View Full Version : Just how bad are the UTG rails?
ghostman1960
04-06-10, 17:47
I haven't heard very many good things about them but I also have heard a few people say that they are not that bad. I was given a new mid length set and want to use them on my middy until I can afford a better rail system.
They fit on my rifle rock solid with no movement what so ever. They are a little heavy though but not enough to make a difference to me anyway.
The rail covers that came with it are ugly as sin. (They are free to anyone that cares to pay the shipping on them. Let me know) I ordered some Magpul XTM covers to use instead.
So will my rifle disintegrate or spontaneously combust if I use them for a while? Will they at least be serviceable until I find something better? TIA!
http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/ghostman1960/003-2.jpg
citizensoldier16
04-06-10, 17:52
UTG is an airsoft company. STAY AWAY!!
Do they fit on a real rifle? Yes...
Will you get quietly laughed at during range sessions? Yes...
Will they work for now? Yes...
Do they BELONG on a real rifle? NO!!
"Buy once...cry once." Save your money for a set of Daniel Defense rails. If you've already bought and installed them...obviously I'm not going to tell you to take them off. If they work for you, great. But just realize that they are not made to .mil spec and they're heavy as crap. I would have dealt with the plastic handguards for a while and saved my money.
ghostman1960
04-06-10, 18:00
Do they make mid length ar15 airsoft guns?
http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/ghostman1960/002-3.jpg
I had a set on an M4 I had several years ago.
They WORKED perfectly.
No problems with them coming loose, no problems with mounting, no problems at all.
They ARE cheap but for a starter set (either those or regular Handguards) I would go with the UTG.
NOW I found KAS RAC M4 Rails for $150 so I'm upgrading all my rails to them (hey the price is right) and I"m selling the UTG so I'm only out $100
I've successfully broken UTG items off of plastic airsoft guns.
If they're just going to the range, sure, why not. If any other use is on the table, it's worth it to buy something nicer. The TROY MRF-DI, KAC Blemished/Used RAS, DD Omega-DI, DoubleStar and Ergo drop-in rails - all are quality options, and very affordable.
Well put and an honest reply. I tested a set of carbine rails before they were released during 9 months of E.R.T. training on the PD. They are heavy and wide but they did work. The design has a couple flaws. I wouldn't use them for a serious rifle but as stated, for the range they will work and locked up tight.
I don't know anything about the new free floats.
I run DD Lites.
Do they make mid length ar15 airsoft guns?
Yes. They make virtually everything you could conceive of, and it's often available in airsoft long before it is as the real deal. This sort of stuff is the bane of anyone trying to buy parts on Ebay. UTG even uses the same catalog/part numbers for real and toy parts - because they're the same part.
So will my rifle disintegrate or spontaneously combust if I use them for a while? Will they at least be serviceable until I find something better? TIA
It (the rail) might break with hard use, particularly if you have some sort of vertical foregrip. If I had a rifle that I intended to be used - even possibly - as an actual weapon, I'd much rather bolt on a short rail section for a light and do without a rail until later.
At least you didn't pay money for it. The main argument against the UTG rails and related items is that you can find used, servicable carbine and rifle length M4/M5 KAC rails and accessories for dirt cheap all over the place, and that the money spent on the UTG junk could be better spend towards "getting something better" - buying the UTG just delays "getting something better" in the first place, and does essentially nothing but make the weapon look cooler to those who don't know any better.
Same can be said for your Fake-cog optic, there; you have a really nice base rifle, why go backwards? Assuming you didn't get that free, you could have gotten a real FF rail for that much. Said rail would last you a lifetime; the Bushnell is virtually guaranteed to crap out some day in the not too distant future. You would really be horrified if you saw the inside of a lot of Chinese optics.
Not trying to give you or anyone else a hard time, just applying my own hard-won lessons in getting the most (and longest lasting) mileage out of my dollars.
lethal dose
04-07-10, 00:02
Personally, I'd run the standard muddy handguards. O can't imagine anything catastrophic happening if you do use them, but I wouldn't trust them to hold up well.
Yes. They make virtually everything you could conceive of, and it's often available in airsoft long before it is as the real deal. This sort of stuff is the bane of anyone trying to buy parts on Ebay. UTG even uses the same catalog/part numbers for real and toy parts - because they're the same part.
It (the rail) might break with hard use, particularly if you have some sort of vertical foregrip. If I had a rifle that I intended to be used - even possibly - as an actual weapon, I'd much rather bolt on a short rail section for a light and do without a rail until later.
At least you didn't pay money for it. The main argument against the UTG rails and related items is that you can find used, servicable carbine and rifle length M4/M5 KAC rails and accessories for dirt cheap all over the place, and that the money spent on the UTG junk could be better spend towards "getting something better" - buying the UTG just delays "getting something better" in the first place, and does essentially nothing but make the weapon look cooler to those who don't know any better.
