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Why are quadrails making a comeback?

I don't know why all you guys are 'hatin on quad rails. They are totally festive!!!

pedo joe  AR 1.jpg
pedo joe ar 2.jpg


And yes, that is a tactical banana holder. It exists. To carry your 'nanners into harms way.

Haters gonna hate...

Sirhr

PS. Yes, that is real. Dog Face Pony Soldier lower. .410 shotgun upper. Tribute to someone or other...
 
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Dude, they never went out of style. But like mom pants, I am sure dick-mod will bounce back in 20 years.
 
If your sole purpose in life is hunting down shit to try and make people on the internet feel bad, at least get the QD part right...
My sole purpose is sarcasm. Making people feel bad is just a byproduct.

But for real though. If you want QD and Mlok, Seekins and others make a QD pic rail you can attach to any picatinny bipod. It's about as close as I think you'll get. Similar to the ADM 170S version but when you remove the bipod, you take the picatinny section with it.
 
Where did you get that case for the one AR? Looks cherry.
Just a regular Pelican case, but I had a local(ish) waterjet shop custom cut the foam: http://www.sanmarcoswaterjet.com/

They do really nice work; about $100 and they ‘ve knocked all mine out in less than a day. Have had a few Pelican case foam sets done by them over the years…. This is the only other pic I can find right now though.

i-9wXdfmG.jpg
 
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Just a regular Pelican case, but I had a local(ish) waterjet shop custom cut the foam: http://www.sanmarcoswaterjet.com/

They do really nice work; about $100 and they ‘ve knocked all mine out in less than a day. Have had a few Pelican case foam sets done by them over the years…. This is the only other pic I can find right now though.

i-9wXdfmG.jpg
I think that is great, looks like they do a fantastic job. I have to laugh though as your rig looks painted, going to be well used, a weapon made for abuse and it's get's cradled around in a padded case lololol I love the irony. great set up
 
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I think that is great, looks like they do a fantastic job. I have to laugh though as your rig looks painted, going to be well used, a weapon made for abuse and it's get's cradled around in a padded case lololol I love the irony. great set up
Yep, that one was probably the first AR where I actually wore out the barrel! LoL …. Pelican case was just for transport in the back of the truck down to the ranch to shoot pigs and stuff; then to a gun scabbard or just slung on my back until needed.

Here’s a recent pic of it with barrel #2, being put through its paces at a training session:

i-Wcdxpxf.jpg
 
Yep, that one was probably the first AR where I actually wore out the barrel! LoL …. Pelican case was just for transport in the back of the truck down to the ranch to shoot pigs and stuff; then to a gun scabbard or just slung on my back until needed.

Here’s a recent pic of it with barrel #2, being put through its paces at a training session:

i-Wcdxpxf.jpg
love it!
 
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Only heavier.

nothing against them, but quad rails never did anything for me. I actually preferred the old hand guards, and even ‘backdated’ my issued M4 and GUU-5P to the old carbine hand guards (being the boss had its perks). Never looked back once I retired and started building them for myself.

Prefer a slimmer, round(ish) hand guard, with mlok or keymod slots (I’m agnostic) to put stuff where I need it, and nothing more.

For example:

i-8HvBhZd.jpg


i-NfgsX9g-X3.jpg


i-BRLcJF4-X5.jpg


i-T39GjvL-X3.jpg


Or old school magpul hand guards and a FSB:

i-76m5zRm-X3.jpg


An SBR’d set I built for my son:

i-7nvqwSb.jpg


…or even without a FSB! And yes, I had to mill down the back of the gas block to get the gas port to align properly with that hand guard for my daughter’s rifle:

i-Tz7Mqwf-X3.jpg


And sometimes with no mounting options at all, LoL…

i-JdkthDB-4K.jpg


You have a valid point about weight. Pic rails are heavy. Based on your carbines that you showed, none of them need a Pic rail. I based that on no IR lasers or do the most part, no iron sights (on the ones without a FDP). So you gain nothing.
 
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Yep, that one was probably the first AR where I actually wore out the barrel! LoL …. Pelican case was just for transport in the back of the truck down to the ranch to shoot pigs and stuff; then to a gun scabbard or just slung on my back until needed.

Here’s a recent pic of it with barrel #2, being put through its paces at a training session:

i-Wcdxpxf.jpg
Mark6?
 
