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Posted: 2/8/2013 2:44:58 PM EDT
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At SHOT this year I talked to Andrew about Samson Mfg possibly making covers for their excellent Evolution rail system. I was pleasantly surprised when he gave me a set of "proof of concept" covers to try out and give him some feedback.
The covers are moulded in a black glass filled nylon and attach to the Evo handguard with small plastic push in fasteners from the automotive industry. The fasteners are only good for one use, when the covers are removed from the handguard the fasteners are ruined for further use. Fortunately they're cheap and easily replaced. The covers are nicely shaped and mould to the handguard. Length is 6" and width is 1.5", when installed they increase the overall width of the handguard to 2.15", still quite narrow. The only complaint I had was a lack of texture for grip. Keep in mind these are proof of concept prototypes, and not in their final form. I first sprayed them with Rustoleum furniture paint, that helped the texture some, but not enough. So I added some skate board tape, now they have plenty of grip, maybe too much. Hopefully if the covers go into production they'll be moulded in a softer plastic, and textured similar to what Magpul does . Left Side 
Right Side 
Bottom 
Overall I think the concept is good, the covers are easily attached, they fit well, are sturdy and provide a better gripping surface. The covers also protect your bare hand from heat build up during rapid fire, although the Evo rail is fairly good in that reguard due to the built in heat sink. My 6.8 SPC with Samson Evolution rail system, LoPro gas block and sights. 
If anyone has feedback let Andrew @ Samson Mfg. know. I'm hoping there's enough interest shown that they'll put them into production. Samson Mfg. contact info. |
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