Same can be said for your Fake-cog optic, there; you have a really nice base rifle, why go backwards? Assuming you didn't get that free, you could have gotten a real FF rail for that much. Said rail would last you a lifetime; the Bushnell is virtually guaranteed to crap out some day in the not too distant future. You would really be horrified if you saw the inside of a lot of Chinese optics.
Not trying to give you or anyone else a hard time, just applying my own hard-won lessons in getting the most (and longest lasting) mileage out of my dollars.
Exactly. You do have a nice rifle so lets take steps foward and not back. It would be smarter to run some MOE handguards than waste money on utg junk. Hell you'd save weight and money by doing that. You already have a fairly decent BUIS so I'd sell the optic and rails and buy a quality accessory of your choice. Learn to use and become more proficient with your backups first and then look into getting an optic.
MistoGators
04-07-10, 01:03
I had a pair of 'em on my S&W M&P15 (at a gun show for $60). They're heavier and scratch easy, but they worked perfectly.
Not sure if I'd use them on a rifle if I was law enforcement or private security, but they're a really good bang for your buck.
Edit: You can't beat the Magpul MOE hand guard for value though. It's very easy to find online for around $30 with free shipping.
Bushmaster-M4A3
04-07-10, 03:02
Could someone please elaborate on exactly that's bad about UTG rails? I've handled a set, it was pretty heavy but it's also plenty strong by appearance. So is there something that's wrong structurally? Is the aluminum they use too soft? Is the machining done badly that one of the areas could come apart?
I'm also looking for honest opinion from people who used them, not just that simply if it's airsoft then it's bad. There are plenty of airsoft parts that are expensive and durable. And the fact is that if some great force was to impact the gun sufficient to break properly engineered aluminum components (such as UTG), your VFG or even your hands would probably suffer even greater catastrophic failure.
The aluminum is softer. If you torque an accesory down tight you will probably take material out of the rail. The way the 2 piece rail is designed, the side rails are part of the top half and overlap the bottom half with no real support. If dropped or banged hard, it could bend or break the rail. They do lock up tight. Most accesories I mounted fit. But I learned long ago by trial and error. Buy once, cry once.
Knock off optics are a total waste of money. I had a basket full of cheap optics I bought over the years. For what I spent on ammo trying to dial; them in, I could have bought a decent optic. A guy talked me into buying an Aimpoint knockoff. I mounted it on a .22. Second time out, the 3rd and 4th setting crapped out.
My Aimpoint M2 always works as does my Eotech 512.
I had 1 Leapers scope that actually held zero.
Littlelebowski
04-07-10, 07:44
Move that VFG forward.
I had one for a little while, was a carbine length drop in.
It was cheap, it did its job. I never ran t "hard" so I did not have any problems with it. It has since been replaced with a Troy rail which seems to have better fit and finish as well as being free float.
Call it what you will, airsoft junk, cheap, etc. It will work for some people. Hell, it probobly would have contnued working for me since the gun it was on is not a tool I use every day for work or survival. But if I ever had to use it for work or survival, I am honestly not sure how well it would have stood up in the long run.
If you did not pay for them, got them as a gift and so on. I would use them while you save up for something better.
ghostman1960
04-07-10, 08:33
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
Bushmaster-M4A3
04-07-10, 09:38
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
Hmm....just imagine if you marry your GF, the UTG rails will stay on your AR forever. :D j/k
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
Ahhh ... there are other forces in play here!
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
Tell your girlfriend thank you. Then go get her some cheap knock-off jewelry, and tell her it looks good and seems servicable. That may give her a clue. :D
I had a set of UTG carbine rails on an M4 for about a year, they worked fine, Yea, I know they're not Troy or MI, But they worked and there were times i put real stress on them, I picked them up on E-bay for $40 used, put the money I saved towards ammo and shooting. If they do what you want them to do, then be happy with them.
I always wonder what you all do to your hand guards that requires the term hard use.
Most of the rails are for lights and VFG which require no zero holding capacity. Other than that the rails just keep your hands off a hot barrel. Anything that would "break" a rail would break a plastic set of hand guards.
When you buy UTG at the local crappy gunshow just so you can post a pic of your "cool" rifle on the web, you made a BIG mistake...
95% of the people buying UTG are doing so because they want it for a photo op to show off all their junk.
If it's free, use it. Probably a little on the heavy side, but whatever.
As long as you don't mount optics to it, it's not like it will affect anything.
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
OK, here's what you can do. As soon as you get the money for a good set, (I assume since she is a GF, she doesn't have control over your finances) some how, "Break the UTG, and then you have an excuse to get/put on a good set. Just in case, don't let her see you "break" the UTG, so you can take it off FIRST before breaking it. (Just in case your luck turns against you, and they are tough as nails and ruin your gun) Then, post pics here of how/what it took to break the UTG rail. Assuming she is not going to be on here to see what you posted. :D
In the meantime, use them.
Tell your girlfriend thank you. Then go get her some cheap knock-off jewelry, and tell her it looks good and seems servicable. That may give her a clue. :D
Good analogy.
