I think the Mlok will become more popular for several reasons (there is a thread about it on arfcom), but neither is going to out-compete the other in the near future. The polymer accessories Magpul offered didn’t work well with the KeyMod’s conical nut. MLOK QD sockets are bulbous compared to keymod since you can't use the MLOK slot as part of the recess like you can with keymod. But, while that SOCOM report didn’t do KeyMod any favors, the company hasn’t backed out just yet. Screw in the accessory to give tension to hold it in place. – All KeyMod™ failures occurred at the interface between the handguard and accessory rail. This means a smoother surface and more mounting options. Learn more here … Distribution Statement A – approved for public release; distribution unlimited Background History • The MIL-STD-1913 Accessory Mounting Rail was standardized in 1995. Can someone catch me up to speed on the pluses and minuses of the Keymod vs MLOK accessory mounts for AR forends? Something went wrong. These shortfalls brought the next generation of accessory mounting: KeyMod and M-LOK. Some of the most interesting data points in the test come out of the repeatability testing. They found that in a drop test, M-LOK accessories remained attached 100% of the time, while KeyMod accessories rem. Rail accessories are additional enhancements for a rail system used by various rifles. A recent study conducted by U.S. SOCOM compared M-LOK and KeyMod mounts made by the same manufacturers on five metrics: “repeatability, endurance, rough handling, drop testing, and failure load.”. So, they created the M-LOK system.Unlike the KeyMod, the M-LOK is not open-sourced, but rather free licensed. Use a hex wrench to rotate the T-Nut 90 degrees into the locked position. But if you want bombproof go with 1913. To that end, KeyMod is open source, meaning any manufacturer can produce accessories using the system without having to get permission from its inventors—and without having to pay them royalties. Originally designed by Magpul, this design is only available from manufacturers that Magpul has approved. It is an open-source design, meaning the design can be used freely by any company to make rails or accessories. to see how they stacked up against each other. Second, M-LOK’s superior performance in the SOCOM study was dependent upon installing attachments correctly, which, as many gun owners will confirm, can be noticeably more difficult for M-LOK mounts than for KeyMod. 3. Instead of the KeyMod’s keyholes, the M-Lok system features a series of slots. All Rights Reserved. So, they created the M-LOK system. Failure Load Magpul sought a design that worked better with non-metal mount surfaces. No fancy Keymod or MLok like you see most of the big names out there using. Want to skip to which system is better for your needs? The Picatinny rail system is simply heavier than the other two.Summary KeyMod and M-LOK handguards are universally compatible, lightweight options. – KeyMod™ and M-LOK™ system performance exceeded cyclic load test conditions. Many accessories will have an arrow to remind you of the correct orientation. In the Endurance and Rough Handling tests, both systems passed. work great for mounting scopes, their shortcomings in accessory attachments left a lane open for improvement. Both gained popularity since their introduction to the market in the 2010’s — but which system is better? Ready to Pick Out a Handguard? If you currently have some KeyMod rails continue to use them but buy either Quad or MLOK going forward. EDELWEISS. Our MLOK(KeyMod) rail panels are the thinnest Aluminum rail grip scales on the market by 50 percent. The first of the two newcomers is KeyMod, named for its keyhole-shaped mounting slots and modular design. In 2016, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) put the two to the test to see how they stacked up against each other. Daniel Defense AR-15 With Picatinny Rail On Top, KeyMod on Sides and Bottom. • 1/3 M-LOK™ accessories remained in-place. The M-LOK mounting system was released in 2014 by industry giant Magpul, known for their polymer AR-15 magazines and accessories, as an evolution of their MOE mounting system. It is composed of two parts, the KeyMod slot and the KeyMod nut. And although both the Picatinny and Weaver rail systems work great for mounting scopes, their shortcomings in accessory attachments left a lane open for improvement. In 2014, Austin, TX-based Magpul Industries introduced a variation of the KeyMod system. Most of us are not bringing our rifles with us into serious combat, nor are we habitually unmounting and re-mounting our rail systems unnecessarily. Is KeyMod obsolete? – All M-LOK™ system tests failed at weapon light mount or mount to accessory rail interface. In my opinion, Keymod vs Mlok should not really be a factor in deciding what rail you want. Adding a Picatinny rail onto a rifle’s handguard or fore-end adds extra weight, and some