the same ping-pong-style release you would find on any mil-spec AR. It has not been upgraded in any way. It’s not a problem for me, but it could have been better. Although the gun’s receiver set is exceptional, it may not be enough to set it apart from other mil-spec firearms.
It really depends on your preferences and what it is that you are looking for. This is not an issue for me as a right-handed shooter. I have guns with upgraded bolt releases and magazine releases, but I have never used the ambidextrous features or upgraded features. They are a standard mil-spec AR-15-15 that I use because that’s what they’re used to.
Charging Handle
The standard gun comes standard with a Radian charging hand that was designed with Q specifications. Although it is not my favorite charging handle, I like this one. This is my second favorite AR-15 charging device. Clear-coat anodized to match receiver, this charging handle also comes with a matching receiver. It looks great and seems to be a standard option for the gun.
It doesn’t look like an upgraded part. It doesn’t look like they added more quality parts to it. This is one of the things that I like about the gun. It seems to work well and fit together. Everything is designed perfectly for this firearm.
Handguard
The gun’s handguard is six inches long and very ergonomic. I personally would like to see angled forward grips or other control vices for guns this small, but that is not necessary with the Q Honey Badger. The Honey Badger pistol handguard, which is slim and easy to use, is great. This gun is amazing. Although it is a standard MLOK-style handguard design, it is extremely well-executed. It was simple and effective.
Trigger Q Honey Badger Review
Throughout its production, the Honey Badger was equipped with three triggers. It shipped initially with an AR Gold trigger. But, AR Gold couldn’t keep up with demand for the Honey Badger trigger so they started shipping it with a Geissele. This is a flat-faced Geissele. I don’t know the exact model, but it is the Super Dynamic 3 trigger.
The trigger is quite good. The trigger will give you a slight sensation of take-up. After that, you’ll feel an extremely smooth brake. The gun seems to just shoot by itself. You’ll be able get fast split times with the trigger being extremely quick.
Q is currently working on a trigger for their firearm. It should be available sometime in the next year. Although I am not sure if I will upgrade the trigger to Q, it is something I am definitely considering. The Q trigger is supposed allow the gun to return to safe when the hammer has not been cocked.
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This might be a great feature for some people. This gun is truly unique among high-end AR-15s. This trigger is not standard on all high-end AR-15s. It just adds to the overall package. Although I have never been a trigger snob myself, this gun may have spoiled me.
Q Honey Badger Pistol Brace
The Honey Badger pistol’s brace is a collapsing brace. It uses two slide rails, just like the original MP-5 stock that goes into it. The receiver has cutouts to accommodate the slide rails. It looks very natural. This gun looks like it was built from scratch, not an AR-15 modified. The rails only have notches at the front, so you only have one position where you can pull the brace.
Personally, I don’t like this. The Noveske rifle uses the same brace system as Q, and has cutouts in its middle. This gives shooters more options and makes the brace easier to use. The Noveske’s shorter pull length is another reason I like it. There’s a cheek rest on Q that you need to keep your head further forward. I don’t like to push my neck forward. I prefer to keep my head high than turtleneck it into the gun.
The brace part of the firearm is excellent. It will fit comfortably around your arm while you shoot and looks natural. While many AR-15-style braces are now much more stylish, they still don’t look great. Even the SBM4 A3 brace is not the most attractive. It doesn’t look like the stock, but it will have the same functionality as a brace. It’s always cool for a gun to look like it has a stock even though it doesn’t have the same functionality.
Looks Q Honey Badger Review
This brace looks amazing and was made to be worn on the gun. The brace function works well as well. It is easy to wrap it around your arm, and you can access the pistol grip. It could have the ability to have the notch in the middle.
This is because, depending on your arm size, a shorter position might be more beneficial for some shooters than others. As a six-foot tall male, I find the long position to be fine. However, a shorter shooter might prefer a shorter pull when ratcheting the brace around their forearm.
