Anybody have experience with these two? I've got a 9" NSR on my SBR 300 Blackout and like it a lot. I'm trying to put together a budget build and ran across the Parallax Tactical rail which appears to be a near copy of the Noveske. Thoughts?
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Anybody have experience with these two? I've got a 9" NSR on my SBR 300 Blackout and like it a lot. I'm trying to put together a budget build and ran across the Parallax Tactical rail which appears to be a near copy of the Noveske. Thoughts?
Anybody?
Don't have their Keymod rail but I have two of their other rails and love them.
Here it is on my 6.8
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5449c038.jpg
Looks close enough? What are you looking for
My original thought was, and still is, that aesthetically the NSR is more appealing, as the outside is completely smooth while the PTX Keymod rail has funky ridges on the sides and bottom. That said, I went ahead and compared the two a little more and here is what I found:
Parallax Tactical FFSSR Keymod vs. Noveske NSR
OAL: 13.2" vs. 13.5"
Width: 1.52" vs. 1.48"
Weight: 8.6oz. vs. 7.9oz.
Total Weight (w/ barrel nut): 12.1oz. vs. 11.0oz.
Keymod Points (per side): 13 vs. 14
QD Sling Mount Sockets: 2 vs. 0
Anti-Rotation Device: None vs. Noveske Anti-Rotation Pin
Both are 6061-T6 aluminum extrusions
Both are Type III Class II Hard Coat Anodized
Both use proprietary steel barrel nuts (The PTX includes the wrench)
Price difference: ~$50, give or take
*Parallax Tactical also lists Noveske NSR polymer keymod panels on their website, which would suggest that the panels can be used on the PTX FFSSR Keymod rails, but I have not found actual confirmation of this. If the Noveske panels fit (and fit well) it basically makes the aesthetic appeal of the NSR a moot point.
After comparing the two I'm second guessing the 13.5" NSR I just purchased... Does anyone have any experience with Parallax Tactical as a company? Are they GTG?
No reason to second guess yourself. Both are good rails.
Thanks for the responses guys. I don't know much about Parallax Tactical as a company except they were quick to respond to emails which I always see as a good sign.
Can't comment on that rail but while I was on their site looking at their other rail, i noticed they currently have their blem keymod rails for sale for much less. If i was looking at a keymod rail, id probably pick one up to try. Just a heads up
I have both rails. I wouldn't call it a copy of the NSR. Just a new key mod rail to hit the market. The Parallax version feels very similar to the nsr. I actually prefer the look of the parallax rail.
I installed some nsr rail panels on the parallax rail and it was a real chore. I had to file/shave almost every piece to get them to fit. Not sure if it was a cerakote issue or what, but it was a real pita.
I would definitely recommend the parallax rail. Can't be beat for the price, and the integrated qd sockets are a nice touch.
Also parallax is a great local gun store of mine. Best shop in San Diego by a long shot. They machine all these parts on site. Pretty cool. Also check out their extreme key mod upper they have. Great price on a quality complete upper.
I have two NSR rails (both 13.5") and really like them, but they were the only Keymod rails around when I got them. Here are a few clarifications you need to consider:
1. The Noveske anti-rotation pin is moot unless you drill the matching hole in your receiver. It is meant for the Noveske-spec VLTOR upper that is machined with the hole for the pin. You don't really need it if you properly torque the barrel nut. My home built upper didn't use it and it's as rock solid today as it was when I first put it together nearly 18 months ago with one of the very first NSRs shipped out.
2. The Noveske doesn't need a special wrench, which is why it doesn't come with one. You can use a standard crow's foot on a torque wrench or an adjustable wrench and your calibrated elbow, if you're one to do that.
3. You aren't going to cover the entire rail in rail panels because there is no need to do that with Keymod, which is why they aren't called "rail covers." You only need them where you usually grip the rail to help isolate your hand from the heat of your barrel. So, a lot of the rail will still be exposed, if that sort of thing matters to you.
I would assume that was due to the different shape of the Parallax rail compared to the NSR and the slight increase in outside diameter. Now that you got them to fit, is there also a slight gap between the panels? For example, do the 6 o'clock panels butt right up to the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock panels like they will on an NSR, or is there a space? I'd love to see a pic or two as well if you have the time. Thanks.
1. I would like to find a Noveske MUR for my build, however if it comes down to the upper receiver being the only part that I still need and I'm still waiting, I may just grab a Vltor MUR and drill the hole myself. I do plan on utilizing the anti-rotation pin. It's probably not necessary, but I like the assurance of knowing I don't ever need to worry about it.
2. Check. I was just noting it for consideration for those who do not yet have a crow's foot for their torque wrench (like myself).
3. Who says? You can't tell me what to do... :p I actually was planning to cover all unused keymod slots with the panels, and use magpul ladder panels on the unused portion of the top rail. All in FDE, because it's cheaper/easier than having the rail cerekoted. This is more or less for looks, I understand it's not in any way necessary.
*My admitted obsession with FDE on this particular build is why I was second guessing myself in the first place. The Parallax Tactical rail can be ordered in FDE Cerekote, for less money than a standard NSR.