shooters complain about the extra bulk and “cheese grate” feeling it has on the hand. The polymer accessories Magpul offered didn’t work well with the KeyMod’s conical nut. It consists of two Pieces Of Converters With Screws. – 33% of KeyMod™ accessories remained attached. • 2/3 M-LOK™ accessories slid rearwards but remained secure. With KeyMod out of the way, let’s take a look at its biggest competitor, M-LOK. This also allows for picatinny rails to be mounted onto the handguard wherever needed. • 2/3 KeyMod™ accessories completely detached. January 16, 2019 Random Thoughts rockeguns_admin. The system works in essentially the same way as KeyMod, but with a couple of important differences. M-LOK came out on top with the least amount of MOA shift when removing, then reattaching, an accessory rail with a laser sight. After all, most of us aren’t putting our rifles through SOCOM levels of stress. While these differences might sound trivial, they give the M-LOK system two significant advantages over their competition. – Average M-LOK™ test failure load over 3 times greater than average KeyMod™ system Keymod rails have a lot of openings, or cut-outs, that makes the rail very light (remember, less metal = less weight). Location Made it to Free America. In the Endurance and Rough Handling tests, both systems passed. With this shortcoming in mind, a couple of young-buck mounting systems have emerged in recent years that offer similar mounting capabilities with lower profiles and less weight. failure load. As for keymod vs Mlok, I think they will both be around for a long time. The polymer accessories Magpul offered didn’t work well with the KeyMod’s conical nut. The DD RISII and M4 Quad rails are top notch. Continue tightening the screw to the correct torque specs: Metal accessories to metal handguards: 35 in/lbs, Polymer/metal accessories to polymer handguards: 15 in/lbs, Polymer accessories to metal handguards: 15 in/lbs, In 2016, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Keymod and MLOK both are smoother than rails so instead of covering rails where you put your hands you can just not put rails where you put your hands. The winner of this contest is clearly M-LOK. KeyMod is clearly the better design. KeyMod™ vs. M-LOK™ Modular Rail System Comparison Abstract #19427 Presented By: Caleb McGee Date: 4 May 2017 . So, they created the M-LOK system. The KeyMod rail system was first produced in 2012 by VLTOR Weapon Systems and Noveske Rifleworks in an effort to standardize attachment systems in the firearms accessories market. Rough Handling Keymod, M-lok, quad rail, alpha rail and old school clamshell handguards compared. This protrusion should face in the same direction as the muzzle of the gun. Please check your entries and try again. Drop test Check Out the List of Our Best AR-15 Handguards. KeyMod is a fairly recent development from the people at VLTOR and Noveske who created it as a public domain design which allows all companies to manufacture KeyMod rails without having to pay royalties for the privilege.. KeyMod-style handguards are impressively light and allow the user to directly attach KeyMod-compatible accessories to their rifle. This is in contrast to the KeyMod system, which requires you to mount accessories on the rear, narrow end of the keyhole. Namely, M-LOK replaces KeyMod’s keyholes with elongated slots and KeyMod’s circular lugs with T-shaped lugs. The backer nut, which is the piece that actually goes into the KeyMod slot, protrudes on one side only at the bottom. The KeyMod handguard was developed as a collaboration between VLTOR Weapon Systems and Noveske Rifleworks. These, of course, are KeyMod and M-LOK. This is where they mounted a bit of rail to either KeyMod or MLOK, then mounted a laser to that rail. Point being, there are some excellent KeyMod handguards out there, and if one of them strikes your fancy in spite of the design’s shortcomings, by all means, go for it. 4.6 out of 5 stars 453. There Are Currently Ammo and Firearm Shortages Due to COVID-19 and Government Policy Uncertainty. Just like the KeyMod, the M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment. From this testing, the M-LOK was selected for use on the Suppressed Upper Receiver Group and Advanced Sniper Rifle programs. It’s true that the KeyMod system supports every kind of attachment, but it doesn’t give you quite as many products to choose from as other platforms. Specification: Brand Name: ohhunt Model Number: Handguard Rail S Posts 13,227. Click Here For More Info! All M-Lok-compatible accessories are equipped with t-shaped, bi-directional attachment lugs enabling placement on either the front or rear of the slots. They found that in a drop test, M-LOK accessories remained attached 100% of the time, while KeyMod accessories remained attached only 33% of the time. The KeyMod and M-LOK are based on a slot system rather than the rail system of the Picatinny and Weaver mounts. Magpul