I just had one installed on my rifle today and have a simple question regarding the rail panels offered by Oly. Okay, the two styles I've seen are the ones that are closed top covers (solid) and the other version has an open-top with slots running across that look sorta like vents.

My question is do the panels with the open top feel hotter to the touch? It almost looks as though skin might actually come in contact, when gripped firmly, with the metal portion of the handguard that is barely beneath the surface of the "vents" in the panels.

My reason for asking is that I got the FIRSH because 1). I wanted to free-float the bbl., and 2). I wanted to try to keep the bbl. as cool as possible. Now, with these open-top panels it seems logical to believe that they would enhance heat dissipation even more.

Please relay any experiences and/or opinions. Thanks in advance.

2manchu, I've got a bagfull of the open style on the way from OLY.  If you don't mind waiting a couple of days, I can let you know how they do.  

I wish I had thought about the heat factor...I just figured they'd feel less bulky with the open style protectors, so that's what I ordered.  Oh well, at $32 a dozen, I guess I can order the other ones as well [:D]  

The KAC pannels work as well.

[img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0TQDYAgwW2UjqL!HZE4xdU!8qQiSIVRf9n11A8zk9kZAQF7dWCGoNSKghsRS*HHhHGOCowfitXgZ!YXgq0ZvAcIpZSwahoIEaKBGeYoOB!wB!PcCVuIO7Dw/Finished%20AR1%20015.jpg?dc=4675419207762147114[/img]

[img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0RADlGYcT84pPpMXj7jWBwCaO279RLpqUFuiT5EZjEAUfWbarcYwejkGv2cAysoRWbr83uKCA04sM5hpN9p9XlKWrJlG4s0jI0xKgznpzGOk/Range%20018.jpg?dc=4675418926521696297[/img]

why don't you guys just use verticle pistol grips?  That way you don't have to sweat it at all.  

knights KAC panels won't lock onto the FIRSH without modification.

[b]Fenian[/b], I ended up getting a bag of them today from the Oly store. I guess the proper terminology for them is "Lo-profile covers." Anyway, I do foresee them getting quite hot. My impression is that they are actually intended to protect the rails from damage, possibly (instead of the rails being exposed to bumps and such). Regardless, I'll probably wind up putting a guerilla grip on the forend anyway. BTW, since my stock is wrapped with 550-cord, I opted for the OD green covers. It looks kinda cool with the way they contrast against the black metal.

Also, I tried some KAC panels from work and they do work pretty good, they just leave quite a bit exposed at the very ends. All I had to do is mash them down onto the rail, making sure that the metal clips were INSIDE the the rail rather than outside of it.