MEGA ARMS / Hodge Defense Systems Wedge Lock rail, gas-block and MLOK compatibility

[TexasAggie2005]

Not sure if i can tell from the photo how it mounts up or accepts a scout mount? With the Wedge Lock rails getting behind the MLOK slot on the upper 45* face for a backing plate is doable, difficult on the 9.3" MEGA rail with carbine gas though.

Hopefully somebody with 1st hand experience will chime in. Looks like it wouldn't work if the gas block is directly under the MLOK slot being used.

But, I'll try to describe. Yiu have to install the mount with light before putting the handguard onto the rifle. You have to have backside access to the interior of the MLOK slot being used, which the barrel would normally block. To install; Plate goes on exterior of the handguard (as pictured below), washers go inside the handguard, and the screws threads from the inside of the handguard, thru the washer & plate and directly into the Scout light (sans factory mount) mount threads.



edited to add interior picture of it installed.

[jerrysimons]

Hopefully somebody with 1st hand experience will chime in. Looks like it wouldn't work if the gas block is directly under the MLOK slot being used.

But, I'll try to describe. Yiu have to install the mount with light before putting the handguard onto the rifle. You have to have backside access to the interior of the MLOK slot being used, which the barrel would normally block. To install; Plate goes on exterior of the handguard (as pictured below), washers go inside the handguard, and the screws threads from the inside of the handguard, thru the washer & plate and directly into the Scout light (sans factory mount) mount threads.

IMG]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161023/b857f1215c646826e04e8d91af8addd1.jpg[/IMG]

edited to add interior picture of it installed.

IMG]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161023/8eecb3a18d9a1a6114572910dfc9c80a.jpg[/IMG]

Interesting. I have not seen those. I kinda like using the MLOK for what it is but that is doable. Everything just has to be installed before you slide the rail onto the barrel nut. One of the cool things about this rail is how simple it is to install. Probably the most simple. No barrel nut to align AND no bolts or nuts. Just torque the barrel nut, slide rail on, and tighten the wedges.

[Defaultmp3]

My only gripe is the Hodge rails only have one MLOK slot on the upper 45* faces. I was hoping to use an Arisaka Defense Inline Scout mount but I think it is going to stick out past the rail too far and will interfere with my silencer, especially on the 10.75" Rail/11.5" barrel combo. A second MLOK slot or an additional half slot on the upper 45s would allow for more room.

Depending on the light, you can also use the Arisaka In-Line Scout Mount, but in reverse:

The new 7075 mounts are thin enough that the Scout heads will clear it fine; however, mounting the M600U would be a bitch, as the body would be blocking access to the mounting screws, unlike the M300, so you'd have to chop down a hex tool to the right size to finagle it in for mounting. Will has also stated that he "wouldn't cantilever the inline mount more than a half inch off the front of the rail", so yeah.

Another option offered by Unity would be their Monkey Bar, assuming you're okay with using a Magpul MBUS Pro as your front sight:


I have to say, though, they don't look that substantial, compared to the Arisaka In-Line mounts, and are made from a weaker material (6061 rather than Arisaka's 7075), so I'm not sure how rugged they actually are.

[titsonritz]

Great thread, this is something I have been wondering about. Thanks for taking the time.

[jerrysimons]

Depending on the light, you can also use the Arisaka In-Line Scout Mount, but in reverse:

The new 7075 mounts are thin enough that the Scout heads will clear it fine; however, mounting the M600U would be a bitch, as the body would be blocking access to the mounting screws, unlike the M300, so you'd have to chop down a hex tool to the right size to finagle it in for mounting. Will has also stated that he "wouldn't cantilever the inline mount more than a half inch off the front of the rail", so yeah.

I have thought about that, thanks for the photo! I was thinking the Arisaka 600 mounted reverse might work well because it was longer(Nope). It looks like the 300 will work well.

Edit: Oh shoot, I just realized what you were getting at. The center section of the 600 body would mostly cover the MLOK screws. I guess with the 300 you have to take the head off to get at them.
That is the 10.75" w/ 11.5" barrel?

[Defaultmp3]

I have thought about that, thanks for the photo! I was thinking the Arisaka 600 mounted reverse might work well because it was longer(Nope). It looks like the 300 will work well.

Edit: Oh shoot, I just realized what you were getting at. The center section of the 600 body would mostly cover the MLOK screws. I guess with the 300 you have to take the head off to get at them.
That is the 10.75" w/ 11.5" barrel?

No idea, pulled the picture from here: http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum...972#post139972

Slippers talks about some of the mounting possibilities in that thread. There's also discussion about how some of the offset Scout mounts don't clear the handguard properly.

[snakedoctor]

Do you think a BCM low profile gas block will fit under a Hodge rail?

[jerrysimons]

No idea, pulled the picture from here: http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum...972#post139972

Slippers talks about some of the mounting possibilities in that thread. There's also discussion about how some of the offset Scout mounts don't clear the handguard properly.

Dang. Some good info after you bumped the thread! WS6 needs to send me his offset Arisaka while I have both Hodge and MEGA rails to fiddle with.

WTAF if the Arisaka Defense offset scout mount doesn't fit properly on the Hodge Rail AND it only has the one MLOK slot on the upper 45*s!?

Also you can't canteliver the Arisake Defense mount much in front of the Hodge rails. The face of the rail sits flush with a silencer outer diameter. The bottom of the attachment would touch. This would probably be an issue most with the 10.75" rail/11.5" barrel combo. A little bit of barrel sticking past the 9.31" rail/10.5" barrel and 11.5" rail/12.5" barrel combos.

[jerrysimons]

Do you think a BCM low profile gas block will fit under a Hodge rail?

Probably, but I don't have one to measure/test. Looking at hotos they are about the same standard lo-pro shape. I know BCMs .625" gas-block is just a .750" size gas-block with a .625" bore. So maybe the photo I saw where the BCM block looked to have thicker side-wall-width than others (about .075") was actually just a photo of the .625" gas-block. Which if that was the case the gas-block in the photo would have the same outer dimensions as the .750".
It will probably be like the Syrac for 6 o'clock MLOK function.

[mtdawg169]

Great thread! I ran into this issue last year with a Midwest Industries mlok rail. It was installed over a Bergara stainless bull barrel. The rail was so skinny in diameter, that it would not allow installation of mlok accessories behind the gas block, only forward, where the profile stepped down.

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