sought a design that worked better with non-metal mount surfaces. For example BCM vs Geissele or Daniel Defense MFRxs vs SLiM Rails. For one, this is just one study. KeyMod rails consist of rows of keyhole shapes that allow KeyMod-compatible accessories to mount into place on the handguard. Both mounting systems are readily available, though M-LOK is arguably more popular. Just like the KeyMod, the M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment. Advantages of the MLOK system are pretty much the same as KeyMod – Slim profile, attach accessories or rails to only where you want them, ability to mount 45-degree positions on some rails, and light weight. Nowadays there are three main AR-15 mounting systems: Picatinny rails, KeyMods, and M-LOKs. A keymod/mlok specific attachment (vs adding a 1913 rail section) keeps the accessory closer in. Whether you need a small rail grip alone or you want one that works with our hand stop, the XOS™ rail scales add texture without excess weight. To be fair though, you could always attach a strip of picatinny rail to the KeyMod, which should allow you to use nearly any accessory you want. MLOK rails can always be identified by the "M" logo on them, and the straight attachment notches In contrast with Keymod, the M-LOK system is simply a rectangular slot that you will insert your attachments into, and with the help of a T-shaped nut that will turn perpendicular to the hole --lock it in place. Place the backer nut of the accessory in the larger hole of the KeyMod slot, then slide it forward into the narrow section of the slot. (Check Out the List of Our Best AR-15 Handguards). The flexibility afforded by the M-LOK design can be really helpful in getting your accessories just right. Subscribe for the latest news, reviews, and gun deals! The remainder of this guide will explore the differences between KeyMod vs M-LOK rail systems and help you to make an informed choice between the two. Keep reading to learn a little about the KeyMod vs. M-LOK systems, including how to mount accessories. Furthermore, it’s unlikely that you’re going to drop your rifle at the range, and even if you did, you’d be able to re-mount any attachments that had fallen off without consequence. -hole profile. These arguments come up all the time, and they are typically Ford vs. Chevy, or American vs. foreign-made, but in this case, there is indeed a decisive winner, decided by the Department of Defense and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division. If your rifle came without a dedicated rail system, look through our selection of Magpul mlok rail accessories and accessory formats to … Short rail covers 2½ M-LOK slots or 5 KEYMOD slots. Instead of having a hand guard with a picatinny rail attached, the KeyMod was designed so that accessories could be mounted directly onto the rail. The KeyMod rail system is modular in design, with rails and accessories that can be removed or attached at specific attachment points as needed. The KeyMod handguard was developed as a collaboration between. and introduced to the market in 2014. AR-15 Rail Accessories | M-LOK Accessories | Keymod Accessories. I think this competition would’ve been fairer if they used better quality companies and rails. However, Keymod isn’t widely available in polymer handguards, so M-Lok can be even lighter than some Keymod rails. M-LOK came out on top with the least amount of MOA shift when removing, then reattaching, an accessory rail with a laser sight. For one, due to the fact that the M-LOK’s slots are the same shape and width all the way across, you have the option to mount your accessories anywhere along the length of the slot. The Modular Lock, or M-LOK was patented by Magpul Industries and introduced to the market in 2014. ... Yeah as far as the weight goes for the geissele vs a quad rail, I'd be happy to lug around the geissele. MLOK rails use rectangular holes vice keyhole shaped cutouts. 1913 quad rail is the strongest rail by far but you sacrifice some ergos. I have an NSR Noveske 16" upper with Keymod and it seems to work for the WML and bipod. For years, the Picatinny rail was the leader in attaching lights, lasers, foregrips, and other accessories, but it had drawbacks. ained attached only 33% of the time. It is composed of two parts, the KeyMod slot and the KeyMod nut. With a harris bipod, for example, a mlok/keymod sling swivel stud will be closer to the bore than any mounting option for a quad rail, so you get a lot more stability. The results were conclusive enough for SOCOM to confidently move forward with M-LOK over KeyMod, but further studies will be needed to confirm SOCOM’s findings. Picatinny is the good ole' rail system that's bomb-proof and tougher than the other two. From bipods to flashlights to optics, choosing which accessories you want on your rifle is completely up to you, but before you get carried away accessorizing, you’ll have to decide how you’re going to mount them. – KeyMod™ and M-LOK™ system performance exceeded cyclic load test conditions. Also check out our full list of AR-15 parts recommendations. While this testing did not fare so well for KeyMod, that does not necessarily mean that it isn’t a feasible option for applications outside of military use. Orient the KeyMod nut the correct way. Just because the choices they used aren’t the best options or “quality.” Without getting bogged down in the details of how these qualities were tested (see the above link if you’re curious), the study showed that M-LOK significantly outperformed KeyMod on three of the five metrics, with the remaining two tests showing no difference between them: Repeatability 1. