What's up with the new trend of "rail-ready" forearm/handguard?

[Bushmaster-M4A3]

Where there used to be full length quad rails for the carbines and rails. Now I'm seeing some guns with handguard/forearm designs that are "rail ready", and can add pieces of rail with attachment. Is this a better solution? Or just another trend? Seems to come out with the Magpul MOE handguard which uses this concept.

[Keebsley]

It all depends on who you ask. To me, it fills a need by certain people. Fully railed forearms are heavier due to the additional metal and rails. People don't like the added weight and also don't use all of the rail space anyways and so "rail-ready" handguard were made for people that want 1) weight savings and 2) to only have rails where they need to have equipment at where they need it. Keeps a slimmer overall profile and lighter in weight not to mention not having to put ladder or rail covers on all excess rails. Part of the "less is more" and "light is right" mantra.

Each person has a need and like Pat Rogers has said before, "The mission drives the gear train." If you need all 4 rails; great. If not and want a lighter rifle and rails where you only need them; great.

[dfsutton]

Is it a weight issue, or is it simply cost?

An upper tier handguard can be very close to weight to the weight of MOE hanguards, but for around 8-10 times the price. If you don't really need that rail space, is the free float worth the price of entry? I would imagine it isn't for most people

For me, it is economics. I have a MOE midlength on my BCM because I'd rather buy a better optic or more magazines and ammo. But to each, his own.

[Doxiedad]

Is it a weight issue, or is it simply cost?

For me, it is economics. I have a MOE midlength on my BCM because I'd rather buy a better optic or more magazines and ammo. But to each, his own.

Same for me. I put the carbine MOE on Mine and buying ammo with the $$ difference

[marco.g]

For me it came down to a question of price vs. utility. The Omega drop in rail and MOE handguard are pretty close in weight but the Omega is ~10x the price at $300. All i needed to mount was a flashlight (i may toy with a handstop). Therefore it made way more sense to get the moe and a section of rail to mount the light with. Like they say: mission drives the gear.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Whenever I have a rifle with full length rails, I generally end up covering all the rails except for about 1or 2 inches for sights and lights. The MOE is just a less cluttered solution for an 1/8th of the price.

[Boss Hogg]

Most users don't need 48" of continuous rail space. They can be works of CNC/machining art (see LaRue), but time on the CNC machine = more money for you and me to pay.....

[Wormydog1724]

I'm a predator hunter, a 3 gun competition shooter, and an average joe farmer. I got into the Troy TRX Extreme when my guy that I buy parts from didn't have the rail I wanted. I compromised for the TRX Extreme and haven't regretted it for a minute. I don't need 4 rails for either competition shooting or especially predator hunting. The only rail I really 'need' is the top rail for a light and BUIS. I still like the full length free float so I can rest the rifle on something for support and not have it resting on the barrel affecting accuracy, which it does. I first had it on my competition rifle and seeing the benefits put one on my predator rifle, a dressed up Remington R-15. I have since purchased a complete BCM lower & upper with a 12" DD LITE rail that I plan on running my AAC SPR/M4 suppressor on when I get approved. I still don't plan on using all 4 rails but, come on, I gotta have at least one AR with the typical 'evil black rifle' look.

I don't see this as simply a 'trend'. But rather a different option for those that aren't in need for 4 full length free float ultra tactical rails.

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp247/wormydog1724/d5f0df30.jpg

[The_War_Wagon]

Tube-style handguards can promote a better grip on the rifle, and eliminate the need for a foregrip as well.

[duece71]

After looking at the AR picture thread and noticing what people put on the rail (Light, RDS, maybe a Laser, VFG of some sort) the MOE by Magpul does make sense. If only a light and an RDS, then definately the way to go. Not to sound hypocritical, I have rail systems on a couple of my ARs but MOE handguards on others. A light, an RDS and a VFG are about all I would add, so the space for other things is not really needed.

[Mr blasty]

Tube-style handguards can promote a better grip on the rifle, and eliminate the need for a foregrip as well.

How so? (Not challenging, just genuinely curious.)

[Wormydog1724]

How so? (Not challenging, just genuinely curious.)

For me, the slimmer profile of the handguard allows my hand to completely come in contact with the handguard and wrap most of the way around it.. I can't do that with my DD LITE rail. And I just loathe VFG's so I won't ever use one again... Well I might put a FUG on my BCM rifle.

[Facejackets]

Personally, I love the feel of quad rails. I don't mount a damn thing besides front sight, AFG and some ladder covers.

But I do see why a lot of people like the Troy TRX style hand guards. It's super easy to have a somewhat "customizable" rail, tailored to the individual users needs/wants etc.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

For me is makes more sence than anything. With todays soliders carrying so much weight all the rail space isnt needed. If you have sprinted through the mountains in full kit on you know where im comming from the lighter the better. You can always spot the guys who dont have to operate out side of the trucks by the shit they carry.

I only need enough rail to mount my IR designator, sights and white light thats it, the rest it just weight.

[Axcelea]

I think it goes and comes about as another option for people.

Lot of them are cheaper so its more financially sound for some, some like the way it fits their hand better, some like to reduce weight down to every ounce possible, some just hate having un-used rail space, don't like the look of rails, etc.

Opposite side of the fence of course is those who like the feel of the railed hand guard in their hands (especially when you get to selecting rail covers to optimize the feel), the weight is not a big issue in general or the weight is close enough, like the railed look, don't want to lose certain benefits of certain ones (where they can mount gear, free floating, etc), etc.