Quad rails exist for 2 groups of people. Those that know they need them, and those that don’t know that they don’t need them.

The first group is easily identified by the presence of a 55 gal drum. The latter group is notable for the absence of said drum. For everyone else, better solutions exist…
 
If it was/is, it’s completely by accident…. Just another parts bin gun I put together several years ago; nicer parts to be sure, but almost a random selection.

Edit: or do you mean the scope? It’s an older Leupy 1-4 VXR patrol scope. Nothing fancy. 99% of the critter eradication that rifle’s used for is within a couple hundred yards, so I don’t need (or want) any more scope for this rifle; pretty brushy terrain out where it gets used.
 
Ya I meant the optic. I have a 1-6 mark6 on my rifle and love it. I’ve had for probably over 10 years now. Just looked similar in the picture.
 
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You have a valid point about weight. Pic rails are heavy. Based on your carbines that you showed, none of them need a Pic rail. I based that on no IR lasers or do the most part, no iron sights (on the ones without a FDP). So you gain nothing.
Yeah, the dedicated pig guns have a lot more crap hanging off ‘em with direct mounts, or I’ll add rail sections if required, but even those just get what’s needed. Frankly, a lot of my pig ‘hunting’ is from a blind over bait though, so not a lot of extra gear required.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have one or two rifles equipped like the guys that my teams used to support in theater, but never really felt the need. My personal needs are pretty straightforward, and while I’m not afraid to spend money where it’s warranted (buy once, cry once kind of guy), I just need good working rifles to take out feral dogs, coyotes, etc. in almost 100% daytime or dusk operations. I just can’t justify going all-in on cool night vision and thermal gear when I got one more kid to put through college, and my wife wants to add a second wing to the house, plus paying for the detached casita/garage that came in at double the $$ we had budgeted. LoL.

….and more to the point, any thoughts of trying look like the cool kids have long ago recessed into my past! ;)
 
This is a fun thread.
Kinda surprised to see so many grown men emotionally invested in an accessory attachment system though.
Keep the memes coming.
I think it's just the reaction to a pussified world and many are sick of it. grown men complaining about half pounds while carrying from truck to range or barely a mile in the woods. sickening really
 
I think it's just the reaction to a pussified world and many are sick of it. grown men complaining about half pounds while carrying from truck to range or barely a mile in the woods. sickening really
I never said anything about carrying to a shooting bench. I actually run with my rifles. Often with a pistol and a shotgun and all the food for them at the same time. On the clock. Weight matters there. As well as the snag factor.
If it was just weight it would barely be a factor. It's the combination of negatives that add up.
Ergos matter too. If you replaced my framing hammer handle with a 2"x2" I could still drive nails. But I wouldn't be happy about it and fatigue would be a real thing. A quad is ergonomically the equivalent. I can use one, and I even have pretty big hands for my body size, but why not have something that's more naturally hand shaped if I've gotta hold it all day?
Never said anything about quads hurting my hands either. I've spent a large part of my life roofing, my hands probably hurt the rail more. But, my guns regularly gouge chunks out of each other, and quads do it a lot worse.

FWIW, none of my guns have ever seen a shooting bench either. I picture a lot of the "weight don't matter" types exclusively shooting seated with bags and a lead sled.
 
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3.5 oz difference in the new ris 3 and the ris 2 * 9.5”* not including the connector things you need for mlok.
 
I'm not a fan of MLOK for several reasons. Often those rails are actually too small for folks with Man Hands. And with several brands, the goal of going slimmer has resulted in rails too narrow for the attachment of almost anything because of interference from the barrel.

And of course, unless the items you're wanting to attach are designed to connect to an MLOK, then you'll either need to add a section of Picatinny Rail to your MLOK, or purchase some kind of adapter.
 
I never said anything about carrying to a shooting bench. I actually run with my rifles. Often with a pistol and a shotgun and all the food for them at the same time. On the clock. Weight matters there. As well as the snag factor.
If it was just weight it would barely be a factor. It's the combination of negatives that add up.
Ergos matter too. If you replaced my framing hammer handle with a 2"x2" I could still drive nails. But I wouldn't be happy about it and fatigue would be a real thing. A quad is ergonomically the equivalent. I can use one, and I even have pretty big hands for my body size, but why not have something that's more naturally hand shaped if I've gotta hold it all day?
Never said anything about quads hurting my hands either. I've spent a large part of my life roofing, my hands probably hurt the rail more. But, my guns regularly gouge chunks out of each other, and quads do it a lot worse.

