In this day and age, you have your pick of AR rail systems, and by no means have to settle for a Picatinny handguard, despite the fact that that remains the de facto standard among shooters.
This short post will break down the main advantages and disadvantages of the three primary types of AR handguards that you are likely to encounter.
Picatinny Rail Systems: Advantages
The Picatinny rail system, which has been around since the nineties, is seen by many as the standard. It consists of a series of slots and ridges, on which you can install a variety of accessories. Here are some of the main advantages.
- Proven design: The Picatinny standard has been around now for the better part of 30 years, cementing its place in the industry as a standard.
- Durability: Picatinny handguards are made with a lot of metal and are very tough.
- Ease of attachment: The Picatinny standard, and accessories designed for it, are not a tough nut to crack. With a basic wrench or screwdriver you can attach any compatible accessory without directions.
- There are tons of compatible accessories: Because it is so old, and has seen such widespread use, there are tons of compatible shooting accessories designed for Pic rail systems, including but not limited to optics, lights, lasers, sidesaddle mounts, sling mounts, and more.
Disadvantages
While Picatinny AR handguards are a good bet, they are not without their drawbacks.
- Weight: Picatinny rail systems are considerably heavier than the other two handguard systems that will be explored here.
- Discomfort: Some operators find that shooting an AR with a Pic rail handguard is very uncomfortable because of the sharp edges of the system.
- Prone to snagging: The sharp edges of a Pic rail system are not just prone to causing discomfort, they can also snag on gear straps, loops, webbing, and more.
KeyMod AR Handguards: Advantages
KeyMod rail systems, which are immediately recognizable from their pear (or perhaps, snowman)-shaped slots, were first developed by VLTOR Weapon Systems in 2012. This system was intended to be superior to the Picatinny rail system; here are some of the advantages.
- Weight savings: KeyMod rail systems use a lot less metal than Picatinny rail systems, making them considerably lighter.
- Greater comfort: The surface of a KeyMod rail system feels smooth to the touch, making it a lot less uncomfortable than a Pic rail system.
- Potentially greater heat dissipation: Keymod systems, being lighter and more open than Pic rail systems, may offer better heat dissipation properties.
- Slimmer: KeyMod rails are slimmer than Picatinny rails, potentially improving ergonomics.
- Less snag-prone: Without any raised ridges, there is nothing on a KeyMod rail system to predispose it to snagging.
Disadvantages
While KeyMod systems offer numerous advantages, they are not without their drawbacks.
- Cost: Because it is newer and fewer rail systems or handguards have been designed around it, a KeyMod system will likely cost you more than a Pic rail system.
- Fewer compatible accessories: Because it is a newer system, there are comparatively fewer shooting accessories designed for KeyMod systems.
- Less intuitive to use: Figuring out how to mount a Picatinny accessory is a lot more intuitive than figuring out how to mount a KeyMod accessory.
M-LOK Rail Systems: Advantages
Lastly, we have M-LOK rail systems, which like KeyMod systems were developed as a modern alternative to Pic rails. Like KeyMod, they offer some key advantages.
- Weight: Like KeyMod systems, M-LOK systems are a lot lighter than Picatinny rail systems.
- Slim profiles: This benefit M-LOK rail systems also share with KeyMod systems.
- A strong mount: M-LOK mounts are designed to be very strong and recoil resistant, and are among the strongest mount interfaces of all AR rail systems.
- Less snag-prone: Like KeyMod systems, M-LOK rail systems do not have raised profiles, which makes them more snag-resistant than Picatinny rail systems.
- Cost: Being newer, you would think that M-LOK rail systems would be more expensive, but the system was designed to be open-source, which has actually kept costs competitively low.
Disadvantages
There are some disadvantages of M-LOK rail systems, despite their main selling points. Here are some of them.
- Not as many accessories are compatible: Because they are newer, there are fewer accessories compatible with M-LOK systems. However, since M-LOK is an open-source project, more accessories are being added constantly and it is only a matter of time before it becomes equal with Pic systems.
- Mounting is harder: It’s a little bit harder to mount M-LOK accessories than it is to mount KeyMod or Pic rail accessories, despite the strong and recoil-resistant mounting interface.
Explore Your Options in AR Handguards and Rail Systems Here
Whether you ultimately settle on a Picatinny, M-LOK or KeyMod rail system for your next project, we have plenty of options running the gamut. Check out our collection of AR rail stems and handguards, along with complete, assembled uppers, and get in touch with us if you have any questions.