I use keymod and mlok rails more, still have rifles that have RAS II, Free float RAS, URX 2 and URX 3.1 that will stay on those forever because of nostalgia.
Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk
I use keymod and mlok rails more, still have rifles that have RAS II, Free float RAS, URX 2 and URX 3.1 that will stay on those forever because of nostalgia.
Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk
Mill Operator
Knight's Armament Company
I've personally not had good luck with alternative systems.
I have no problem with MLok. Really, I like it, because its capable of being lighter for any given length and diameter. But…. most of the rails have gotten so freaking thin. 1.3” ID, 1.5” OD. That feels great in the hand, until it gets hot, or you add a light and laser and still need somewhere to hold it. The URX4 still works well, because it is 1.7” OD, so it handles heat better, is stiffer, and you can install covers without them touching the gas block. If KAC made that thing in an 11.5” length, I’d probably have a few more than I already do. I’ve tried most of the 11-11.7” rails on the market, and sold them for being to thin, and in some cases, floppy.
Its like many manufacturers have gotten out of touch with real users, and get their feedback from pencil-necked dweebs that are obsessed with being able to touch their middle and index fingers to their thumbs because they don’t deadlift and don’t use lasers. But they do assist in marketing by posting their latest lightest thing on the ‘gram. If you don’t shoot, you don’t have to deal with heat. (I’m half joking in this paragraph).
Don’t get me wrong, I like that rails have shrunk from the RAS M4 with KAC panels. But the cool thing is, even the thinnest Pic rail has to be fatter than some of these dainty rails, and you’ll have no problem mounting whatever you need to over the gas block.
For reference, my M4 RAS is 2.18” wide by 2.31” tall, and my DD RIS is 2.24” by 2.24”, but with a taller top than bottom. These are pretty chubby.
I also bought a Centurion Midlength Cutout C4 (secondhand) for the Kino that I bought here in the EE. The used market has been good to me this year. It’s almost certainly the best handguard you can install on a Kino, but it does have a tall feel to it. 2.11” wide by 2.37” tall. Its a solid setup. You could maul someone with it, no problem. I tried a MI drop in on it due to being free, but it was shorter and chubbier than I wanted. I’ve heard that 9” Larue quads are good on these.
Sidenote, eff trying to remove a BCM barrel nut or FSB pins. Just cut the handguard cap and delta ring. I’d apply at BCM, but there’s no way I lift enough weights or swing enough hammer to work there.
Last edited by 1168; 10-28-21 at 08:20.
I agree with the above poster that the market has gone to far into the thin and light at any expense handguard. At least for what I would call professional users.
I think Colt had something great with their LE901-16SE type handguard that removed the rails and still had a heat shield.
I think eventually something like a URX4 with a heat shield would be ideal but MLok doesn’t really do much to control how much of the accessory extends into the handguard which makes it difficult to include stuff like heat shields in the design of handguards. Maybe Q will get their Q-sert figured out and on the market in a meaningful way.
BCM barrel nuts are very soft. I hate ‘em. I have had to use a pipe wrench to destroy several of them off.
Their taper pins have never given me a minute’s worth of trouble, unlike their low-pro gas blocks.
You have to hold the barrel tight and support both sides of the gas block and those little taper pins pop right out. I use a big tapered punch with the corner rounded off to prevent marring.
DDM4 12.0
Length, width, and weight are as advertised.
Edit: tight on the inside with an AGB
Last edited by 1168; 11-24-21 at 22:12.
Midwest Industries and Geissele (among a few) have identified that there's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to weight and rigidity.
Midwest now has a night-fighting rail with an extended nut to specifically address zero shifts when you start adding night-fighting gear (lasers and lights):
That’s why I think the LMT MRP platform is as relevant today as it was when it first introduced nearly 20 years ago. I have LMT M Lock uppers in 9.5, 11.5, and 13.5 plus their 9.5 and 13.5 quad. The LMT MRP quad is still my favorite rail and its slimmer than most for a quad rail.
Bookmarks