18 inch AR-15???

[FNFiveSeven]

I do like that rails are somewhat configurable on the PRI, but it is at the expense of more parts and more possibility of movement.

hmmm, I've never really worried about or had any problems with the PRI rails moving around on me, but then again I tighten the living daylights out of them and use red loctite. Although I suppose, all things being equal, the LaRue rails are less likely to move. What about the weight... the rifle length PRI CF tube (even with a couple of rails) is damn light; what does the rifle length LaRue rail weigh in at?

 

[Zak Smith]

Depending on how many rails you have installed and whether or not the barrel nut is steel or aluminum, a rifle length PRI tube will weigh between 11 and 19oz.

 

[Chris Rhines]

You don't actually NEED rail covers for a railed fore-end.

At the risk of disagreeing with our esteemed Zak, I once shot a 3-gun match with a YHM full-length quad-rail tube, no covers. Never freakin' again. At the end of the day, my left hand looked like I had stuck it in a lawnmower. There is still a little rust on the barrel where I bled on it. Uncool.

You can get low-profile ladder type rail covers, which do a good job of taking the edges off the rails without adding a lot of bulk.

I will agree that if you gotta have ther quad rails, the LaRue is the way to go. For me, I prefer the new model JP handguards, with a short section of rail at 1:30 and another at 9:00. The JP-VTAC handguards attach to the barrel nut with seven screws rather than with threads, which seems more solid. They're also very comfortable to shoot.

- Chris

 

[Zak Smith]

Yep, I think the abrasiveness depends somewhat on the particular type of rail used. I can use a LaRue without panels, but YMMV as always.
best
Zak