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Old November 2, 2017, 12:58 AM   #1
tacstar
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Keymod vs. M-Lok

Are there any advantages to M-Lok over Keymod free float handguards? I have read that USSOCOM will soon be switching to the M-Lok platform.
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Old November 2, 2017, 01:27 AM   #2
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http://soldiersystems.net/2017/05/05...at-nswc-crane/

I've chosen M-Lok since it was available and will continue to do so
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Old November 2, 2017, 12:31 PM   #3
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"Advantages" - not really, other than most companies probably won't be releasing a lot of keymod products in the future. It was kind of like the bluray vs hd-dvd battle and the m-lok just won out.

You'll see keymod railed uppers going for discounts currently. Daniel Defense was just running a really nice sale/discount on their V11 through one website where you would get the rifle, plus 1,000 rounds of XM193, plus a YETI cooler... for the same price as the -LOK V7 version... one of my friends jumped on that deal, and the rifle is great... but it's just dated technology at this point. I don't think it will be a huge deal since you can always just get some picatinny rail adapters for mounting other things, and I don't think they'll stop making pic accessories any time soon....
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Old November 2, 2017, 12:35 PM   #4
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M-LOK is stronger as far as attachments. I find it’s a PITA to mount stuff too vs Keymod though.
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Old November 2, 2017, 01:07 PM   #5
Theohazard
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cslinger
M-LOK is stronger as far as attachments. I find it’s a PITA to mount stuff too vs Keymod though.
I used to find M-Lok to be a pain also until a coworker showed me the easy way to do it.

Tighten the nuts down all the way and put your attachment where you want it. Then loosen the nut a 1/4 turn, then reverse and start to turn it clockwise: If you feel the nut tightning on the bolt, stop and loosen it another 1/4 turn. Do this until you feel the whole nut-bolt combo turn 90° when you try to tighten it. This means the nut has loosened enough that it has turned 90° and locked in place. At this point just tighten it down.

If you loosen it too much the nut will go right past the locking lugs and it won't work, which is why you need to loosen it by a 1/4 turn at a time.

Once I learned this trick, I found it just as easy as keymod.
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Old November 2, 2017, 02:00 PM   #6
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^^ Yup. Pretty much that. I don't crank it all the way down, just most of the way... but i use a little blue loctite to keep some friction between the nut and bolt, so i just pop it through the hole, twist, pull it down, applying a little outward tension on whatever the accessory is... the cinch up the bolt. Easy-peasy.
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Old November 2, 2017, 05:37 PM   #7
raimius
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Keymod is slightly more prone to break when dropped hard. That said, don't abuse your equipment in extreme ways, and they come out roughly even.

Keymod if you like BCM, otherwise, probably better to go with M-lok due to popularity.
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Old November 2, 2017, 05:47 PM   #8
CalmerThanYou
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M-Lok sounds more tactical, so it must be superior.
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Old November 2, 2017, 08:55 PM   #9
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That point should not be overlooked.
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Old November 2, 2017, 09:41 PM   #10
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I would go with M-lok, all else being the same.

Magpul makes a lot of accessories and it will probably be around a long time.
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Old November 2, 2017, 11:21 PM   #11
DubC-Hicks
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BCM is now making an M-Lok KMR, if that tells you anything.

Magpul isn't making any Keymod furniture.
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Old November 3, 2017, 01:37 AM   #12
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Quote:
Magpul isn't making any Keymod furniture.
Pretty much the real "advantage" of M-Lok as I see it. My guess is the keylock craters and shifts in plastic (Magpul makes lots of plastic) fairly easily--thus the need for the rectangular lock tab on the back of the MLok attachment.
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Old November 3, 2017, 10:13 PM   #13
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M-lok is the way to go from now forward. It has the widest support from many manufacturers. And with the military testing being released to the public, falling in favor of m-lok, it will gain in popularity.

Both are good choices as far as utility and use... Keymod is strong enough most of the time. It isn't as good at handling rough abuse as m-lok, especially drops that put stress directly into a mounted accessory. The testing done by the military was likely overkill in some ways, but m-lok did come out on top in strength. Keymod would likely hold up well in combat use... Most of the time anyway...

But if you want the toughest... M-lok


From the military report on the two systems.

Keymod:

*Better return to zero, for accessories where that is important. (things like laser sights)
*Accessory install is a bit easier. (negated a bit if you learn the little tricks of m-lok)
*Not as strong as m-lok...


M-lok:

*Much stronger system than keymod
*System not as easy to use as keymod
(Learning the little tricks to installing m-lok easily, negates a good portion of the install difficulty difference between m-lok and keymod that some experience.)
*Return to zero is not quite as good as keymod, with a wider variation in shift.
(They found that adhering to a strict/consistent mounting procedure limited this problem... Basically, just be very careful with the install... Keymod self aligns more naturally due to the design. The military use a laser sight system that makes this matter... But this sight is mounted on a rail... if you leave the rail section in place when removing the sight, the problem in minimized)



Strength testing was done in a couple ways... There was pull force, where they literally tried to pull the accessory and mount out/off of the handguard, and drop tests.

The m-lok pull strength tests resulted in no failures of the rail or mount, they stated attached... Though did sustain damage at the upper limits of the testing, when the force became strong enough to bend the mount and rail... Keymod had pull through failures before forces were strong enough to bend the mount... This was due to the chamfered mounting slot having less material to resist the pull forces.

Drop testing was done using drops from shoulder height. Drops that resulted in the full weight of the rifle landing directly on a mounted accessory, (in the case of the testing, a flashlight in a mount) resulted in breakage/failure 100% of the time. Usually with the mounted accessory coming loose due to the damage.

In all likelihood the same drop would have destroyed the light as well, and they used a solid rod rather than a real light, so more force would have likely been transferred into the rail than a real light would have done... Resulting in breakage where there may not have been otherwise... So the breakage problem may less of an issue in real world use... But the results are clear... M-lok handled the abuse better. With no failures.



If keymod had spaced the mounting slots a little farther apart, and they did not use a chamfered slot and nut system... The system would have been as strong or stronger than m-lok. As the failures were due to the chamfer having less material, and the close slots creating a thin section that proved to be a weak point.

The self aligning and reliable return to zero would have been lost though. And the farther spaced slots would have made for less adjustment/spacing ability.

Changing keymod in such a manner is not an option, as it would result in a loss of compatibility with current accessories... Though simply switching to a non-chamfered mounting slot and nut may be enough to cure some, maybe most or all, of the woes, and maintaining compatibility with current parts... At this point, with a viable alternative, it isn't worth it.
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Old November 3, 2017, 11:55 PM   #14
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Most free-float rails nowadays are closer to French pastry (that ring pleasantly like tubular bells) than battle-tough rails IMO--in "average civilian use" I doubt it makes much difference--except that keymods are a lot cheaper now as manufacturers scramble to dump their inventory.
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Old November 4, 2017, 12:12 PM   #15
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I don't mount anything to my handguards except a front sight on the top rail, so if I found the keymod version of a handguard I wanted for half the price of the M-lok, I would go with that.

Otherwise, I prefer to go with the M-lok handguards because they are fast becoming the one most people want, and at some point I may decide to mount something other than a sight.
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Old November 7, 2017, 08:21 AM   #16
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One slight advantage to the Keymod handguards is they are generally lighter when compared to an otherwise identical model using M-Lock attachment.

You're talking about only an ounce or two (depending on handguard length), but it adds up if you pay attention to that sort of thing.
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