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Thread: Samson Evolution Rail-First Impressions.

  1. #61
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    I just got my upper in with the new Samson Evo rail. I purchased it as a complete upper built off a Rainier Arms Ultramatch with a Shilen 16in barrel. No range time on it yet. But here is what I have noticed about it.

    1.) Don't get confused guys about flex. Seems some of you are flexing the barrel and not the hand guard but confusing the two. The barrel will flex with pressure applied a good half inch either direction. It's just the nature of barrels. When using a hasty sling setup, I can watch the barrel flex on some non free float uppers. This is why people use free float. Now the only way to really tell if the rail is flexing is to use a vice on the upper receiver and manipulate the rail or use a sling to pull HARD and have a buddy look to see if it is moving relative to the untouched barrel.

    2nd at one time I purchased an upper that had a Vikings Tactile VTAC Rail. I sent that back first day because of one reason. If I was to have the spare rails piece mounted under the gas block area it would touch the back of the rail mounting piece. This is not good for accuracy. The only way to fix this would be to grind down that backing plate. Its a BAD design flaw. This was a low profile gas block too. Now with the Samson, the rail is a slightly larger diameter so this is not an issue. There is a good 3 mm between those plates and the gasblock. I don't know what Vikings or Troy for that matter were thinking with the design its an obvious issue. Maybe my gasblock is wrong. But I doubt it. I have read others had the same issue too. So the Samson solved that for me.

    Other than that, I like it a lot. Time and rounds will tell the rest of the story.

  2. #62
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    Still waiting on a notched FSP version.

  3. #63
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    I installed a Rainier Arms variant of the Samson last night. I chose to install it on my 9mm SBR and chose to use minimal tools rather than break out the entire tool bag, to see if it really was drop-in and to see things from the perspective of a typical buyer.

    The plan is to shoot this today at the local steel match, which was the reason I bought this SBR several years ago and never got around to actually, you know, shooting it.

    Before



    during (stock parts removed)



    during (sacrificial parts cut away with Dremel)



    during (suppressor mount reinstalled with heat-sink mounting collars at barrel nut)



    during (you need to check alignment as you tighten the mounting screws)



    during (tube mounted, no can)



    After (tube and can both mounted, ready to shoot)

  4. #64
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    Nice pictorial, Rob.

  5. #65
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    I was very skeptical of this tube. I would NEVER have bought one on my own, as I was happy with the Troy of similar design. I would have missed out. While I can't speak for the Samson design, I can only assume that it would be at least similar.

    I shot two matches today. The first was a steel match where most people shoot pistol but where you are also allowed to run pistol-caliber carbines. I chose to run this carbine. It's very simple, 5 stages ~5 rounds each, shot 5 times each. That's about 125 rounds. Then I stayed on for another match, this one a carbine steel match, where I used the same gun, and fired around another 100 rounds.

    This tube has an OD of 1.80" compared to the Troy at 1.74". I would not have thought that the 0.06" would have been even perceptible but it is, and I prefer the larger tube OD. However, for comparison, I find the 1.90" OD of the JP tube to be too large. With the larger OD comes a larger ID of 1.56" so even a 1.50" OD centerfire rifle-caliber can should fit inside. In my case I'm using a 1.25" OD 9mm can with plenty of room.

    I'm looking forward to running this gun in this setup at the same match(es) next month. I may look into shortening the barrel, and I'm definitely going to see about adding a hand-stop at the booger-picker location I prefer for such things.

  6. #66
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    Like Rob_S I was very sceptical of the Samson Evolution rail. Wouldn't have bought one for myself for love nor money. And to be honest, I've not been a great fan of the Troy/Vtac tubes either.

    Why? Two words.... friction fit. Those two words together are kind of a gunsmiths oxymoron IMHO.

    Had a customer, a local LEO who works in my states capital building, insist on this rail for his new "work upper".

    I take it all back... this thing is nearly as solid as a standard threaded nut style free float tube. Like everyone else who's posted I was seriously concerned about the barrel nut fit and tube flex.

    No problem either way. And, as an added benefit to the professional gunsmith... its a FAST install. It took me about 11 minutes to install it from opening the box to finish tightening the bolts.

    Damned good product!

  7. #67
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    Im not too happy with Samson right now or Brownells for that matter.

    I ordered the Samson Evolution 12.37 rail from Brownells last month for a 6x45 build I intend to use on a hunting trip on the 12th. It was listed as an in stock/drop shipped item. Brownells tells me it it shipped on October 25th but they have not recieved tracking info from Samson.

    I called Samson's 1-888 and local number several times during their listed business hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to find out if my Evolution had shipped or was even in stock. Not only did no one at Samson answer the phone Samson does not even have voice mail or an answering machine to let customers and vendors know they are still operating as a business. The special order desk at Brownells can't get a hold of them either.

    I cancelled my order Friday because even if it arrives by UPS monday which I have no reason to believe it will, I won't have enough time to build the upper and work up loads by the 12th. Brownells already charged my card and now they won't credit my account until they can get order status info from Samson who apparantly does not have a working telephone.

    Definitley not a good sign for a buyer who might need warranty service at some point.
    Last edited by Nightvisionary; 11-05-11 at 23:09.

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robb Jensen View Post
    Interesting. The one I installed and then removed for a customer had all kinds of flex/shift. Installed as tight as I could get it without ripping the heli-coils out of the rail if I applied pressure to the muzzle end of the rail I could push it half way to the barrel side to side laterally not up and down. It wouldn't flex back and would stay in that position. I think it needs to go back to the drawing board.
    Sorry to dredge up an old portion of this thread, but I had the same issue with the 12 inch Evolution I installed on a PSA middie with shaved FSB. I discovered the two pieces of the heat sink are not interchangeable. I reversed them on the barrel nut, reinstalled the handguard, and tightened it up. It's now rock solid.

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stan9106 View Post
    Sorry to dredge up an old portion of this thread, but I had the same issue with the 12 inch Evolution I installed on a PSA middie with shaved FSB. I discovered the two pieces of the heat sink are not interchangeable. I reversed them on the barrel nut, reinstalled the handguard, and tightened it up. It's now rock solid.
    I've found this to be true also. I have a Rainier (Samson made) rail and installed it one way and then the other way and it was much tighter.
    Chief Armorer for Elite Shooting Sports in Manassas VA
    Chief Armorer for Corp Arms (FFL 07-08/SOT 02)

  10. #70
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    I have one on my BCM 16" and love it. When I was installing it, I had a problem sliding it on the collar. Then I looked at the instructions for the first time, saw I had it upside down. Corrected it, rail slid on on like it was made for it and nary a problem since. Except for heating up quickly with long strings.

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