Your ‘mounting’ process determines the challenge of installing a new rail. M-LOK appears to be the most famous right now, with Keymod close behind. With permission from Magpul, any producer may receive free licensing. M-LOK, unlike Keymod, is not an open-source project. M-LOK, which stands for “Modular Lock,” is Magpul Industries’ most recent mounting mechanism. The Keymod design, which is freely available to the public, is well-known and industry-standard. People who already own Picatinny devices will save money by using Picatinny rail parts and Keymod adapters instead of buying new ones. They are also significantly thinner than Picatinny rails. After Picatinny had been the industry standard for a few decades, Keymod entered the market.īecause of their compact skeletonized construction, keymod rails gained tremendous popularity.

Most rail designers continue to offer quad rail alternatives. They are now in use by the US military and law enforcement authorities around the country. More Details On The Picatinny AR 15 Handguard Typesįurthermore, the Picatinny rail concept is older and heavier than the other options listed, but it is still very valid in rail interface solutions. The Picatinny rail was eventually introduced into handguard Designs By Enterprising Gunsmiths. The upper receivers on M16 rifles and M4 carbines were among the first to have a Picatinny rail, making it simpler to mount optics. In the 1990s, Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey finished and streamlined the pattern. The Picatinny rail was invented in the 1980s by firms attempting to standardize the Weaver model. Picatinny rails are the latest of the three designs. Interface systems are used in all three styles to mount sights, lenses, and accessories.

Rail variants come in three varieties: Picatinny (also known as MIL-STD-1913 Rail), Keymod, and M-LOK. Design And Patterns For AR-15 Rails And AR 15 Quad Rail Covers

Drop-in rails, such as Firefield’s Edge Carbine Two-Piece Rail, are a perfect choice for those looking for a simple non-free-float modification that allows them to install accessories reliably. As a result, mounting systems for free-float rails are usually safer and more robust, but they often necessitate the use of tools to build.ĭrop-in solutions are much easier to install and usually don’t require any tools. Due to barrel harmonic components, free-float rails do not contact the barrel, improving the rifle’s precision. When it comes to rails, you have two choices: free-float and non-free-float (also known as drop-in).

Quad rail handguards