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Posted: 5/30/2014 12:16:53 PM EDT
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I am in the market for a new lightweight rail and have been looking at keymod rails. Now I see M-lok rails starting to be released and wonder if I should wait and see who will be offering them and what the options might be.
IMO M-Lok has the potential to be the better looking rail because the slots are more attractive than the keymod holes. However so far all of the offerings I have seen are just raised lip rails at 3,6 & 9 with cool guy cutouts in the other areas. Do these rails have to be raised in order for the accesories to be mounted properly? If so then I feel keymod has a real advantage when it comes to size and weight. The BCM KMR rails are incredibly light for an aluminum rail and like the NSR & URX 4 they have mounting slots all the way around in a symetrical pattern. This provides more mounting options and because of the symmetry provides a more consistent grip from various angles. My question is; does M-lok have the ability to be as symmetrical as the KMR, URX 4 & NSR rails and companies just aren't doing it or yet or does something about the locking system limit them to the designs we have seen so far like the Geissele MK8, new MI & SLR offerings? If the M-lok design is limited to the raised rails at 3,6 & 9 then I will probably just buy a keymod because of the symmetry and versatility. Its not that I need to mount acceseries at any other angle its just that I want a consistent feel where by hand rests under the barrel and in the interest of saving weight it just makes more sense to remove material in a functional manner (like more slots) than just some cool guy design thats non fuctional. |
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I would go with Keymod if you want a rail right now since we know the pros and cons of it already. M-LOK is not even out so there are no reviews and you wont get many answers. Heres a good thread Another |
| IMO, keymod is the way to go. It didn't interest me in the beginning and I thought it was seriously ugly. My URX 4 has made rethink my initial thoughts. It just works and works good. KAC, Noveske, BCM and others are really putting out some nice stuff and seem to really be pushing the system which will lead to more accessories, more options. I'm not going to be the one to say the quad rail is about to go extinct but I doubt I will ever purchase another one. My next rail will probably be the KMR. The URX 4 is pretty much perfect but it isn't the easiest rail to install. |
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Quoted:
IMO, keymod is the way to go. It didn't interest me in the beginning and I thought it was seriously ugly. My URX 4 has made rethink my initial thoughts. It just works and works good. KAC, Noveske, BCM and others are really putting out some nice stuff and seem to really be pushing the system which will lead to more accessories, more options. I'm not going to be the one to say the quad rail is about to go extinct but I doubt I will ever purchase another one. My next rail will probably be the KMR. The URX 4 is pretty much perfect but it isn't the easiest rail to install. I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. |
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Quoted:
I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. Quoted:
Quoted:
IMO, keymod is the way to go. It didn't interest me in the beginning and I thought it was seriously ugly. My URX 4 has made rethink my initial thoughts. It just works and works good. KAC, Noveske, BCM and others are really putting out some nice stuff and seem to really be pushing the system which will lead to more accessories, more options. I'm not going to be the one to say the quad rail is about to go extinct but I doubt I will ever purchase another one. My next rail will probably be the KMR. The URX 4 is pretty much perfect but it isn't the easiest rail to install. I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. The indexing tab on the KMR is about the strongest part on the rifle. That thing is beefed up. As far as the finish being fragile, hogwash. I beat the thing against my other guns going in and out of the safe and no nicks or anything. |
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Quoted: I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. Quoted: Quoted: IMO, keymod is the way to go. It didn't interest me in the beginning and I thought it was seriously ugly. My URX 4 has made rethink my initial thoughts. It just works and works good. KAC, Noveske, BCM and others are really putting out some nice stuff and seem to really be pushing the system which will lead to more accessories, more options. I'm not going to be the one to say the quad rail is about to go extinct but I doubt I will ever purchase another one. My next rail will probably be the KMR. The URX 4 is pretty much perfect but it isn't the easiest rail to install. I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. In time they will get the finish formula right, and I am very glad thats the only con of the KMR. ETA: People buy used abused stuff all the time for close to retail.