FWIW, none of my guns have ever seen a shooting bench either. I picture a lot of the "weight don't matter" types exclusively shooting seated with bags and a lead sled.
don't get your panties in a bunch, no one is picking on you lol

look, even Helen Keller can see the ridiculous obsession with weight that today's man has with modern small arms. It's beyond absurd and even hiking on longer hunts, a little weight in the rifle isn't gonna kill ya. If the weight matters, pick up another hobby like advanced faggotry or couch surfing because none of these set ups is gonna kill you. you being universal and not directed at you but I'm sure you get that.
 
speaking as someone who often shoots things that aren't ARs, M-lok works better for me because it's often easier to retrofit to rifles that come with no attachment system to begin with, or to non-destructively add to surplus things with minimal fabrication required.

as far as ARs, it really depends on the goal for the rifle. I have fucking gorilla length arms, so I often end up using longer rails to get a good grip setup, so all that pic rail would be a significant chunk of extra weight that wouldn't really do me any good. if I was doing something like a 14.5" P&W carbine, and knew I'd be using NV equipment with it, then a quad makes more sense as I'd be using up the available space pretty quickly.
 
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I sort of feel that while in some applications, a smooth rail makes more sense but for most other applications it really doesnt matter and have a classic appeal to them
 
@RUTGERS95 my panties aren't bunched yet, just a little damp and fishy smelling. If I was terribly worried about people disagreeing with me or unable to handle some meme heat I wouldn't have started this thread.
Just saying that my list of cons for quadrails may be tiny inconveniences for one guy and deal breakers for the next, depending on their respective applications.
 
@RUTGERS95 my panties aren't bunched yet, just a little damp and fishy smelling. If I was terribly worried about people disagreeing with me or unable to handle some meme heat I wouldn't have started this thread.
Just saying that my list of cons for quadrails may be tiny inconveniences for one guy and deal breakers for the next, depending on their respective applications.
fishy lol well played!
 
look, even Helen Keller can see the ridiculous obsession with weight that today's man has with modern small arms. It's beyond absurd and even hiking on longer hunts, a little weight in the rifle isn't gonna kill ya. If the weight matters, pick up another hobby like advanced faggotry or couch surfing because none of these set ups is gonna kill you. you being universal and not directed at you but I'm sure you get that.

I mean, ya the difference between a lite quad rail and a heavy mlok isn't much, but I also disagree with the canned, "lift more weights", "only pussies care about weight" responses.

At SOME point, weight starts to matter. Without a limit, then why not have a 25lb rifle? At what point does weight begin to matter?

The phrase, "ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain" was never meant to mean 1 single thing that weighs less. It's about reducing 10 things by 1/4-1/2lb and that adds up to a reduction in weight that is significant.

I can't count the number of meatheads that think reducing weight is for "pussies" have fallen out, gotten cramps, or started bitching because they didn't think about their setups and instead let their ego run their gear. Now I realize if we are ONLY talking about simply a difference rail, then what you aid probably applies, but we're not. We're talking about rifle setups, which includes all components, as well as gear you're wearing.

That introduces the ability to reduce small amounts of weight over 10-20 different items that actually makes you more effective (strength/stamina/endurance). On top of weight reduction, you also have weight PLACEMENT. If I swap out my muzzle break for something lighter, and swap out my quad rail for something lighter, while increasing my buffer weight and adding a heavier stock, I may not reduce weight but I've now shifted the weight 10-15% to the rear.

Just my thoughts. They're worth nothing.
 
I mean, ya the difference between a lite quad rail and a heavy mlok isn't much, but I also disagree with the canned, "lift more weights", "only pussies care about weight" responses.

At SOME point, weight starts to matter. Without a limit, then why not have a 25lb rifle? At what point does weight begin to matter?

The phrase, "ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain" was never meant to mean 1 single thing that weighs less. It's about reducing 10 things by 1/4-1/2lb and that adds up to a reduction in weight that is significant.

