{"id":2534,"date":"2014-11-19T18:43:38","date_gmt":"2014-11-19T23:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=2534"},"modified":"2025-04-04T17:15:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T21:15:37","slug":"keymod-vs-m-lok-ar-rail-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/keymod-vs-m-lok-ar-rail-standard\/","title":{"rendered":"KeyMod vs. M-Lok: The Next AR Rail Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember Betamax? It was the early rival to the VHS videotape format, and at one time, just as popular. But if you were born after about 1980, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ve never even seen a Betamax tape.<\/p>

We\u2019re about to see a similar showdown play out in the world of rifle accessory rails<\/a>. The picatinny accessory rail system has been the standard for bolting stuff to our AR-15s and other rifles for several years now. It\u2019s an excellent system, especially for mounting optics, but including picatinny rails on a rifle\u2019s foreend\/handguard can add a lot of unwanted bulk and weight.<\/p>

To alleviate this, there are low profile handguards that allow the user to attach small sections of rail only where they are needed. Not a bad solution, but what if we could eliminate the middle step and attach accessories directly to the handguard without the need for a picatinny adapter? The KeyMod and M-Lok systems do just that.<\/p>

\"Keymod<\/a>
Neither the KeyMod (right) nor M-Lok (left) systems are a replacement for the picatinny standard, but they complement it. Picatinny adapters like those above are the most common accessories for both systems.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The KeyMod System<\/strong><\/h2>

Released in 2012, KeyMod was developed and released through a partnership between VLTOR and Noveske. It\u2019s an open-source, public domain design, meaning that any company can make rails or accessories using the system without paying a dime in royalties.<\/p>

Handguards built with the Keymod system can be incredibly lightweight, and allow for the direct attachment of any Keymod-compatible accessories. Several companies already produce Keymod rifles and handguards as well as attachments like vertical foregrips, bipod adapters, sling adapters, and flashlight mounts.<\/p>

Keymod rails consist of rows of \u201ckeyholes\u201d. To attach a keymod-compatible accessory, line up the lugs on the accessory with the round part of the keyhole. Slide it forward, and then tighten the screws.<\/p>

Demo: Attaching a bipod mount to a Bravo Company KMR-13 \u00a0KeyMod rail
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