it seems that most of the complaints are from the way its locks up to the rifle . MI makes a similar rail , does this address the issue at all ? From what i can tell the MI rail has holes instead of slots and looks to be a bit wider around which isn’t necessarily a bad thing .
Regarding the heat on these, I find my extreme to not be as bad as a more traditional quad rail (Troy MRF-MX).
While its true the heat does build fairly quickly, I find it also dissipates a lot faster than the regular rail. I never wear gloves - using mine for 3 gun/action rifle as I do, I have no trouble at all shooting up to 45 rounds or so in quick succession at a time…by the time the next stage rolls around its fine.
When I’m practicing on my own it can get a little toasty but as stated, even given relatively short downtime between strings to reset targets etc it seems to cool down a lot faster than my quadrailed rifle - which once heated up tends to stay heated for a long period.
For those who are uneasy about the TRX “pinch” mount, I just got the Alpha rail, and was impressed by the new mounting method using a standard barrel nut.
The rail fits over the nut, and then rotates into place sort of like how the bolt locks into the barrel extension. There’s a little tab that locks it and keeps it from rotating further. If you want to take it off to clean the barrel, or add more rails, it comes off very easily and goes back on in exactly the same orientation and alignment.
Pretty clever.
You mean you can see its slightly off when looking at the muzzle end? This could well be your upper receiver face being slightly out of true rather than an issue with the rail.
TRX 13" here. I don’t like to wear gloves and it’s not an issue with the cheese grater thing here, grip is improved. I really like the feel of this rail. I had an afg on it and removed it, not necessary. As far has it heating up, it starts to get a little warm maybe after 4 or 5 mag dumps. I don’t do that often at all so it’s not an issue. I have gloves handy if it does. I looked at DD rails and a few others, really happy with the TRX.
I thought these things looked promising in the beginning. But after shooting a gun with one of them… I don’t like them at all.
They feel too skinny like I’m just grabbing barrel.
That’s what I like about the TRX Extreme rail. The size in my hand for control is better than the traditional box style rails on my other AR’s. Maybe if you do have big hands the streamlined size can be undesirable.
Interesting. I hate the way the original TRX handguards mount. I’ve had two of them and never even got around to actually shooting with them installed because I didn’t feel like the mounting system was worth a crap, and therefore the handguard wasn’t worth keeping. After properly installing, I could make the tubes move on the barrel nuts. And one of them would not sit straight no matter what I did.
I know a lot of people use the TRX handguards and like them, but I hope that mounting method just disappears. The concept is great, but the design needs a little more work. Maybe the new Alpha design is the answer.
I have an MI SS handguard in hand because I needed something relatively cheap to put on an upper I’m playing around with and I don’t like the TRX design. The MI SS is larger in diameter…whether that’s good or bad is personal preference. If you’re familiar with the way the YHM tubes mount, the MI SS is similar: tube threads onto the barrel nut, there’s a lock ring that is tightened up on the tube, and also an ‘anti-rotation’ screw to help keep the tube from moving on the barrel nut.
This is my opinion, but I would think there are two weak points on the MI SS design: the aluminum barrel nut, and the ‘anti-rotation’ screw. Still, I’m more comfortable with the MI SS design than the TRX design regarding durability. I’m not saying that the MI SS design is all that strong, just that I feel like it’s stronger than the TRX…all because of the ‘pinch’ method used to secure the TRX tube to the barrel nut.
Has anyone ever mounted an optic on the rail itself and had good results?
Im talking about an Aimpoint or Eotech, and for something QCB.
Thanks for the help . I am in between a few rails including these for my next build.
love mine
I’ve got 2 Vikings Tactics and 3 of the Troys on everything from a 12.5 SBR, 2 14.5’s and 2 16"'s. They are my favorite free float out there. They light and narrow enough that even with smallish paws I can still used my preferred thumb over shooting technique.