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. . The KeyMod system is great for three reasons: it’s lightweight, it supports every kind of attachment, and it makes accessory installation incredibly easy—simply insert a compatible accessory’s lugs into the wide end of the keyhole, slide them to the narrow end, and screw them in. 1) KeyMod has no lose screws or tiny pieces you can lose like the M-LOK, and 2) KeyMod attachments allow for a much tighter connection than M-LOK, which provides a far better "return-to-zero" for your attachments. I think I am going to use an SLR handguard on a 12.5" "mini-recce upper build and I get to choose. The remainder of this guide will explore the differences between KeyMod vs M-LOK rail systems and help you to make an informed choice between the two. In short, these tests show that M-LOK mounts are better at “maintaining point of aim for mounted accessories during normal mounting and remounting”, do a better job of keeping accessories attached when a rifle is dropped, and make accessories more difficult to pull off—all of which are significant considerations if you’re currently trying to choose between the two systems. – 100% of M-LOK™ accessories remained attached. The most significant variation was in the Repeatability test. ... With a keymod setup you have rail only where you need it. Click here. Endurance © 2015-2021 TargetBarn, LLC. XOS™ in KeyMod - An evolution of our traditional G10 machined RailScales®, XOS™ Scales are a 3-sided solution that offer twice as much grip surface in the same mounting footprint. A few carefully chosen accessories can transform a vanilla AR-15 into one that perfectly fits your needs. KeyMod. Just like the KeyMod, the M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment. The Broad Side – M-LOK™ achieved a 73% improvement in average POA shift over KeyMod™. The strong mounting system on the keymod rails creates good stability that remains unaffected by recoil. They released the KeyMod system to the public in 2012 in hopes of standardizing universal attachment systems. 12-13-2015, 09:01 AM #2. In fact, the M-LOK system has approximately 3x the industry support as KeyMod. MLOK and KeyMod are identical for ergonomics but MLOK is stronger so go with MLOK. Daniel Defense AR-15 With Picatinny Rail on Top, M-LOK on Sides and Bottom. And although both the. The second, more significant, advantage of the M-LOK design is that it seems to perform better. It is Constructed from 6061 Aluminum, hard coat anodized and High Quality Material. The first of the two newcomers is KeyMod, named for its keyhole-shaped mounting slots and modular design. Tips During the Ammo and Firearm Shortage (Caused by Covid-19 and Government Policy Uncertainty), Best 9mm Pistols in 2021 (For Concealed Carry, Home-Defense, and More), Best Complete AR-15 for the Money [2021 Review]. Get it as soon as Tue, Mar 2. Picatinny rails can now be used for mounting all kinds of accessories, including foregrips, bipods, flashlights and the rest. While Picatinny rails offer significant improvements over earlier mounting systems, they are not without their faults, the most obvious of which is that they add a good deal of unnecessary weight toward a rifle’s front end. ular system with the mounting slots having a. Crane – M-LOK vs KeyMod. Let’s see if I got this right. The most significant variation was in the Repeatability test. M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment onto the "negative space" (hollow slot) mounting points, and is a competing standard to VLTOR's open sourced KeyMod system for replacing the ubiquitous Picatinny rail in some applications. It Converts KeyMod to MLOK Adapter. M-LOK vs KeyMod – U.S. Military Determines a Clear Winner. The purpose of the testing was to compare which system was superior in regard to repeatability, endurance, rough handling, drop testing, and failure load. The Modular Lock, or M-LOK was patented by Magpul Industries and introduced to the market in 2014. The laser was then zeroed then removed without removing the laser from the rail section, and a POI shift was recorded. Known as M-Lok, this rail system has been designed to work more effectively with polymer attachments. So does that settle the debate?