My GF got them for me. If I get rid of them too soon or sell them there may be some hurt feelings involved. Eventually I will replace them. But for now they will have to stay on for a while.
I can't help much with advice on railed handguards, as I don't have one on my rifle and thus have never used one for practical purposes, but I have successfully manipulated the truth to women before..... :p
Get some rail covers to put on the unused portions of the rails. that will alter the handguard's appearance slightly, especially if you get the larger "panel" style covers vs. the "ladder" style.
then when you are able to afford a better railed handguard ditch the UTG and put the rail covers on your new handguard. unless your girlfriend is well versed in the aesthetic differences between various rail brands and is rather weapons savy (and the fact she bought a UTG in the first place suggests she is not) she probably won't even notice that the rail HG you have on your gun isn't the one she bought you. If she does happen to mention that it looks like a different set, deny it, if she presses the issue, react with incredulous-sounding feigned shock over her poor memory for detail.
Could someone please elaborate on exactly that's bad about UTG rails? I've handled a set, it was pretty heavy but it's also plenty strong by appearance. So is there something that's wrong structurally? Is the aluminum they use too soft? Is the machining done badly that one of the areas could come apart?
I'm also looking for honest opinion from people who used them, not just that simply if it's airsoft then it's bad. There are plenty of airsoft parts that are expensive and durable. And the fact is that if some great force was to impact the gun sufficient to break properly engineered aluminum components (such as UTG), your VFG or even your hands would probably suffer even greater catastrophic failure.
I have been able to break American-made, real equipment with my bare hands - M93B stock comes to mind, and with no injury to my hands, either - stuff built to the spec of "looks like" doesn't stand a chance. Similarly, I've seen plenty of issue M16 parts broken in use.
Outside of some polymer stuff and a few steel items here and there, no, airsoft parts are generally not durable. The really cheap stuff is made with every cut corner and cheap material possible, while the higher quality stuff from Japan is well engineered, but still engineered to be a toy, and to be no better than it needs to be.
It's not even just that the aluminum is soft and/or a lower grade - a lot of the metal content may not be aluminum at all. I'm finding it hard to explain just how cheap a lot of this stuff is... the Aimpoint clone reviews where they disassemble the optic and find the diode attached with nothing but black electrical tape comes to mind. These are the people we're talking about making the UTG stuff. Them advertising stuff as made in the US isn't helping their case, either, since that guarantees they're either cutting even more corners or losing money to come in at the same price.
When I say cheap, I mean cheap. Simply getting the raw material to make something like, say, a LaRue rail is not cheap. The raw materials for an airsoft part may cost a dollar or two.
As for the OP, hey, if you have to play it cool to please the girlfriend, well, do what you have to do. Your rails are not likely to spawn a black hole and devour the earth or anything. :D
I always wonder what you all do to your hand guards that requires the term hard use.
Most of the rails are for lights and VFG which require no zero holding capacity. Other than that the rails just keep your hands off a hot barrel. Anything that would "break" a rail would break a plastic set of hand guards.
As posted above by boltcatch, oftentimes the cheap stuff is just utter crap that will break under very little stress...such as just a normal plinking trip at the range. Potmetal ain't worth any amount of your money, remember that.
I don't require the quality of LaRue or KAC myself. But I have standards that dictate buying something that is at least worth the money you pay for it. And anything made by UTG does not meet that very low standard.
Midwest Industries or heck even Yankee Hill are the cheapest I will go for a rail myself...
There's a lot of firearm accessories out there that while they won't be top quality, they will be at least halfway decent. There is absolutely no reason to purchase Chinese airsoft crap. No reason at all.
When I thought all things 'mil-spec' were created equal I had a pair of UTG hand rails. Comparing them to my now KAC RAS hand rails they were wider, softer(they got bent when I tossed my Mosin on top of my AR in my trunk) and I stripped one of the tapped holes out trying to reinsert a screw that came loose while at the range.
If I had to do it all again I'd loctite the screw up initial assembly, put my Mosin in my trunk before my AR and buy thinner grip panels so I could grasp the hand guards better.
My KAC hand guards are fantastic and I wouldn't trade backwards now that I've had them, if that makes any sense.
"There Are Those Who Sell For Less, Because They Know What Their Stuff Is Worth"
Remember this, for the rest of your LIFE.
(Hey Grant, there's a sig line for you)
Crap! Now you need a good rail set AND a mid length air soft rifle. See how much your GF's good intentions cost you! :D
Tell your girlfriend thank you. Then go get her some cheap knock-off jewelry, and tell her it looks good and seems servicable. That may give her a clue. :D
AWESOME!
If you look around you can find good quality stuff cheap. I found a set of Troy drop-in 7" rails for $90 on sale at weaponparts. I too have been burned and accidentally bought something intended for a toy... luckily I was able to return and get my money back (-shipping!!!!!!)
http://weaponparts.com
I think the question has been asked and answered......;)
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