Troy Alpha Rail Install and Review

[Instaurator]

For those of you who have used the Extreme and Alpha...Once the shooting gets fast and furious, how do they compare to normal quad rails in handling barrel heat? Too hot to handle since you. Ant use panels / rail covers?

I shot a couple mags worth of 5-round controlled bursts. The rail did get warm near the barrel nut area, but not anywhere near uncomfortable. I didnt try any full 30 round mag dumps out of it though.

[g-men10455]

I can't install the Alpha rail on my rifle, the irony is that the handguard I'm replacing is the Extreme.
Checkout the difference between the Extreme on the left & Alpha on right. I have no issues with the Extreme on or off.
Sorry for the crappy cell pics.

[ericridebike]

Just got my 13" VTAC Alpha rail installed on my 16" mid-length. Love the fit and feel so far. Putting it on was a breeze. Can't wait to get it out and put some rounds through it now.

[mkmckinley]

I can't install the Alpha rail on my rifle, the irony is that the handguard I'm replacing is the Extreme.

Why cant you install the Alpha?

[kcmo83]

Why cant you install the Alpha?

Not to insult his intelligence, but perhaps he's trying a direct swap and is attempting to (re-)use the Troy barrel nut as opposed to the stock USGI barrel nut?

[mkmckinley]

Just a little update. I now have three Alpha rails and they all installed without a hitch. I didn't cut off any delta rings, I just unscrewed the barrel nuts and removed them that way. They all have a slight gap between the front of the upper receiver and the back of the rail. This is not a bad thing. It doesn't affect alignment, it's just a byproduct of how the rail attaches. When the locking bolts are tightened down the rail gets pulled forward, away from the receiver, against the scalloped collar on the barrel nut. The rail gets centered and aligned by clamping down on that collar.

In shooting with the Alpha I haven't noticed an excessive amount of heat. I normally shoot ARs with glove on but even without gloves it hasn't been an issue for me. I think the Troy Alpha is going to be my go-to rail for any future AR builds I decide to do:

They're functionally perfect for my needs (light, strong, adaptable)
They don't use a proprietary barrel nut or wrench
They have an aftermarket following (IWC etc.)
They're relatively inexpensive

[g-men10455]

Not to insult his intelligence, but perhaps he's trying a direct swap and is attempting to (re-)use the Troy barrel nut as opposed to the stock USGI barrel nut?

That's exactly what I was doing, I completely forgot to swap out the barrel nut. What a brain fart.
Thank you.

[kcmo83]

Glad it worked out for you, hope you enjoy it!

[JMFM0911]

Looking good!

[richiecotite]

For those of you who have used the Extreme and Alpha...Once the shooting gets fast and furious, how do they compare to normal quad rails in handling barrel heat? Too hot to handle since you. Ant use panels / rail covers?

I ran about 6 mags through at the range; after dumping 2 it was pretty hot. Not hot enough to burn, but i had to put the rifle down for a minute. Will probably want to wear gloves in the future/