Tzook
03-04-14, 16:00
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab245/tzmanbball/71079C4B-EF97-4B37-9FBC-07920FA0ECEF_1.jpg
KeyMod is the new latest, greatest mounting solution for rail accessories, and is a system that allows lights, foregrips, lasers or whatever hotness you need on your rail to be slotted into a channel that secures your accessories without the need for messy, bolt on rails on slick hand guards. Within the last few years many shooters have been moving away from the traditional picantinny quad rail, and have been moving to slick-side hand guards. This has been a huge jump in rail technology and has yielded many shooters big weight savings, as well as increased ergonomics and a wider range of mounting position options. It’s been a painful growth period however, because almost no two rails accept rail sections in the same manner because they all have proprietary mounting points. Another issue is that bolt on rail sections can often make accessories feel awkward because of the increased height created by the rail mounting hardware. Since VLTOR released their KeyMod innovation to other companies in the industry; in an effort to advance the platform and create some sense of continuity in rail design, the KeyMod system has really taken off. It offers a universal option for all manufacturers, and could prove to be a major game changer in the hand guard game.
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab245/tzmanbball/B6038E5C-3D83-41E1-A859-2A42EF8C99D3.jpg
I had yet to own any variety of the keymod handguards before I received this piece from SLR Rifleworks; a 13” Solo series KeyMod rail and so far I’m impressed with the system as well as the rail itself. The first thing I noticed about this rail was how light it was, I don’t usually spend a lot of time worried about weight but my 16” gun is a LaRue PredatAR, so I’m used to shooting a pretty light rifle. The SLR Solo is head and shoulders above many manufacturers When I first picked up the barrel nut I had a hard time believing it wasn’t made out of plastic, it is in fact machined from a solid piece of 7075 billet. The rail and barrel nut combined weigh in at a mere 11 oz. The SLR rail has a slim profile that I really like, it gives me quite a good purchase around the rail, and I have average sized hands.
The barrel nut and mounting system on the Solo KeyMod rail is extremely simple, and it only took me a few minutes to get the rail on once I had the original barrel nut removed. The rail features a screw that the installer can use to separate the rail enough to slide it all the way back onto the barrel nut, and two screws that attatch to a tab on the other side to lock the rail in place. The Solo has two anti-rotational tabs machined at the base of hardhandguard that lock the rail onto the receiver, and for an even tighter fit two metal tubes that lock around the tensioning screws. This is what keeps the handguard from moving at all on the barrel nut, though that would take some pretty serious trauma.
The machining on the Solo is excellent, SLR put out a design that I find to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. They’ve taken enough material out of the side to keep it very light, but left enough to give the rail a solid, strong feel. One unique feature about this rail that I really like but some may not are the small cuts between the rail sections along the top of the rail. I have very hard, calloused hands and this extra texturing helps give me a rock solid feel when holding onto the rail. It also locks in nicely when used with a pair of gloves. I can see this being an issue for those who have softer hands, but it’s a feature that I’m really enjoying. Perhaps my favorite feature about the SLR handguard is that every single KeyMod slot on the rail functions as a QD cup, which gives the user a ton of sling mounting position options without having to go out and purchase extra rail attachments to hook their sling onto. This brings up just about the only issue I have with the rail’s design, which is built in picatinny rail sections up front. These feature a QD cup that is not anti-rotational, and cutouts on either side of the rail section that could probably be eliminated all together to leave space for at least three more KeyMod slots. Some people like this feature, but I’m not a big fan. If I wanted a rail out there I could attach one with the KeyMod system, and I’ll never run a sling that far forward on my rifle because it interferes with light mounting options. The rail sections do serve as a good indexing point on the rifle, at least for those who like to use a thumb over bore grip.
In addition to the Solo rail from SLR, I also tried out one of their adjustable gas blocks, of the .750 variety. It weighs in at a very light 1.7 ounces, adding essentially nothing to the overall weight of the gun. The gun I opted to use this on features a 12.5 BCM barrel, and it truly gives me a great variety of gas port size options. As I’ve come to expect from SLR, the machining of the gas block is top notch, and it fits very nicely when coupled with a quality barrel. It is available in both a set screw version and a clamp on, both of which have the new “Windowed Lite” feature. The gas block is extremely easy to adjust, and you can feel every click you make with the Allen key, so there is very little guess work involved when making adjustments. You can close the port completely with this gas block, or open it up all the way for maximum gas output. I prefer to tone it down enough that it barely cycles lower powered ammunition, so when shooting with quality ammo it is extremely smooth. Even the smaller parts on the DA-7 seem to be robust, and I imagine there is little chance this could be broken, which is a big worry of mine when talking about the function of a rifle. In my opinion this is an excellent choice to consider when building an SBR, because of the ease of adjustment and because of the variety of options it gives you to ensure that your carbine functions correctly. We ran this on several different muzzle devices including the regular A2 birdcage, suppressed, and with the Kaw Valley Precision Linear Comp that is pictured in the photography and the DA-7 was always easily tuned to work with each. Another plus is that it comes with its own longer Allen head wrench that is equipped with a ball head for reaching up under rails and also being able to adjust the DA-7 and funky angles if you have to go in through a slot, they also offer a 13″ Allen head for $11.00 in case you are running a carbine gas system and a super long handguard. At $99 dollars the DA-7 is certainly worth a look if you have an overly gassy rifle that could use some tuning, especially since it comes with a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab245/tzmanbball/3BB3F008-2BEE-4247-8B03-50735EA35320.jpg
Here is the full review from our website including more pictures. Thanks guys! Enjoy!