I’ve never had any problems zeroing any of my 5 sets on flip up Troys on all 5 of the rails. My SBR and SPR don’t have lots of rounds through them but my 2 14.5’s each have an EAG class and several thousand more rounds through them. I’ve never had to retighten and never had anything unusual happen to either. They both have a sling attachment, Troy folding front sight, and a mini Scout attached. I’ve never used any of the supplemantal rails except on my SPR for a bipod.
2 have shaved FSB’s and 3 have pinned gas blocks from Noveske and Centurion. All 5 clear without issue. If I shoot 3-4 mags fast the hand guards will get hot. I rarely shoot with gloves. In the previously mentioned EAG classes the rails never got hot enough to notice.
Other than these I also use MOE’s and a Centurion rail. I’d like to try a new Alpha but the 14’5’s are pinned so that won’t happen. I did have to go with the cantlevered mini Scout mount from Mount N slot on the 11" model to get it where my grip was natural.
FWIW the 2 permed 14.5"s have both been used every day as my patrol rifles for work. Well, one at a time but they are hard use carbines and have seen their share of being knocked around, dropped, and used roughly for training. I would have no issue carrying these for anything I can anticipate. If you need more rail space it’s actually lighter to go with a system like the DD lite rail or the Centurion versus adding the supplemental rails. In this case the rails would also have less chance of coming loose if they are molded in vs. screwed on. I have one rifle where I needed more space to add the DBAL so used the Centurion for that application.
If you really don’t need the space these or MOE’s really make more sense than a full quad rail.
I built a Noveske Recce type rifle with MUR upper and 13" TRX extreme rail about a week ago. Didn’t know anyone was having problems with these till I saw this thread, so I went to my closet and picked up the upper, one hand on the MUR upper and the other on the rail, and twisted. Well, I’m fairly strong, but the damn thing twisted/rotated with less strain than I wish it took! I might be sending the damn thing back now after seeing that and go for a DD…
what twisted? the rail on the nut or the whole barrel?
The rail on the nut…twisted about a quarter inch off-center…I’ll try to see how much more I can torque the screws before I give up on it, but I didn’t like what I saw…
I have 4 troy trx extremes and 2 more on the way that is how much I like them no problems to date. Noveske Thunder Ranch Rifle has them so that is a plus.
They have also stated that they don’t recommend them as a “battle rifle” like they would their other rifles. I was going for an “upgraded” Rogue Hunter with my build, but I may go for a DD rail…we’ll see…I have to play with the torque on the screws first.
This from Noveskes Rifleworks web site. Good enough Clint Smith good enough for me. ETA the Noveske Thunder Ranch rifle uses the Troy TRX
A MESSAGE FROM CLINT SMITH:
I have shot the Stoner designed AR style platform for forty-four years in one form or another as a combat decorated infantry Marine as a Police Officer and as a civilian.
I have actually used this type rifle in combat. The new Noveske Rifleworks N4 Thunder Ranch AR rifle is the best example of this rifle I have ever owned over the last four plus decades. The design implemented by the NRW team is a combination of their knowledge of the tool and my knowledge and real world application of this tool. To some people this rifle might seem expensive, my response to that is yes and in the truest sense you get what you pay for.
I own and use Noveske AR style rifles as they are the platform I teach with and even more importantly they are the rifle I would defend Heidi, Boo and myself with. I have worked on this now realized concept of the rifle for years and John Noveske is the person who listened to what I had to say and more importantly he was willing to build the rifle the way it should be built for serious applications. This concept will be copied by others in part and parcel in the future, but it will not be built better by anyone anywhere.
Heidi and I are grateful and thrilled that John, Lorina, Sheri and the NRW team has stood with us to build this very best of the breed.
My only regret is that I did not have this rifle forty-four years ago in combat, but that regret is tempered by the fact that I can and will gladly use this Noveske rifle for the rest of my teaching and shooting career.
Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch
Here is my version I did build a 1 1/2 years ago with a BCM 14.5 LW middy upper when BCM had them on sale for $375.
that looks sweet. did you buy that upper from BCM already in FDE?