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Mounting Accessories
Because the Q Honey Badger is an AR-15-style platform, mounting accessories is easy. The gun is extremely compact and short. This can pose some problems from a user perspective. A gun with more capabilities is always a good choice.
It just looks cooler. Sometimes, it’s half the battle to make the gun look cool. This gun should look like something out of a movie. That way, when you show it to your friends, they will be impressed. The Honey Badger is an easy gun to achieve that goal.
Optics Q Honey Badger Review
Mounting an optic on this gun is easy. The rail runs from the top of your gun to the front end of the handguard. Mounting any type of optic, low-power variable or red-dot, is easy. Personally, I prefer a red-dot to mount my guns because it makes the most sense for me and my applications. This gun can be mounted with iron sights at both the rear and front.
I am not currently running irons on this gun. However, I plan to add a Midwest Industries Fixed Front Sight Post designed for running an infrared laser. This front sight post takes up only one rail slot. This makes it very low-profile. I plan to mount a pressure pad behind the front sight. This will allow the gun to be used with a weapon light.
Currently, I am running a Trijicon MRO with a 1/3 Scalerworks mount. This will be replaced by an Aimpoint T-2 matter with a Unity Tactical Fast Mount. The mount has an integrated ghost ring or rear sight. This will allow me to have a. (surprise, surprise) fast mount. It’s much more than a 1/3 cowitness sight, which I think is better for the shooting position. I love the option to have iron sights back-up on a gun. This setup will allow me the flexibility to do this without taking up too much rail space or adding weight to the gun.
Review of Lights Q Honey Badger
Mounting a light to this gun is likely to be the most difficult thing. Or at least, mounting a light you can use ergonomically. There are many M-LOK slots for mounting a light, but the Vanguard’s six-inch length means that your hand shouldn’t be too far back in the gun. As I mentioned, I plan to get an offset mount and mount a Unity Tactical hot-button right behind the front site. This will allow me to use the gun ambidextrously.
It can be difficult to find the right mountain for the light. I want something that will push my light further in front of it. This is so that the gun’s ambidextrous use feels the same. However, I need something that will fit around my trash can. Because the trash panda is larger than the rail, I mounted it on the gun. I want to ensure that the light’s bezel does not interfere with the can.
As a current user, I intend to use a Modlite PHL model. It seems to be the most efficient head I have seen for overall usage. I currently use a TLR1-HL streamlined for home defense, as flooding is my primary goal in my small home.
Control Devices
Mounting a control device to the Q’s bottom handguard is easy. Two M-LOK slots are available, which can be modified to create any grip angle you desire. Personally, I don’t think that I will do that. I like the gun’s setup now. It’s perfect for me.
Sling Q Honey Badger Review
It is very easy to mount a sling to your Q Honey Badger AR-15. Just behind the receiver is an ambi-mounted QD portion. It accepts QD slot-sling swivels. This is a quick way to mount your rear sling. There are plenty of M-LOK slot up front, where you can mount a QD cup or run Paracord through the M–LOK slots.
As this gun is set up for home defense, and I don’t have any children or dogs, or any reason to have to sling a firearm if I need to use it for home defence, I haven’t really given much thought to mounting a sling. I will be purchasing an Edgar Sherman Design sling for this gun. It has worked well with a lot of my guns. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and many people are using the Honey Badger because of that.
Aesthetics
The Honey Badger is an aesthetically different gun than many of the others on the market. This gun will look very different from the standard AR-15. It will look completely different from any other gun in its category, such as an ACR, FN Scar or a CZ Bren. It has a clear-coat anodized finish that is really cool. It is something I like. I liked the gun’s appearance. Many people are impressed by the gun, even if they don’t have guns. Gun people love it or hate it. They either like standard black or think the Honey Badger looks beautiful. Some people find this look trendy. It will only be time before we see how it age, but I think it will age well.
This gun looks like it was made for you, with the brace and all other aspects. The gun fits perfectly in all categories. The receivers fit together very well. The handguard attaches securely. The brace is the only thing that is loose in this gun. The brace and rails become looser over time than their mounting. This is not a problem, but if you are concerned about rattle, you might consider another gun. It is not something I have an issue with.
