IWC Thorntail Keymod - A Discussion

[Eurodriver]

Update: See below

I've been a fanboy of IWC for years, and continue to be one. Sometimes I felt that my shooting style, body, and hands were a direct clone of Earl's. This post is meant to provide a place for discussion so that IWC can get feedback for improvement.

The mount is light, simple, and robust. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. Typical A+ IWC craftsmanship you'd expect. However, for me, It's very difficult to articulate the tailcap from a normal shooting position. This issue may be specific to the 10" KMR because of it's length and the positioning of the keymod slots.

Comparisons:

IWC SMC Scout mount on Midlength MOE Handguards with a Surefire M600.
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w521/6234987u02/IMG_20140428_073913_104_zpscb031f21.jpg


Offset Gear Sector Mount on a 9" Centurion Rail (I had an IWC Thorntail [picatinny] and this is almost identical to where that light would be also)
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w521/6234987u02/IMG_20140428_073231_503_zps5341ce93.jpg


IWC Thorntail Keymod on a 10" BCM KMR
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w521/6234987u02/IMG_20140428_072755_685_zpsa1d3a381.jpg


On the first two, the light is in a perfect position for activation. On the keymod, it's pretty difficult unless you are holding the rail in a regular firing position (not c-grip) just in front of the barrel nut.

[jackinfl]

Eurodriver,
Out of curiosuty have you tried switching the set up over to the 3:00 rail. See if your thumb is more naturally on the switch now.

Jack

[kdcgrohl]

Euro, as a fellow IWC fan I also found some nit-picks with this mount. Have you considered moving the mount up a key slot? It's designed to mount the next slot up if you wish, like so:
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/kdcgrohl/stuff/IMG_20130526_131232_874_zps139604a7.jpg
That may be an option to explore. Taking everything into account, I still think this is an excellent mount, I just wish it would sit a bit further inboard. It is nice to have the option to use an X300 or WML or a ring mounted light in place of the Scout.
My solution was to use a pic-rail Thorntail mount at 12, I'm really taking full advantage of this keymod stuff huh :suicide2:
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/kdcgrohl/firearms/2014-04-25181947_zpsf547a1f0.jpg

[Zane1844]

I also have to change my grip to activate the light. I have not shot with it yet- since it is getting dark later I want to be nice to the neighbors near the shooting range and wait till Fall to do night shooting- but during dry fire it is not as bad as I thought.

The mount will not fit in the 45 degree slots since the ring hits the top rail. I am waiting for a mount that will be able to mount there.

[mattieb]

I put mine on the 3:00 rail and it works great for me with a c clamp grip. I tried the 9:00 and was not comfortable at all. I do love the mount, and their customer service is top notch.

[Eurodriver]

I just tried mounting it to 3:00 and I don't like how it places my hand. I have to place my wrist almost directly in front of my aimpoint.

I also tried placing it farther forward, as depicted in kdcgrohl's pics but it places my flashlight directly above my flashhider. (I have a 10" rail and 11.5" barrel) That doesn't seem sustainable for the long term.

[mattieb]

You could always get a tape switch

[MOUNT-N-SLOT]

EuroDriver,

Thanks for the post and commentary. I totally agree... the KeyMod Thorntail places the light outboard further than the other mounts, but not by much, less than .375". This is exacerbated by the narrow width of the keymod rail and the need to accommodate the WML/X300 and clear the TROY BUIS you're running. We wanted to accommodate as many lights as possible, and the Scout was the compromise. We have something in the works.

[kdcgrohl]

Earl, I'm very excited to hear about "something in the works" for the Scout. How close in position will the light be held as compared to using a pic-mount Thorntail @ 12?

The Thorntail keymod is a beautiful do-it-all mount, but I'm glad to see something coming to tighten up the Scout. Again, very excited!


EuroDriver,
Thanks for the post and commentary. I totally agree... the KeyMod Thorntail places the light outboard further than the other mounts, but not by much, less than .375". This is exacerbated by the narrow width of the keymod rail and the need to accommodate the WML/X300 and clear the TROY BUIS you're running. We wanted to accommodate as many lights as possible, and the Scout was the compromise. We have something in the works.

[Eurodriver]

The Thorntail keymod is a beautiful do-it-all mount, but I'm glad to see something coming to tighten up the Scout. Again, very excited!

Agreed. Thanks for the update Earl. I think the thin diameter of the KMR does have a lot to do with the awkward positioning.

[Eurodriver]

Just wanted to update this thread. I got my BCM KMR VG in this morning and there is now no issue in reaching the tail cap. The light is positioned perfectly. I feel much more confident in accessing the tailcap under stress and reducing light NDs. If you are planning on getting a VG anyway, I'd grab the IWC mount without worry.

http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w521/6234987u02/IMG_20140515_084831_999_zps39c7bb48.jpg