The Larue clips have me moving back to 4-rail handguards and away from the Brazilian handguards. The Index Clips split the difference between profile, weight, and heat barrier. I’m taking the Troy VTAC Extreme off my HD gun and putting the DD M4 back on and using Index Clips and ladder covers.
If you’re concerned about the height of the Lite rail, I would steer away from the Centurion rails - their dimensions are almost identical to the DD Lite’s dimensions:
DD Lite - 2.42" x 2.06"
Centurion - 2.38" x 2.10"
Whereas the URX and RIS II have much more roundish dimensions - although I’m not sure what the URX II or III’s dimensions are, they look similar to the KAC RAS’s dimensions (2.3" x ~2.2"):
DD RIS II - 2.22" x 2.23"
Also, please do not forget the LaRue rails - they’re not the newest ones around, but they are proven.
Larue - 2.2" x 2.0"
The URX’s will always be the trend setter and the “coolest” rail in my book, that said, I owned one and will never own another. I will not buy any rail that will require excessively expensive tools (around $500 for both) to install or remove, and an expensive 1 time use barrel nut.
I love DD RIS II rails, and the Centurion looks fantastic, I hope to get my hands on a set soon.
No, DD works just fine
I like the 10" for the simple fact I am working with the same rail regardless of whether its a SBR or not
The index clips help simplify the modularity of a railed HG for me. I can place my sling attachment points where I want, my light setup where I want, my hand stops, my sights, etc… All I have to do then is fill in the blanks around my gear. They protect better than ladders, are lower profile than panels, protect from heat really well, and don’t have to be cut to fit my needs.
They are also the reason I went back to railed HG’s.
Brandon
Can someone post a pic of a dd mfr on a 11.5" bbl? thanks
ETA: scratch that, didn’t realize it’s partially a tube.
AFAIK the only MFR there is now is the 12.0, which means it would leave just a hint of muzzle sticking out. Too close for comfort for me personally, but I suppose you could put a hand stop on it.
Loving my centurion 12"
Bolting onto the standard nut is as simple and nice as I’d ever seen. And I’m a big fan of the forward QD attachment points
Only the gas block DD pins to their barrels will clear (round bottom), not the ones they sell as components.
Some other gas blocks may just clear, but are really too close. They may touch if pressure is put on the barrel or handguard.
If you go with the Centurion rail, I have a take off barrel nut from a BCM upper I can give you.
Just for the record, one doesn’t need $500 worth of tools to install a URX.
The wrench has been copied by a few people, and are available for far less than the Knight’s version. (I paid $100 for mine). KAC wrenches are also seen on the various EE’s from time to time.
The PRI rail vise block is more than sufficient for the alignment fixture.
My apologies to the OP for the thread-jack.
Thanks for this pic!!! That’s exactly what I was wondering. FWIW, my gas block is the factory DD low profile pinned, so it will fit.
Also, Justin_247, that’s a great point about the height. I didn’t realize the Centurion was so tall. I think that’s going to rule it out for me.
My priorities in order are:
- Weight - lighter is better
- Height - slimmer/shorter is better
- Length - Long enough to cover the gas block and probably not much more (for weight savings). I don’t use a lazer, so I need enough room to get my hand out, mount a bipod and a light, and that’s about it. Still not so sure how well the bipod will work with a 10" rail vs the 12" rail.
Todd is correct. I just shaved a carbine length FSB and it is about 1/2" to 3/4" back from the front of the rail. I would show you pictures, but I don’t have any on hand. The Midlength would probably cover about half of the GB since there is the funky collar thing at the front of the RIS II’s.
Not exactly what you were looking for but here’s a pic of an MFR with a 12.5" barrel. The 11.5" would be buried pretty far into the tube.
Thanks for the offer man, I really do appreciate it. I think I’m leaning away from Centurion due to the height.
Ash, what do you mean “height”? the Centurions are the same height as all rails in my experience - even with the receiver height.
do you mean depth below the bore? I see what you’re saying but how much are we talking here and what other rails give you a better number?
if it helps you, I have a Centurion 12" and a Midlength Cutout mounted that you are welcome to take a look at…
Depth below bore is correct. Taken from this post earlier:
Another way to word it would be that the DD Lite has a “sagging belly” compared to the more trim RIS II. The Centurion seems to be closer to the DD LITE than to the RIS II in terms of its “belly”.
Aren’t you local to me? PM me if I can handle your Centurion in person.
I really like the feel of the index clips. I run them on the bottom rail on both RIS II’s, one with a stubby Tango Down and the other without (for now, but will likely put it back on). I stippled them and it makes a big difference. On the sides I run ladder covers. On my URX II’s I ran KAC panels, which made it about as thick as the RIS II with ladder covers , or possibly even thicker, I don’t recall.
Ash, give me a bit and I’ll get back to your PM. Rob, if you’ve emailed, I apologize for not getting back to you, my Yahoo is down. So, my email is the same, but gmail instead of Yahoo.
that’s what I thought…
and yes I am local(ish). but I’m going to be unavailable till next week. give me a shout then and we’ll see if we can hook up…
:dirol:
I had a centurion, I hated the feel of it and sold it. Nothing wrong with the rail, just didnt like how it fit my hand.
See if you can find a gun with each rail to feel before you buy.