Given the laughably inflated price of modern sporting rifles and ammo today, most AR owners are in no hurry to drop even more money on pricey accessories to customize a stock rifle. Fortunately, there are some inexpensive solutions out there that still deliver excellent performance, and can turn an otherwise bland rifle into a tricked-out piece of hardware. One of these accessories is the Firefield Quad Rail, which retails for about $50.
Features
I’m not a fan of plastic when it comes to guns. If you’re like me and your AR came with a plastic factory handguard, the Firefield Quad Rail—boasting anodized-aluminum construction—strikes immediate appeal. Sporting a mil-spec picatinny rail that accommodates just about any optic on the market, the Firefield Quad Rail also comes with numbered rail slots—a surprisingly helpful addition if you find yourself taking off and putting on foregrips, lights, lasers, and optics for transportation, storage, or substitution.
Installation
The Firefield Quad Rail installs surprisingly quickly with just an allen wrench. You’ll probably spend more time getting the existing handguard off your AR than putting this one on. With its simple two-piece construction, the rail simply surrounds your weapon’s barrel and can be locked into place using the provided allen screws. No custom fitting required.
Performance
It doesn’t matter how high quality your optics are if the rail upon which they’re fixed loosens and shifts. Fortunately, once installed, the Firefield Quad Rail stays rock-steady and accurately seated. And again, it looks damn sharp doing it. The only perceivable downside is the addition of a little extra weight, which can be expected when you switch from a plastic to aluminum handguard.