I can't count the number of meatheads that think reducing weight is for "pussies" have fallen out, gotten cramps, or started bitching because they didn't think about their setups and instead let their ego run their gear. Now I realize if we are ONLY talking about simply a difference rail, then what you aid probably applies, but we're not. We're talking about rifle setups, which includes all components, as well as gear you're wearing.

That introduces the ability to reduce small amounts of weight over 10-20 different items that actually makes you more effective (strength/stamina/endurance). On top of weight reduction, you also have weight PLACEMENT. If I swap out my muzzle break for something lighter, and swap out my quad rail for something lighter, while increasing my buffer weight and adding a heavier stock, I may not reduce weight but I've now shifted the weight 10-15% to the rear.

Just my thoughts. They're worth nothing.
just stop, the weight difference is immaterial to try and argue otherwise is beyond childish. It's like arguing whether half a snickers bar or 3/4 snickers bar is too much before bed.

none of us are humping 100lb rucks up the mountains where ounces equal pounds.


just stop
 
for the record I don't care what you use but crane demonstrated mlok is weaker (not by a material amount however) and those of us who actually use their rigs will tell you, the mlok attachments are not as secure long term as quad rails. use whatever floats your boat but do not rest your laurels on weight lest you joing the faggotry class of AR guys that parrot stupidity.

what's next, dwell time and mid length parts last longer (again crane says immaterial but middies perform worse in cold weather). everything a trade off, set your $hit up how you want it but mention weight and you might as well carry your AR in drag. lol
 
for the record I don't care what you use but crane demonstrated mlok is weaker (not by a material amount however) and those of us who actually use their rigs will tell you, the mlok attachments are not as secure long term as quad rails. use whatever floats your boat but do not rest your laurels on weight lest you joing the faggotry class of AR guys that parrot stupidity.

what's next, dwell time and mid length parts last longer (again crane says immaterial but middies perform worse in cold weather). everything a trade off, set your $hit up how you want it but mention weight and you might as well carry your AR in drag. lol
I'll mention weight, but not for the reason you think.

Weight on the front of the gun makes it harder to balance out, so a lighter rail (especially a long one such as I end up dealing with) allows for a lighter stock while keeping things balanced out. The other thing is that the weight may be negligible, but you can significantly reduce user fatigue by lightening the front end of the rifle, as your arm is a lever, and even a small difference in weight on the end of a lever can create large differences in the forces required to hold it in place. You'll also be less likely to overshoot your target due to inertia when transitioning quickly from target to target. small things, but they add up.

It's nothing to do with manliness, and everything to do with giving yourself optimal conditions to maximize performance.
 
just stop, the weight difference is immaterial to try and argue otherwise is beyond childish. It's like arguing whether half a snickers bar or 3/4 snickers bar is too much before bed.

none of us are humping 100lb rucks up the mountains where ounces equal pounds.


just stop
But, some of us have, and will again…

For my primary use, the rifle is the least important component. It is carried everywhere, but rarely used. It makes sense to reduce its weight, reduce its profile, reduce its snag potential, and just overall make is less of an albatross to carry around. Leave the weight where it’s needed. Lose it where it is not. 4 oz less rifle is 4 more ounces of useful stuff that can be carried at the same overall load. Critically look at everything you are carrying and you can save lbs, or reallocate them to more important stuff.

No, I’m not an ultra-lite hiker, but applying some of their principles can save wear and tear on your feet, back, and gear. And when you’re chasing critters through the mountains on foot, “Go lite, go fast” makes a lot of sense. On the last elk hunt I went on, I was able to reduce my overall load out by 7lbs, all by 2-3 oz at a time.

Hell, even a run&gun exposes the fallacy of “get stronger.” Carry everything you need over a multi-stage, multi-mile course while remembering that it’s supposed to be fun.

Mlok and keymod allow you to add stuff where you need it, and not have anything where it’s not necessary. The “oh look, you added a pic rail to your mlok handguard to attach a bipod- quad rails rule” misses the point. I added a 2” section of pic rail, where it is needed, to attach a bipod. That equivalent length quad rail has feet of aggregate rail space that is totally unnecessary.

While some of us are humping heavy loads long distances, and some are attaching optics and illuminators where necessary, most are obtusely clinging to a “vibe” that serves them no purpose. But, if the purpose of the quad rail is “it looks bitchin’ man,” go for it.
 
