Composite Free Floating Rail?

[zollen]

I would like to know why Free floating rail are made by expensive material like Aluminum?

Is it possible to redesign the AR free floating rail using composite material?

The requirements of composite free floating rail

1. Extremely light weight
2. Harder than Aluminum alloy.
3. Possibility of injecting color into the manufacturing process, hence scratch proof.
4. 100% not bendable, extreme rigid.
5. Very low heat conduction
6. Very Low electricity conduction
7. Durable and reliable

 

[mljdeckard]

The reason the preferred free-float quad rails are machined from aluminum is strength and integrity. A rail machined from a single billet will be stronger than one in more than one piece. They must be very rigid to allow the use of optics and aiming devices, you don't want it to move.

I have never tested, but I don't know how well carbon fiber holds up to heat. And I am also going to go out on a limb and suggest that it is more brittle than metal. It is very strong and suited for some applications, but this isn't one of them.

If you want a lower cost option that isn't aluminum, look at the Magpul MOE grip. Less than $40, and you can add rail pieces as desired.

 

[zollen]

The reason the preferred free-float quad rails are machined from aluminum is strength and integrity. A rail machined from a single billet will be stronger than one in more than one piece. They must be very rigid to allow the use of optics and aiming devices, you don't want it to move.

I have never tested, but I don't know how well carbon fiber holds up to heat. And I am also going to go out on a limb and suggest that it is more brittle than metal. It is very strong and suited for some applications, but this isn't one of them.

If you want a lower cost option that isn't aluminum, look at the Magpul MOE grip. Less than $40, and you can add rail pieces as desired.

Carbon fiber are flexible and bendable. It is not an ideal materials for rail system. There are many many new composite materials that would be ideal for this purpose.

My reasoning is that if polymer non-free floating handguard have been wildly used since 60', why not composite free floating rail.

 

[zollen]

Any thoughts?