Is the quad rail obsolete? The answer to that question is a resounding YES. In the not so recent past the rise of quad rail systems was stunning to see. It seemed like every week a new manufacturer was coming out with a new length rail system or a new fastening system to make their quad rail unique and different. Larue,Daniel Defense, Yankee Hill and Machine, Knights Armament and Midwest Industries all fought for rail supremacy and military contracts.
While no one will deny the positive features that the quad rail offered over the standard round two piece AR15 hand guards they replaced, many will argue it was a waypoint in a progression towards a better overall design that was waiting to replace it. The quad rail was not perfect but it was the best available option at a time of great transition and change in the world of firearms.
The modern quad rail that we are use to seeing started it’s life in 1995 when the design was sent to the Picatinny Arsenal for a lengthy test and evaluation period and would later come to be known as Mil-STD 1913. Some of our readers my not remember a time in history before red dot optics and AR-15’s downloaded with accessories and laser designators on them, but I assure you there was a time. The Late 1990’s was an amazing time for gun owners, it was the first time that red dot style optics could be purchased on a working mans wage and people began to use their AR-15’s as the Barbie doll of the gun world, all via the Picatinny style quad rail.
Read more – The Arms Guide
(featured image courtesy of thearmsguide.com)