I'll mention weight, but not for the reason you think.

Weight on the front of the gun makes it harder to balance out, so a lighter rail (especially a long one such as I end up dealing with) allows for a lighter stock while keeping things balanced out. The other thing is that the weight may be negligible, but you can significantly reduce user fatigue by lightening the front end of the rifle, as your arm is a lever, and even a small difference in weight on the end of a lever can create large differences in the forces required to hold it in place. You'll also be less likely to overshoot your target due to inertia when transitioning quickly from target to target. small things, but they add up.

It's nothing to do with manliness, and everything to do with giving yourself optimal conditions to maximize performance.
Sounds like you need a bullpup
 
Sounds like you need a bullpup
My primary rifle is one, the length comment is largely because I have long arms, so in a traditional rifle setup to keep things nicely locked in place I end up needing a long rail. With a back-heavy bullpup a tensioned sling can do most of the work so I'm relying a lot less on my support hand.

And given that my MDRX weighs about the same as an M110 (both similarly configured), I'm definitely not one to be complaining about total weight!
 
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I got into AR's near the tail end of the quadrail era. I never liked holding them but that's just the way it was if you wanted to be cool and more modern than the plastic mil spec handguards. The first time I saw a slim smooth HG I knew it was the future. Once I held one I became thoroughly disgusted with quadrails.
Here we are in 2023 and I'm seeing them everywhere, like a bunch of kids just discovered them and think they're the new hotness.
I dug one out of my junk parts pile. Still horrible to grip. Still snaggy. Still heavy.
In the age of Mlok and Arca what do quads offer? If I want an HG that isn't great to hold I'll get another Seekins SP3R so it at least rests on surfaces nicely. Or throw an Arca rail on something and gain flatness and function.
Besides maybe the nostalgic feeling that makes people retrogress, what am I missing?
I prefer quad rails. I have had bad luck with mlok not mounting/holding as well (specifically laser/ir unit). I like the rifle heavier up front. I like that it takes longer to heat up when I am shooting and I don't have to wear gloves. When I rest the handguard on something like a barricade and tension it, I don't get flex. I am a big gorilla sized human and the wider pic rails let me get a better grip.
 
just stop, the weight difference is immaterial to try and argue otherwise is beyond childish. It's like arguing whether half a snickers bar or 3/4 snickers bar is too much before bed.

none of us are humping 100lb rucks up the mountains where ounces equal pounds.


just stop

for the record I don't care what you use but crane demonstrated mlok is weaker (not by a material amount however) and those of us who actually use their rigs will tell you, the mlok attachments are not as secure long term as quad rails. use whatever floats your boat but do not rest your laurels on weight lest you joing the faggotry class of AR guys that parrot stupidity.

what's next, dwell time and mid length parts last longer (again crane says immaterial but middies perform worse in cold weather). everything a trade off, set your $hit up how you want it but mention weight and you might as well carry your AR in drag. lol

To summarize:

"Weight doesn't matter because no one here walks or runs any distance with their AR"

also

"I need a quad rail because NSW Crane says it's stronger and I might use my rifle hard enough that I could shear off an M-lok attachment"

Ok....
 
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just stop, the weight difference is immaterial to try and argue otherwise is beyond childish. It's like arguing whether half a snickers bar or 3/4 snickers bar is too much before bed.

none of us are humping 100lb rucks up the mountains where ounces equal pounds.
I can see we're not going to agree here, but I'll keep asking questions anyways. Now maybe we're saying or thinking different things here. So I'll concede that I agree there is a slew of dudes who obsess over a few ounces of rail weight without changing anything else and act like its going to save their back, or bitch about quad rails for some dumb reason.

But thats NOT what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the idea that you can optimize gear and weapons to increase performance, endurance, stamina, etc....this is, of course, regardless of strength or whether or not you "hump 100lbs rucks around the mountains", which I've done plenty of. In fact, humping that much weight is one of the reasons I adopt this mindset. It does not just apply to heavy weight, but to anything.

The weight difference of anything is not immaterial. Unless you actually believe that there is no limit to a difference in weight that matters? Would you realistically choose a 12lb rifle over a 7lb rifle if they were used for the same thing? What about 9 vs 7? What's your limit? The way you talk about it, it sounds like you don't care what anything weighs, you're just going to simply "man up" and carry it, which is of course, ridiculous and lacks any logical thought process.