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| I voted with my dollars for the KMR. Damn fine piece of engineering and it is rock solid. All things get beat up in time if well used, and those are just character marks. Once you handle the KMR it is amazing how slim and light it is, but it feels like it could take a hell of a beating. |
| while both have plusses and minuses. Keymod has more support currently, but the M-Lok will come on strong I think. One decent bonus of the M-LOK is that the direct mount accessories can be about 30-50% lower. The keymod needs to have a certain amount of height to clear the nuts as they need to go inside the mount. Thus they have a min overall height that is required. The M-LOK doesn't have this so the direct mount accessories can, theoretically be lower, sleeker, more tier 1. I think the way that the Keymod locks in is slightly better but not by much. I worry that the rotating action of the M-LOK nuts will end up causing damage to the plastic hand guards. But time will tell on that one. I would look at it this way. From what I can tell, as of writing this post, there are no rails currently on the market with the M-LOK system. I think the closest one to market is the MI rail. The Geissele I was told will be available in the fall and the samson will be a ways out as well. Not sure on the offering from Aero Precision or even the MOE handguards. But it looks like the majority of it will come out in the fall. It seems that the fall is the time when gun and gun accessory sales seem to spike a bit so I bet that is what some of them are waiting for. But who knows I welcome the new stuff like this. Makes life a bit easier, I am all for it. |
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Quoted:
while both have plusses and minuses. Keymod has more support currently, but the M-Lok will come on strong I think. One decent bonus of the M-LOK is that the direct mount accessories can be about 30-50% lower. The keymod needs to have a certain amount of height to clear the nuts as they need to go inside the mount. Thus they have a min overall height that is required. The M-LOK doesn't have this so the direct mount accessories can, theoretically be lower, sleeker, more tier 1. I think the way that the Keymod locks in is slightly better but not by much. I worry that the rotating action of the M-LOK nuts will end up causing damage to the plastic hand guards. But time will tell on that one. I would look at it this way. From what I can tell, as of writing this post, there are no rails currently on the market with the M-LOK system. I think the closest one to market is the MI rail. The Geissele I was told will be available in the fall and the samson will be a ways out as well. Not sure on the offering from Aero Precision or even the MOE handguards. But it looks like the majority of it will come out in the fall. It seems that the fall is the time when gun and gun accessory sales seem to spike a bit so I bet that is what some of them are waiting for. But who knows I welcome the new stuff like this. Makes life a bit easier, I am all for it. You actually have it backwards my friend. The Keymod will always be the slicker and lower profile between the two. The M-LOK channel requires more depth than a keymod slot. |
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Keymod.
A touch lighter, and the holes create excellent heat dissipation for extending shooting. I cheated and went keymod with m1913 rails at the very end. They are light, smooth, slim...and I have the proven m1913 system for mounting. SLR Rifleworks. Great company, products and service. |
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KEYMOD - eliminates the middleman( rail section) with mounting directly. Mlock was designed for plastic rails (cheap).
I'm a Noveske fan. But just helped my buddy with putting on a Midwest industries keymod on a DPMS Recon. I was so impressed with this rail. Great foot in the door for the money. Magpul has had some great stuff but they are way behind on this one. |
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Quoted:
KEYMOD - eliminates the middleman( rail section) with mounting directly. Mlock was designed for plastic rails (cheap). I'm a Noveske fan. But just helped my buddy with putting on a Midwest industries keymod on a DPMS Recon. I was so impressed with this rail. Great foot in the door for the money. Magpul has had some great stuff but they are way behind on this one. It's my understanding that there will be direct attachment accessories just like with keymod. Still don't see how they will be as low profile as keymod with this mounting hardware though. |
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Quoted:
The indexing tab on the KMR is about the strongest part on the rifle. That thing is beefed up. As far as the finish being fragile, hogwash. I beat the thing against my other guns going in and out of the safe and no nicks or anything. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
