As the new owner of an AR-style rifle, you have a lot of choices to make. Choices about what quality of ammunition you are going to run through it, choices about which of your friends you are taking shooting first, and choices about what to name her, of course.
But before you do any of that, you probably want to finish picking out all of the custom elements that you want to add before your first target practice. Finding the right handguard and AR rail system for your tactical attachments comes first because they create the base layer for everything else to come.
In today’s blog from RailScales®, we’re going to take a look at two of the most recent, yet popular, AR rail systems: VLOTR Weapon System and Noveske’s KeyMod rails and Magpul’s M-LOK rails.
Our goal here isn’t to attempt to assign a winner, but rather to provide some background information and food for thought about which one might be a better fit for your style, budget, and shooting preferences. Let’s get started.
All that being said, once you decide which rail system is right for you, you’re going to want to customize it so that your new firearm meets all of your needs. Luckily, at RailScales®, we’re here to help. We offer a variety of different customization options, including our signature RailScales themselves. We know that customizing your AR-15 is extremely personal, which is why we work hard to provide a variety of accessories and products that can meet all styles and needs. For example, if you ultimately decide to get a firearm with an M-LOK rail system, you can’t go wrong with our G10 RailScales® in M-LOK. These unique scales are what started it all, and they can provide you with additional grip, heat protection, and help you make your firearm your own. Explore our products, and continue reading below to learn more about the differences between M-LOK and KeyMod rail systems.
The KeyMod Rail System
This style of AR rail system started being developed in 2008 at the request of the United States Marine Corp. They were looking for a mounting solution that allowed the standard M164A barrel cluster but could reduce a little weight and improve accuracy.
KeyMod has seen a tremendous amount of success in the firearm customization market due to a few different factors. The first that must be highlighted is that KeyMod, at the time of its initial production run, combined durability, low weight, and open-source plans for the rails made put it in a class of its own.
Open-sourcing the plans for the KeyMod AR rail system meant that accessory manufacturers could develop proprietary parts for the system without having to pay the makers of KeyMod and also without having to develop and sell adaptors. This meant that new hardware made it to market quickly, AR owners did have to pay twice to use the hardware — once for the grip, sight, etc. and once for the adaptor — and because adaptors weren’t needed, the KeyMod system would remain lighter weight during use than most other AR rail systems of quality.
And that, my friends, is how you create a true triple threat.
While the open-sourced plans and the elimination of excess weight were huge benefits of the KeyMod rail system, it’s not without its drawbacks. One of the most notable cons of the KeyMod rail system is that it doesn’t have nearly as much industry support as the M-LOK system. However, that’s not surprising, considering the M-LOK system came after the KeyMod system and was able to make some modifications to the original design. Another downfall of the KeyMod rail system is that there aren’t as many accessories designed to fit this type of rail system. This could be due to the fact that when SOCOM tested the KeyMod system, it showed that the rail was easier to break. However, it’s important to take their testing with a grain of salt, as SOCOM beat the tar out of the rail system, and it’s unlikely that any civilian would put the KeyMod rail to the test quite as intensely.
Luckily, at RailScales, we don’t discriminate between KeyMod and M-LOK. While other companies may favor one rail system over another, you can rest assured that when you work with us, you’ll be able to find our high-quality accessories and parts for both systems.
The M-LOK Rail System
Hitting the market in 2014, the M-LOK rail system is even more recent than the KeyMod system. However, it has also seen quite a bit of early success.
M-Lock rails are popular for many of the same reasons that KeyMod is, and when looking at the design and function, one can’t help but wonder if M-LOK wasn’t deeply inspired by the KeyMod system. There are, however, some important differences.
Consumers typically rate the M-LOK system as slightly less rugged than the KeyMod system but note that it also comes at a lower price point once you consider the cost of many of the system-specific attachments. The M-LOK system was designed to work better with the polymer handguards that are more popular with budget-conscious AR owners, and many people prefer it for this reason alone.
M-LOK also created a pretty neat mounting system that allows for hardware to be mounted at the front or rear of any given lock slot. This means greater versatility in terms of hardware positioning and can create more comfort for shooters who find that fore grips and hand stop on other AR rail systems leave them feeling uncomfortable during shooting and fatigued after.
Like KeyMod, Magpul also made its plans for the M-LOK system open-source, although many manufacturers are already deeply invested in making accessories and hardware for the KeyMod. Only time will tell if the market will treat the M-LOK system as kindly.
The M-LOK rail system certainly has a following, and there are many benefits to using this system. However, it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t also cover some of the downfalls of this system as well.
As mentioned above, the M-LOK system gives users the option of mounting their accessories at either the front or the rear of any given slot. However, there are many people who find it difficult to mount accessories to the M-LOK system, at least compared to the KeyMod system. For some it may be easier, but at least in the beginning, it can be easier to remove the rail completely before attaching accessories. Additionally, it has been noted that the M-LOK rail system is a little heavier than the KeyMod system. Keep in mind, the KeyMod system was designed to eliminate excess weight, so if you’re trying to achieve the lightest firearm possible, the M-LOK system may not be the right choice for you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these two AR rail systems are very similar. They both are made with high-quality, lightweight materials. Their creators positioned both of them to thrive in the market through the savvy practice of open-sourcing their plans. And maybe most importantly, both are well-loved and highly-regarded by much of the shooting community.
When you really get down to it, here are the primary influences you should consider when taking your next steps towards purchasing one of these brands. While both offer ease of use and are built to reduce the overall weight of your decked out AR, the KeyMod system still holds the edge in options and popularity, but the M-LOK rail system offers similar quality at a lower price for adding on and works better with less expensive polymer handguards, too.
Ultimately, if you value aesthetics and affordability, then M-LOK may be right for you. If you prefer a more rugged and standardized AR rail system with more options, then KeyMod might win you over. The choice is yours.
Regardless of what rail system you end up choosing, RailScales has your back and can hook you up with some of the best accessories in the business, allowing you to really make your AR-15 your own. Explore our collection and be sure to check out our G10 RailScales® in M-LOK and in KeyMod to experience superior grip and heat protection. We offer a variety of different styles, allowing you to pick the RailScales that will help you customize your firearm and truly make it something personal. Start shopping now!
Find High-Quality KeyMod And M-LOK For Your AR Rail System At RailScales®
RailScales® designs and engineers our own line of M-LOK and KeyMod tactical accessories for shooters just like you. Our hand stops, rail covers, and foregrips are designed to provide our customers with a satisfying, comfortable, and accurate shooting experience. Shop at our online store today and find out which RailScales® products might be right for you and your AR.