Some rail research

[Condition1]

Im in the process of building a carbine with a mid-length handgaurd setup and Ive been trying ways to cut costs down a bit. One thing Ive been looking at is my FF rail. Then I came across this:

Leapers, Inc. - Hunting/Shooting, Sporting Goods and Security Gear

About $90 and every review it has reads solid lock up but heavy. So this got me thinking.... What do all the other middy quads weigh to make this thing seem heavy. Turns out nothing! The following are some popular FF middy quad rails with their weights and website prices:

UTG Leapers PRO 9" -12oz - $90
Leapers, Inc. - Hunting/Shooting, Sporting Goods and Security Gear

Daniel Defense LITE 9" -11.6oz - $365
https://danieldefense.com/rail-syste...id-length.html

Midwest Ind. T series 9" -11.7oz - $159.95
Midwest Industries: 9" Mid-Length T9

Samson Star-M 9" -13.5oz - $289
Samson STAR-M (AR-15 Mid-Length Rail) : Samson Manufacturing

Yankee Hill LIGHTWEIGHT 9" -12.4oz - $142.50
Midlength Lightweight Forearm [YHM-9634] - $142.50 : YHM, Yankee Hill Machine Co., Inc. | Makers of High Quality Firearms, Accessories & Sound Suppressors, Makers of High Quality Firearms, Accessories & Sound Suppressors

Troy BattleRail MRF-M 9'' -13.49oz - $199
Troy BattleRail MRF-M 9"|BattleRail Accessories|BattleSlings|Sling Accessories|Sling Mounts|Troy Industries| | Free Float Rails

Centurion C4 9'' -10.7oz - $259.95
2. C4 Rail System - 9-inch

The Centurion is the only one with significant weight reduction but I cant justify paying $170 more for 2 ounces. My first choice was the YHM rail but its more than twice as much and it weighs a bit heavier. Plus the Daniel Defense is $275 more at retail!

What is it that makes all these manufacturers cost so much more? Could it all be from a different kind of anodizing UTG doesnt do? Because a good dose of Cerakote can fix that quick. Maybe its me trying to find a deal, or that they make airsoft products too but I dont get why you would spend that kind of money when a great option is sitting right in front of you. If anyone knows why please tell me. Not being a smart a**, I just dont understand.

Thanks!
Condition1

[mvician]

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?...DQ&output=html


My advice is don't buy cheap just because you think it is saving you money.
In the long run you won't be happy with it. Money wasted.

[SuicideMyk]

Yankee Hill is a good company, I like their rails

[Shaniac]

+1 on what mvician stated above. Although I am sure there are plenty of other manufacturers that make great top notch handguards/quad-rails but I can only speak for the quality of the Daniel Defense since I own one. Daniel Defense rails are not cheap but they are well worth the money spent. I purchase my DD AR Lite Rail 9.5 FSP at RifleGear.com for $86 cheaper than what Daniel Defense retails them for... Look around, do a Google Shop search for the rail you want and you will find them cheaper from time to time.

You can get the Daniel Defense AR15 Lite Rail 9.0 (Mid-Length) at RifleGear.com for $298.99, which is $66 cheaper than what you have quoted above... even linked the website for ya!

[Mr. YACYAS]

I would also caution you about buying a cheap rail especially if you are going to put the rifle though its paces. Get a good rail and it'll be a one time buy.

[merc1973]

Leapers+UTG= Airsoft.

[Blacksamwell]

Buy the cheapest one that meets your standards.

There is a psychological phenomenon whereby people tend to purchase the most expensive model they think they can afford even when the additional cost provides no increase in value. For some reason our brains trick us into thinking that the additional expense somehow means we're receiving some additional value in the product. Retailers know this and will purposefully break up their products into various tiers in order to squeeze every additional penny they can from us. Knowledge of this phenomenon empowers the buyer to choose more objectively.

If the cheapest rail is made of the same alloy and the production standards meet your needs there's no objective reason to spend more merely because you can.

[Spooled]

DD lite rails are my fave, i just got a 12 inch one.
The omega rails are great to if u want easy install.

[4eyedfenix]

i have a UTG and its nice and reasonably price

[Condition1]

I guess I have trouble understanding how it can be said that they are junk without hesitation. What is it that makes them junk? That they use 6063 aluminum instead of 6061? Or they use four screws as opposed to six? To those who say they are no good, can you please elaborate more as to why? Have you handled them and put them through their paces?