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Finish Q Honey Badger Review
Finish is the only thing that is missing from this firearm. This firearm’s finish is somewhat subpar. Clear-coat anodizing of the aluminum handguard appears flawless, but it is not as perfect as the clear anodizing of the receiver set. There are very few blemishes. I had the pleasure to see three Honey Badgers. All of them had these blemishes but in different degrees. You should definitely check out a Honey Badger in person before you buy one. It might not be as easy as you think to find one without blemishes. They aren’t easily seen from afar.
The receiver set itself is an amazing work of art. It has amazing lines and everything seems well-designed. The Magwell’s front has “Live Free or Die” and the Q symbol looks great. It doesn’t seem like an overtly branded firearm. The side has a small brass deflector. It fits perfectly on the gun. This set is clearly a labor of love.
Shooting Experience
This gun might not be as easy to shoot as you expected. This gun is very lightweight at just four-and-a half pounds. Keep in mind that this gun was intended to be shot suppressed so I attached my Q trash PANDA. This is how I have it set-up for home defense. And that’s basically how every round through this gun has been fired in my hands.
This gun seems to have almost zero recoil when shooting subsonics. It’s almost like shooting a 10/22. It is as quiet as a pellet gun and one of the most enjoyable guns you can imagine. It was amazing in terms of performance. The noise is not coming from the actual round being shot, but from a semi-automatic operation. I think it would be very quiet if there was a way of cutting off the gun and not cycling the action.
Review of Supersonic Q Honey Badger
If you shoot supersonic, things get a lot louder. This gun has a lot more recoil when shooting supersonic ammunition. Although it is manageable, it has a lot more kick. This gun with supersonic ammunition is not something I would want to use for 500 rounds per day. It’s lightweight and can fire subsonic ammunition. It’s not uncomfortable and the supersonic range is good for what you will likely be firing.
I have also noticed that different supersonic ammunition shoots differently through this gun. The 125-grain standard range ammo I use (125 g) has a lot less recoil than my 110 g GMX Hornady, which I keep in the gun for home defence. The quiet factor of the Q trash PANDA is another thing I want to mention about this gun. The Q trash PANDA is Q’s shorter QD-style can. However, it is still very quiet.
Because it was so quiet, I felt comfortable using the gun for home defense. My ears might ring a bit if I had the gun to fire indoors, but it wouldn’t cause any permanent damage. I have used Ear Pro to suppress the gun outdoors. (I don’t recommend this, by the way. It’s amazing quiet for what it is. After shooting a few rounds without Ear Pro, my ears didn’t ring when I left range.
The Truth
Although I don’t know if it would be possible to shoot 30 rounds with a gun that doesn’t have Ear Pro, it’s quiet enough that I can use supersonic ammo knowing it will be better holistically than subsonic while also not completely ruining my hearing. I can also shoot the gun indoors. Let’s just hope that this never happens.
Final Conclusions Q Honey Badger Review
This gun is not recommended for everyone. This gun is not for everyone. It’s a niche weapon, and the lightweight may not suit everyone. It’s a fun gun to bring to the range and it shoots subsonics well. It’s a great experience that I recommend everyone has.
The standard AR-15 might not be as diverse for the average person. This gun is one of those guns that you can feel the difference when you use it. It’s reliable, it shoots with the right ammo, and has an adjustable gas system that can be tuned if you want to run supersonic. There are many options available.
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Caliber costs are the only thing that bothers me. Caliber costs are a major problem..300 blackout rounds aren’t cheap and they’re unfortunately even more expensive. This gun is one of the most enjoyable guns to shoot when you can get.300 subsonic ammo at $0.60 per round. This is all I can offer.
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Pros
It looks different from a regular AR-15. The receiver set is amazing. Safety, charging handle, trigger, and trigger work great right out of the box.
Proprietary partsThe gun’s surface finish is not excellent. No adjustment in the brace.Lightweight (recoil using supersonic ammunition)Like this.