IMO, keymod is the way to go. It didn't interest me in the beginning and I thought it was seriously ugly. My URX 4 has made rethink my initial thoughts. It just works and works good. KAC, Noveske, BCM and others are really putting out some nice stuff and seem to really be pushing the system which will lead to more accessories, more options. I'm not going to be the one to say the quad rail is about to go extinct but I doubt I will ever purchase another one. My next rail will probably be the KMR. The URX 4 is pretty much perfect but it isn't the easiest rail to install. I believe the URX 4 is the best looking keymod rail out there but as you mentioned, the installation is a PITA and if you like to tinker with your gun then it probably is a poor choice. I can live with the install but how are you supposed to remove the gas block if you want to change the rail? The KMR has what appears to be a great installation system and the weight is damn impressive but the indexing tab looks cheap and i've heard the finish on the rail is pretty fragile. Now I know some guys intentially beat there rifle up to look "used" but I don't want to spend $270 on anything that damages easily. I look at that kind of spend as an investment and its not wise to invest in things that soon look abused. The indexing tab on the KMR is about the strongest part on the rifle. That thing is beefed up. As far as the finish being fragile, hogwash. I beat the thing against my other guns going in and out of the safe and no nicks or anything. I chipped mine just pulling it out of the box; I haven't even installed it on anything yet. I'm also extremely hard on shit and don't care in the slightest. It'll be interesting to see which becomes the more preferred mounting system. I know M-Lok is supposedly easier to machine, which means one often understated advantage in its corner. |
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We have nothing against Keymod, it is just not suitable for a number of our applications in polymer. M-LOK updates our own MOE standard with a TDP that is open to all manufactures and was designed from the outset to be utilized on metal, polymer or carbon fiber mounting surfaces.
Here are a few M-LOK advantages over Keymod off the top of my head M-LOK works over a wider material thickness range than Keymod. M-LOK uses a flat nut that is suitable for polymer, metal and carbon fiber mounting surfaces. M-LOK is a true direct attach system so a line of accessories mounted next to each other do not need to be slid off to remove just one piece. M-LOK has better recoil/impact support than Keymod. M-LOK uses a larger bolt and has greater direct surface contact than Keymod resulting is greater pull out strength (a single MLOK mount exceeds 300 lbs in all materials) M-LOK accessories are multi directional (can be mounted forward or backwards). M-LOK has a uniform internal edge that can be generously chamfered allowing a better feel on the hand than Keymods 45 degree under cuts. M-LOK can use any of the millions of MOE accessories already fielded via an adapter plate (and existing MOE handguards can now use M-LOK accessories with another adapter plate) M-LOK slots are much lower cost to manufacture than Keymod resulting in lower cost to consumers. M-LOK nuts are much lower cost to manufacture than Keymod resulting in lower cost to consumers. M-LOK bolts are commonly available (user replaceable) and allow more torque to be applied than Keymod. M-LOK slots requires no special CNC cutters or complex injection molds to manufacture an undercut like Keymod resulting in lower cost to consumers. Keymod does allow for a slightly lower QD sling attachment mount than MLOK and is almost flush on the inside of the tube (that might affect those mounting suppressors internally within a small freefloat handguard) That said the M-LOK nuts and bolts are user replaceable so that shorter bolts can be easily substituted to get almost as low profile internally as Keymod. |
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Quoted:
KEYMOD - eliminates the middleman( rail section) with mounting directly. Mlock was designed for plastic rails (cheap). I'm a Noveske fan. But just helped my buddy with putting on a Midwest industries keymod on a DPMS Recon. I was so impressed with this rail. Great foot in the door for the money. Magpul has had some great stuff but they are way behind on this one. 1. M-LOK uses rails or direct mount accessories like Keymod. M-LOK revisions of the entire MOE accessory line up will be offered in 2014. Also the M-LOK can use the millions of MOE accessories already fielded via an adapter plate. 2. M-LOK was not designed for "cheap plastic rails". The issue is the Keymods use of a conical surface to tighten down on the handguard. This conical surface works fine on metal but will promote cracking or loosening (through material creep) on polymer and carbon fiber handguard surfaces. 3. Noveske is signed on to release M-LOK items along with keymod. 4. Magpul has been doing direct attach accessory mounting systems since 2007 with the release of the first MOE slot system. The M-LOK is really just MOE 2.0 |
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Quoted:
