Looking for a 7" Keymod rail... what do you recommend?

[THE BIG SITT]

Going to be purchasing everything needed to finish my AR9 build soon. I want a 7" Keymod rail. I'm not wanting to spend a ton, but I don't want to sacrifice quality to save a few bucks either. Definitely less than $200, and to be honest, I can't see spending more than $150, as that gets me a Seekins MCSR V2... so whachu got?

 

[gmcttr]

Free Float Handguards | Aero Precision

 

[sgreen3]

Check out the offerings from MASdeffense... They have a number of nice handgaurds for reasonable money. Ive used a few of them and never had a minutes trouble from any of them....

HANDGUARDS AND ACCESSORIES

 

[Tomahawkman]

BCM KMR *ALPHA* 7 (KeyMod™ Free Float Handguard)

For $170.00 its a bit above your price range but 20 extra bucks is totally worth it Ive got the 13 inch on my 14.5 it is thin and light. I cant see myself using any other keymod rail on future builds. Buy it, you wont be sorry.

 

[mammynun]

I have a Seekins MCSR and several KMR's. The MCSR is solid, but its diameter is very large which is great if you want to put a suppressor inside it. The KMR-A's (and others) have a much smaller diameter and are more comfortable IMO. Either is good, but they're very different in feel.

Here's some pics, but the difference in feel is bigger than it looks in the pics.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

I have a Seekins MCSR and several KMR's. The MCSR is solid, but its diameter is very large which is great if you want to put a suppressor inside it. The KMR-A's (and others) have a much smaller diameter and are more comfortable IMO. Either is good, but they're very different in feel.

Here's some pics, but the difference in feel is bigger than it looks in the pics.

Wow those are some great pictures! I want to eventually suppress it, but honestly I would wait till see how the HPA goes. Even if it doesn't pass this year, I see some type of change happening over the next four years. The Seekins may work better with that in mind. Thanks!

 

[mammynun]

Wow those are some great pictures! I want to eventually suppress it, but honestly I would wait till see how the HPA goes. Even if it doesn't pass this year, I see some type of change happening over the next four years. The Seekins may work better with that in mind. Thanks!

Then you'll want one that's longer than 7" to put a can in. The MCSR I have is (I think) 9" and it's covering a 7.5" barrel and a KX-5.

Unsolicited opinion: Think hard about getting a handguard that covers your suppressor... LOTS of heat... can be difficult to remove if the can "locks" onto a muzzle device vs direct threads... did I mention LOTS of heat?

ETA: My suppressor (an SDN-6) will fit under the MCSR and I used it once with 8" 300BLK... It was a HUGE pain in the ass to get the can off the 51t mount with it was carboned up. It would have actually been quicker to take out the 8 bolts and remove the HG. If you get a direct thread can, or a can for every firearm (Go HPA!!!), you won't have as big a problem. But it'll still get HOT.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

To be honest, I won't be getting a suppressor this year unless HPA passes. And while I definitely see the benefits to having the suppressor "untucked", I can't get over the whole "space gun" thing lol. I'm heavily leaning towards the BCM KMR right now, and if I get a suppressor down the line, I will just sell and get another handguard.

 

[jstrahl]

I'll second the BCM. I have a 10" on a 11.5" upper. My only complaint is that after a few mags it does get pretty warm. I also run a SilencerCo Saker 7.62 "untucked". I just bought some of their rail covers to see if it helps a little bit.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

Well now we have a bit of an issue. I am learning that the way 9mm AR barrels are measured is different than the way 5.56 barrels are measured. Apparently a 5.5" barrel will only stick out 4.5-5" from the handguard? Can anyone confirm this? I was looking at a 5.5" barrel with a KAK flash can that is 3.25" long. The KMR is 7.2", so would this setup clear the handguard?

 

[mammynun]

I can't comment on the 9mm past saying that I've read the same thing, but I do not own one. But I have run into the issue of KMR being ~.25" longer than advertised. Here's a 10" (or so) KMR over a 7.5" barrel with a KX-5 (oal=3.25")... The only place the KX-5 was flush with the rail was on the bottom, the KMR extended past on the top and both sides.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Depending on what it is that you figure out about the lengths matching up and whatnot...

If you can go up to an 8" rail, ALG Defense makes fantastic stuff for not a whole heck of a lot of money.

 

[Hop]

I really like the mounting bolts and the anti-rotation "clip" on the BCM but the handguard material was a bit thicker than my Noveske NSR. My extra leftover Noveske heat guards didn't fit the BCM. The BCM snap in keymod heat guards are decent though. The BCM comes with a keymod qd adapter and a small length of picatinny rail. And a wrench! Noveske NSR use a pin and drill hole to prevent handguard rotation and don't come with anything else. Buy your own wrench too!