IT's changed. They posted it to their website. The new tube has flats for mounting.
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IT's changed. They posted it to their website. The new tube has flats for mounting.
How does Keymod compare to MLOK for strength? We have numbers on MLOK (300#)...any numbers on Keymod?
I would think that the construction of the rail and material used would be two major variables that would have to be factored in. A mag-alloy keymod probably wouldn't be as strong as a straight 6061 rail, which wouldn't be as strong as a 7075 rail (if those are even made). Plus - 300 lbs what - lateral shear strength? I believe that there are too many variables to answer that question definitively.
The 300# figure is a minimum for direct pullout (90 deg to the surface) for min thickness 6061 aluminum and an accessory with two screws. In reality, it's much, much higher in every M-LOK aluminum rail we've tested, but 300# is right about where the bail pulls off of a QD, so along with full weapon drops with mounted accessories, the 300# number is what we use as a bare minimum. On straight polymer, it's 250# + for the same direct pullout, depending on variables. At max thickness, our polymer products beat the 300# mark by a healthy margin.
Any load involving leverage obviously magnifies the force, but dropping a rifle 5 feet with a mid-thickness 6061 aluminum rail with a cantilever mount and 3-cell light just bangs up the light and the rail. Because it's flat on flat, the clamping surface doesn't compress, the accessory stays tight, etc.
You can also mount one of the accessories that we are shipping in about a week...the bipod adapter...on a Geisselle mk8 and load a Harris bipod to the point that you can tear the legs right off the bipod. Then if you don't trust those results, you can grab another brand new Harris bipod, put it on the same rifle, and tear the legs off of it, too. (Right M4Guru?) :)
We've got 9 more M-LOK accessories shipping in the next week or two, and a couple more coming in the weeks following. We'll be at 21 M-LOK accessories (if you don't count different rail lengths as different accessories) by the end of the year, and a lot of very cool accessories from other folks who have adopted the standard. Light mounts, light/optic offset mounts, bipod mounts, QD and paraclip sling mounts, vert grip, angled grip, hand stop, two different rail covers, tape switch mount, and of course, pic rails, adapters, etc., will all be in our line, and lots of other options from others in the industry.
At SHOT, we'll be right around 46 new, unique products released in one year. 19 releasing in the next 6 weeks.
We ship all M-LOK accessories with patched threads...thread locker right on them. They are stiff to assemble the first time, but very easy after that, and you can remove and reinstall the accessory a half dozen or more times before the patch wears off without any worry of it loosening or any need for additional thread locker. For accessories that come without patched screws, or if your patched screws have been reinstalled a bunch, using blue Loctite stick (looks like a big chapstick tube or glue stick) on the threads before installation gives you the necessary drag on the assembly for smooth function and gives you another few removal/installation cycles before needing refreshed. You can use liquid threadlocker, but the system likes a little drag to work as easily as intended, so the stick compound works perfect.
Can't wait for the bipod mount! I've got a mk8 just begging for one.
More M-LOK goodies released today including a vertical grip, offset light mount, QD socket and bipod mount. I will be picking up the offset light mount once it hits the dealers. Plan on running a Streamlight TLR-1 HL on it.
http://store.magpul.com/category/M-LOK