I really don't think there is that much of a right or wrong here as long as its a quality hand guard, just what the person does with it can be a bad thing in my opinion.

[SteveL]

I went with the Troy TRX Extreme rail simply because I don't need all the rail space offered by the quad railed forends. Only the top of my rifle has a rail and on it is mounted my front and rear BUS, a RDS, and the pressure switch for my light. It's a nice slender rail that offers a solid grip. I might experiment with a stubby grip to see how I like it. To do so I would just add a short section of rail on the bottom of my forend. If I decide I don't like the stubby then I can remove it and the rail section it was mounted on.

I think another thing worth mentioning is the current aftermarket support for TRX/VTAC rails from Troy, as well as for the MOE forend from Magpul. Impact Weapon Components (IWC) offers quite a bit in the way of light mounts, sling points, etc. specifically for these forends that don't required the addition of rail sections at all.

[MOUNT-N-SLOT]

The posts above explain some of the reasons we started Impact Weapons Components (IWC) last year. We saw a trend in the market away from Quad 1913 Rails, moving instead towards "Rail Ready" options like the TROY, JPI, MOE, where people can save money & weight by adding a small rail section to the fore end / hand guard and then a separate 1913 mount for the device they wish to attach to the weapon. We designed our MOUNT-N-SLOT brand Direct Attach Mounts with attachment features incorporated directly into the mount. IWC's mounts continue the overall concept of the JPI, MOE & TROY type fore ends by eliminating weight, cost and total part count.

MOUNT-N-SLOT

[punkey71]

As someone with small-ish hands, a full quad rail with covers/panels was simply uncomfortable to operate. When I realized how little of the 36 linear inches of rail I was using it was a no brainer to go with cheap (MOE) hand guards and some IWC mounts.

I have a light, QD sling mount and T-1 on a carbine. The only thing on a rail is the T-1, and that's on the receiver. The mounts offered these days make it quite easy to not use any rails on the hand guards at all...if you choose to do so.

Harold

[polydeuces]

Having both a DD upper w Troy rail, as well as a Noveske upper with Magpul MOE handguards, I can tell you the weight difference is significant, and being able to reduce weigh without trading attachment ability imho is a major issue to consider.
I have come to realize (admit to myself?) that this whole rail thing can be more a visual/image issue than a utility one - especially when needing only limited attachment points. And at a lot less $$$$!
Of course if a free floating set up is wanted, this point is mute, but other than that the more I shoot with the MOE guards, the more I like them.
This is why in the very near future you will see a lightly abused Troy mid MRF rail offered for sale ;)
Which in turn will finance the purchase of a free float lt wt rail.
A rather lengthy way of saying, just another option of whatever works best for you in your situation.

[sgtjosh]

Where there used to be full length quad rails for the carbines and rails. Now I'm seeing some guns with handguard/forearm designs that are "rail ready", and can add pieces of rail with attachment. Is this a better solution? Or just another trend? Seems to come out with the Magpul MOE handguard which uses this concept.

I just built my first personal AR with a Magpul MOE handguard. My reasoning was weight. A full length quad-rail is heavy. By my thinking, that defeats the purpose of a carbine.

[MistWolf]

I don't care for rails on my forearm. If I can mount what I want on my rifle without rails, I'd be happy. I do want the advantage of a free float tube, but most have too large a diameter. I also prefer the protection from heat carbon fiber offers. I like how the PRI Delta carbon fiber forearm fits my hand so that's what I went with although it's pricey.

A move away from quad rails a fad? Unlikely. I think it's more of a practical choice as I feel quad rails are a specialized piece of equipment. Most don't need that much rail estate

[Iraqgunz]

As we say there is no free lunch. Free-float rails will obviously provide some measure of increased accuracy, although that is just a piece of the puzzle.

Some rails are better than others and all of them will have an advantage/ disadvantage. I really like the Centurion Arms rail for a variety of reasons. It's slimmer, it feels lighter and more user friendly when it comes to installation.

Rails like the Troy TRX are also a good option. Slimmer profile, rails where you need them, lower cost, etc... The real test is how will they hold up over time and after being abused. That is something that people need to take into account. DD rails are solid, and though they may be "bulky" in some minds they are also "grunt" proof which is a necessity.

In the end if you don't want rails and you only mount a light and sling and can get away with a particular set up then by all means do so.

[rob_s]

reference (https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwswheghNQsFnUZMkZNF2DQ&output=html)

some clarifications...

The MOE is not "lighter". In fact, most quality handguards, 4-rail, 1-rail, or smooth, weigh less than most plastic handguards once you take the full mounting system into account. Stock barrel nuts and delta rings are heavy, relatively speaking.

1-side or smooth tubes do start out life lighter, but as you add rail sections they add up very, very quickly. This is due in part to the fact that in the mounting surface area you now have twice as much metal as you would in a dedicated 4-rail setup.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/rob_s/weights/0971d530.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/rob_s/weights/78ad8317.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/rob_s/weights/ec66aed5.jpg


This is where, provided you don't want or need QD, the Mount-N-Slot products are great as they eliminate the need for redundant metal such as the rail section and tend to be lighter overall than a throw-lever mount because it has less moving parts.

[markm]

Is this a better solution? Or just another trend?

A little of both. There's no question that the AR aftermarket nonsense has become like the custom motorcycle world... but there is something to be said for not needing 48" of total rail space when 6" will do.