You would need about 5 packages of rail panels to cover the whole rail. There's no gap as far as I can tell. Will snap a pic over the weekend.
I love the NSR, but the Parallax has been pretty solid in my experience, and also at a lower price point. The owners have been very receptive to emails and suggestions. I don't think it's going to get as many points from the "fit and finish" crowd, but most of us don't care about that. It's very lightweight, 12.1oz with the barrel nut and all the installation screws on my 13.2"
http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/...ps950a6760.jpg
http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9989053d.jpg
http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6fe981e9.jpg
I just received one of the "blem" rails from Parallax. The only noticeable flaw, is no T marks. I haven't installed it yet, (still searching for a barrel) but it seem like a hell of a deal for $150.
Looks like someone went nuts with the copy paste feature then made it look crappier.
I wouldn't buy a Parallax, but have fun.
How do you figure it looks crappier? Pretty much all key mod rails look the same anyways.
Also, here's a pic with some of the NSR panels on there. I need to pick up one more set to get another row of panels on there. These are what I had left over from my Noveskes.
http://imageshack.us/a/img843/864/ckab.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/7240/n5tp.jpg
This is what I'm most curious about. The Keymod design was created and released so it is available to all manufacturers. In theory, each manufacturer would build the keymods the same way so attachments from any company will mount to a keymod from any company.
So the cerakote could be the problem or the keymod on the PTX is out of standard. (I don't see it being the latter)
I wonder if anyone has tested mounting panels or accessories before and after cerakoting a keymod rail.
EDIT
Unless your shaving was on an area of the panel that was not the actual mount but rather the flats that were making contact with the surface of the rails. Then that means that the panels were designed around the NSR tube and likely because they were no other keymod rails to test at the time of development. I wonder if it's going to be hit or miss.
Just had to shave some of the locking lug things. Not the flat part. Some of them went on without having to shave them, so that leads me to believe that the cerakote going on thicker in spots may have something to do with it.
You can see from the pics that, aesthetically speaking, the panels look just as clean on the parallax rail as they do on the nsr.
I guess it's just a matter of perspective, and my opinion is already colored by the fact it's a cheaper knock off, because it just looks the part to me. Perhaps all the straight edges and simple holes instead of slots along the top was part of reducing the machining costs.
I've got an NSR-15 on one of my guns and I love the smoothness and the way it flows with an upper receiver. I think it's one of the best looking rails on the market and certainly fits the "minimalist" role. It's not that I'm even that big of a Noveske fan - the only non-NSR related product from them I own is one of the 60* safeties - but the Parallax just seems to be a lawsuit waiting to happen.
How do you figure? The keymod design is open source... you or I could start knocking out keymod rails in our basement tomorrow and it would be perfectly legal. If you are saying the rail design itself was stolen, refer back to my post comparing the two. Every single dimension is different between the NSR and the Parallax rail... not by much, but it is different, therefore the rail is a different design. You'll also note that the shape of the two rails differs. The Parallax rail is round on the inside with flats added to the outside for the mounting points. The NSR is neither round on the inside nor the outside, and the flats are part of the shape of the rail, being the same thickness as the rest of the rail.
What you are saying is similar to saying that anyone who has made a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny quad rail hand guard after the first manufacturer began producing them should be sued... That's a little far fetched don't ya think? How would there be any compatibility within the industry if that were the case?
Yeah, that is a fair point. I guess that would be a bit like Knights being pissed at DD or any other sundry quad rail manufacturer or something. Heh.
I reached a certain conclusion when I heard that a company I'd never heard of came out with a cheaper and "less elegant" version of a very well known company's rail, with the same mounting system and everything. Either way, I'd still buy the NSR.
does anyone have any more pics? i was originally looking at their other rail but this one has piqued my interest now.
Crappy cell phone picture, but here it is. Really like the look and feel. I just got it all together last night, so I don't have any time behind it, but it feels good in the hand.
I also have to give a big thumbs up to Joe Chen at Parallax Tactical. I was looking for a blem so I could try one out on the cheap, but they didn't list any in FDE on the website. I emailed Joe and he put one on the site for me. Only "blem" I see is that it doesn't have the T-marks on top.
Also, emailed him a question this morning at 6:15am local time (4:15 on the West Coast) and had a reply within 4 minutes! Can't say enough about Joe's customer service thus far.
http://dnjclark.smugmug.com/Hobbies/.../L/image-L.jpg
I can post some side by side pics of the two rails in a little while. Have the Keymod on my 5.56 and the other one on my 6.8.
Edit: here are a couple pictures.
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...ps05ab3f46.jpg
And from the top down.
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/...ps94ada029.jpg
I plan on doing a full review comparing the two but I'm waiting on my barrel for my 5.56. From just fondling the Keymod I actually may like it a little better than the other, but time will tell.
What wrench size does the Parallax Tactical keymod rail barell nut take? I bought one and the instructions page was poorly printed, looks like their printer was low on toner. Also what I read said it would take 2-3 shims to make it lineup, and my kit only came with 2, was that correct?
I used a wrench I had on hand. But, I spoke with Joe Chen (owner of Parallax) and he said 1.25" is the correct size.
Mine didn't require any shims, so if you need some more, let me know.