But I'll do my best to even give you an example, using something I did carry overseas and you referenced.
Daniel Defense 12.5" RIS 2 rail -- 17.7oz
SLR Solo 12.9" rail -- 9.9oz
Thats a 1/2lb difference just in the damn rail. When we got our DD uppers, one of the first things we noticed is how much heavier they felt than the previous uppers we had, even though barrel length was the same. While there were no "pussies" to be found, it was noticeable. Now factor in all the other shit we carried and it starts to matter.

This thought process applies to literally everything when it comes to gear and/or firearms. That same principle applies to backpacking, any hunting where you walk distances, competition, etc.
Why not optimize your ability by choosing a more logical approach if it fits your needs?
 
I will make it simple.

99% of the people that have an AR don't even need a MLOk rail. But it is a great option for them.

If you are in that small minority that has an IR laser on your AR and you want it to actually work like it should, then you need a rock solid rail. That mean heavy as the more weight that you remove from a rail the more flexible it is. Picatinny rails are inherently more ridged (most, there a re still some that are crap).

So figure out what you need and get that. If you need a PIC rail then STFU and hit to gym if you are bitching about the weight.

Anyone that has actually humped some heavy ass M240s, M16a2 w/203, or a SAW with all their other gear in the mountains know it sucks. If you are hunting in the mountains then stop and take a fucking break when you pussy starts to hurt. ;)
 
That mean heavy as the more weight that you remove from a rail the more flexible it is.
Not actually true. a lot of it is in how the rail is designed, as very light 3-dimensional structures (even extruded ones) can be very strong and rigid.

remove weight in the wrong spots and it will get more flexible, but remove it strategically and do the proper design work and it will be just fine.

Essentially buy from companies that have ahad the time to put in that design work and are designing for function over style.

the reason the military doesn't use m-lok except in rare cases is because it has not been adopted as a military standard, and won't be so long as magpul retains control of the design
 
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So let’s say a fella does like himself some quad rails, in 2023 (with new options everywhere), what are some of the slimmer ones?
 
snip...

the reason the military doesn't use m-lok except in rare cases is because it has not been adopted as a military standard, and won't be so long as magpul retains control of the design
M-LOK is licensed for free by Magpul to anyone that wants to use it. The primary stipulation is that the dimensions must be adhered to, the rest is boilerplate contract terms, such as limitations of liability.
 
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M-LOK is licensed for free by Magpul to anyone that wants to use it. The primary stipulation is that the dimensions must be adhered to, the rest is boilerplate contract terms, such as limitations of liability.
Yes, however that still means the military isn't going to convert it to a Mil-STD without taking that control away from magpul. the idea behind mil standards is that the military itself has final control.
 
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Not actually true. a lot of it is in how the rail is designed, as very light 3-dimensional structures (even extruded ones) can be very strong and rigid.

remove weight in the wrong spots and it will get more flexible, but remove it strategically and do the proper design work and it will be just fine.

Essentially buy from companies that have ahad the time to put in that design work and are designing for function over style.

the reason the military doesn't use m-lok except in rare cases is because it has not been adopted as a military standard, and won't be so long as magpul retains control of the design

Please site an example of this theory in reality. Can you give us an example of one of these MLOK rails that you are speaking of?
 
Please site an example of this theory in reality. Can you give us an example of one of these MLOK rails that you are speaking of?
Vltor's second generation CASV rail.

it's not winning any beauty contests, has a few things about it that mean its not popular with the civilian market, but it was very expressly designed to hold zero when using LAMs and clip-ons, as it was designed to mil contract requirement.
 
Yes, however that still means the military isn't going to convert it to a Mil-STD without taking that control away from magpul. the idea behind mil standards is that the military itself has final control.

Missing a HUGE part of the Picatinny system in the MIL.

The MIL also knows that if it goes to MLOK that it will have parts all over the place as Joe will have shit falling off his rifle. Picatinny is a much more secure way to add items to a weapon. And the biggest thing is taking it off and putting it back on. It is a PITA with MLOK and all of these little screws will be stripped in the first 3 months because EVERY MIL Armor takes every item off a M4/M16 EVERY TIME they go into the Amory. This is because they do not fit into the racks with stuff on them.