http://almosttactical.com/slr-rifleworks-solo-handguard/
KeyMod is the new latest, greatest mounting solution for rail accessories, and is a system that allows lights, foregrips, lasers or whatever hotness you need on your rail to be slotted into a channel that secures your accessories without the need for messy, bolt on rails on slick hand guards. Within the last few years many shooters have been moving away from the traditional picantinny quad rail, and have been moving to slick-side hand guards. This has been a huge jump in rail technology and has yielded many shooters big weight savings, as well as increased ergonomics and a wider range of mounting position options. It’s been a painful growth period however, because almost no two rails accept rail sections in the same manner because they all have proprietary mounting points. Another issue is that bolt on rail sections can often make accessories feel awkward because of the increased height created by the rail mounting hardware. Since VLTOR released their KeyMod innovation to other companies in the industry; in an effort to advance the platform and create some sense of continuity in rail design, the KeyMod system has really taken off. It offers a universal option for all manufacturers, and could prove to be a major game changer in the hand guard game.
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab245/tzmanbball/B6038E5C-3D83-41E1-A859-2A42EF8C99D3.jpg
I had yet to own any variety of the keymod handguards before I received this piece from SLR Rifleworks; a 13” Solo series KeyMod rail and so far I’m impressed with the system as well as the rail itself. The first thing I noticed about this rail was how light it was, I don’t usually spend a lot of time worried about weight but my 16” gun is a LaRue PredatAR, so I’m used to shooting a pretty light rifle. The SLR Solo is head and shoulders above many manufacturers When I first picked up the barrel nut I had a hard time believing it wasn’t made out of plastic, it is in fact machined from a solid piece of 7075 billet. The rail and barrel nut combined weigh in at a mere 11 oz. The SLR rail has a slim profile that I really like, it gives me quite a good purchase around the rail, and I have average sized hands.
The barrel nut and mounting system on the Solo KeyMod rail is extremely simple, and it only took me a few minutes to get the rail on once I had the original barrel nut removed. The rail features a screw that the installer can use to separate the rail enough to slide it all the way back onto the barrel nut, and two screws that attatch to a tab on the other side to lock the rail in place. The Solo has two anti-rotational tabs machined at the base of hardhandguard that lock the rail onto the receiver, and for an even tighter fit two metal tubes that lock around the tensioning screws. This is what keeps the handguard from moving at all on the barrel nut, though that would take some pretty serious trauma.
The machining on the Solo is excellent, SLR put out a design that I find to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. They’ve taken enough material out of the side to keep it very light, but left enough to give the rail a solid, strong feel. One unique feature about this rail that I really like but some may not are the small cuts between the rail sections along the top of the rail. I have very hard, calloused hands and this extra texturing helps give me a rock solid feel when holding onto the rail. It also locks in nicely when used with a pair of gloves. I can see this being an issue for those who have softer hands, but it’s a feature that I’m really enjoying. Perhaps my favorite feature about the SLR handguard is that every single KeyMod slot on the rail functions as a QD cup, which gives the user a ton of sling mounting position options without having to go out and purchase extra rail attachments to hook their sling onto. This brings up just about the only issue I have with the rail’s design, which is built in picatinny rail sections up front. These feature a QD cup that is not anti-rotational, and cutouts on either side of the rail section that could probably be eliminated all together to leave space for at least three more KeyMod slots. Some people like this feature, but I’m not a big fan. If I wanted a rail out there I could attach one with the KeyMod system, and I’ll never run a sling that far forward on my rifle because it interferes with light mounting options. The rail sections do serve as a good indexing point on the rifle, at least for those who like to use a thumb over bore grip.
In addition to the Solo rail from SLR, I also tried out one of their adjustable gas blocks, of the .750 variety. It weighs in at a very light 1.7 ounces, adding essentially nothing to the overall weight of the gun. The gun I opted to use this on features a 12.5 BCM barrel, and it truly gives me a great variety of gas port size options. As I’ve come to expect from SLR, the machining of the gas block is top notch, and it fits very nicely when coupled with a quality barrel. It is available in both a set screw version and a clamp on, both of which have the new “Windowed Lite” feature. The gas block is extremely easy to adjust, and you can feel every click you make with the Allen key, so there is very little guess work involved when making adjustments. You can close the port completely with this gas block, or open it up all the way for maximum gas output. I prefer to tone it down enough that it barely cycles lower powered ammunition, so when shooting with quality ammo it is extremely smooth. Even the smaller parts on the DA-7 seem to be robust, and I imagine there is little chance this could be broken, which is a big worry of mine when talking about the function of a rifle. In my opinion this is an excellent choice to consider when building an SBR, because of the ease of adjustment and because of the variety of options it gives you to ensure that your carbine functions correctly. We ran this on several different muzzle devices including the regular A2 birdcage, suppressed, and with the Kaw Valley Precision Linear Comp that is pictured in the photography and the DA-7 was always easily tuned to work with each. Another plus is that it comes with its own longer Allen head wrench that is equipped with a ball head for reaching up under rails and also being able to adjust the DA-7 and funky angles if you have to go in through a slot, they also offer a 13″ Allen head for $11.00 in case you are running a carbine gas system and a super long handguard. At $99 dollars the DA-7 is certainly worth a look if you have an overly gassy rifle that could use some tuning, especially since it comes with a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab245/tzmanbball/3BB3F008-2BEE-4247-8B03-50735EA35320.jpg
Here is the full review from our website including more pictures. Thanks guys! Enjoy!
http://almosttactical.com/slr-rifleworks-solo-handguard/