I am in the market for a new lightweight rail and have been looking at keymod rails. Now I see M-lok rails starting to be released and wonder if I should wait and see who will be offering them and what the options might be. IMO M-Lok has the potential to be the better looking rail because the slots are more attractive than the keymod holes. However so far all of the offerings I have seen are just raised lip rails at 3,6 & 9 with cool guy cutouts in the other areas. Do these rails have to be raised in order for the accesories to be mounted properly? If so then I feel keymod has a real advantage when it comes to size and weight. The BCM KMR rails are incredibly light for an aluminum rail and like the NSR & URX 4 they have mounting slots all the way around in a symetrical pattern. This provides more mounting options and because of the symmetry provides a more consistent grip from various angles. My question is; does M-lok have the ability to be as symmetrical as the KMR, URX 4 & NSR rails and companies just aren't doing it or yet or does something about the locking system limit them to the designs we have seen so far like the Geissele MK8, new MI & SLR offerings? If the M-lok design is limited to the raised rails at 3,6 & 9 then I will probably just buy a keymod because of the symmetry and versatility. Its not that I need to mount acceseries at any other angle its just that I want a consistent feel where by hand rests under the barrel and in the interest of saving weight it just makes more sense to remove material in a functional manner (like more slots) than just some cool guy design thats non fuctional. The M-LOK system can be used in all configurations that keymod can be used in. This includes the smallest diameter handguard rails currently fielded and positions in both 45 and 90 degree offsets. The other cut outs (cool guy designs as you put it) are usually substituted over M-LOK and keymod for additional weight reduction. |
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Quoted:
Keymod. A touch lighter, and the holes create excellent heat dissipation for extending shooting. I cheated and went keymod with m1913 rails at the very end. They are light, smooth, slim...and I have the proven m1913 system for mounting. SLR Rifleworks. Great company, products and service. In identical extrusions and applications the M-lOK and Keymod remove similar amounts of material and so are almost identical in terms of both weight reduction and heat dissipation. |
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Quoted:
while both have plusses and minuses. Keymod has more support currently, but the M-Lok will come on strong I think. One decent bonus of the M-LOK is that the direct mount accessories can be about 30-50% lower. The keymod needs to have a certain amount of height to clear the nuts as they need to go inside the mount. Thus they have a min overall height that is required. The M-LOK doesn't have this so the direct mount accessories can, theoretically be lower, sleeker, more tier 1. I think the way that the Keymod locks in is slightly better but not by much. I worry that the rotating action of the M-LOK nuts will end up causing damage to the plastic hand guards. But time will tell on that one. I would look at it this way. From what I can tell, as of writing this post, there are no rails currently on the market with the M-LOK system. I think the closest one to market is the MI rail. The Geissele I was told will be available in the fall and the samson will be a ways out as well. Not sure on the offering from Aero Precision or even the MOE handguards. But it looks like the majority of it will come out in the fall. It seems that the fall is the time when gun and gun accessory sales seem to spike a bit so I bet that is what some of them are waiting for. But who knows I welcome the new stuff like this. Makes life a bit easier, I am all for it. Well put. I'm leaning towards M-LOK But I have a feeling it will eventually be 9mm vs. 45 |
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I just saw ALG's new M-lok rail and it's my favorite to date. I can't wait to see what Noseske comes up with. If they make something similar to the NSR but lighter and without those ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides... I am definately in! Ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides of an NSR. Say what?? |
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I just saw ALG's new M-lok rail and it's my favorite to date. I can't wait to see what Noseske comes up with. If they make something similar to the NSR but lighter and without those ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides... I am definately in! Me too...and for the price it is hard to beat. I am looking for a light weight rail that I can attach a front BUIS and maybe a handstop. That rail will easily accomplish that. |
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Ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides of an NSR. Say what?? Quoted:
Quoted:
I just saw ALG's new M-lok rail and it's my favorite to date. I can't wait to see what Noseske comes up with. If they make something similar to the NSR but lighter and without those ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides... I am definately in! Ugly screw heads sticking out of the sides of an NSR. Say what?? Button head screws at that price point... flush that ish up! |
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