Troy vs. LaRue vs Daniel Defense Quad Rail

[wacki]

I'm going to buy a quad rail for my m4forgery. Recs on which one to get? What's the general consensus on Troy rails? Is it worth paying the extra $150 for LaRue or DD?

I performed some archive searches and found this:

There are only three major differences between the Laure and Daniel Defense rails:

1) The Larue rail has a locking plate inserted in the barrel nut during installation. This means if the retaining collar that holds the rail works loose from vibration, the rail can't roll very much. It also makes installation and alignment easier.

2) The Daniel Defense uses an aluminium barrel nut (you can get a steel nut though). This makes them lighter than the Larue and lighter even then plastic handguards. However, if you are mounting and unmounting the rail a lot or plan to run an M203, the aluminium barrel nut may not hold up as well as a steel barrel nut.

3) The 3 and 9 o'clock rails on the Daniel Defense are shorter than 1913 spec (Not as deep as they should be). This makes the DD a little more oval in feel and a tad bit slimmer than the Larue. It also means you can't mount anything here that depends on a correct 1913 depth in order to mount (however, I can't think of any product that you would mount here that would be affected by that)

Personally, the only big difference between the two that would affect most people is that that the Larue is easier to install - which isn't a big deal if somebody is going to install the DD for you. Both systems are used by the military and both are excellent systems that are very rugged.
____________

Now all I need is a Troy review and to figure out if it really worth the extra $100-$150 to go from Troy to DD or Larue.

 

[MrCleanOK]

Larue and DD are in a whole separate class of quality from Troy. If you want "good", the Troy will suffice. If you want or need the best, get the Larue or DD.

 

[anthony-white]

I personally don't think theres a whole lot of difference between the three you're looking at. If you wan't the name brand; buy it. If all your looking for is to free float the barrel and/or hang some accessories go with the cheaper. I install about 50 rail systems a month on customers ARs, a lot of which are Yankee Hill Machine. Take a look at them, they're very reasonably priced and of great quality.

 

[matai]

I love the DD Lite rails, they attach very securely and are very light

 

[kwelz]

DD rails have ben the best for a while. I will say though that the Troy TRX extreme rail is equally good. I decided to go with the TRX in my most recent build after handling a few of them. I used a DD Omega in my last.

You can't go wrong with either.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The problem with that review you quoted is that it is four years old. Larue and Daniel Defense both offer a fairly wide assortment of rails now. The DD rails have three or four different attachment/installation methods depending on the model. So you probably want to think about the specific rail system and features more than the brand.

Having said that, I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of the brands you mentioned.

 

[ny32182]

The first thing you need to decide is how "hard" you need the mounts for your intended forward mounted stuff to be. Based on that, you will get a subset of products from each mfg to consider. My personal thoughts are this:

1) If you are going to keep optics on the receiver and only mount grips/lights on the forward rail, or anything else that doesn't need to hold a zero, then you don't need a "hard" mount. Systems that snap in replacing the standard handguards are fine here, such as the DD Omega. These systems are the easiest to install and should require little or no modification to your existing upper build.

2) If you are going to mount optics, or maybe lasers (not sure what people use lasers for), or a forward BUIS, or maybe a bipod to the forward rail system, or anything else that needs to hold a solid zero, you want a "hard" mount. You will be shopping the subset of rails that thread into the upper/replace the barrel nut. These are more difficult to install, and unless you have the tools and knowledge to do your own upper building, will need to be installed by a professional.

Personally I keep optics on the upper, keep the standard FSB, and usually only mount a forward grip to the rail, which doesn't need a hard mount. Therefore I go for option #1 since those are easy to install and can then be swapped around to different rifles if you get the urge to do that. YMMV of course.

 

[LiquidTension]

The Omega rail is a 2 piece free float that is easy to install. You could mount optics on it - it's plenty stable. When Bravo Company was running their holiday special for $179 they were a steal.

 

[wacki]

Thoughts on Knights armaments? Any other top brands out there?

 

[ny32182]

I can comment on the milspec RIS's from KAC (Got M4 and A4 versions on some military clone builds)... they are nicely built and finished, but literally snap right in place of the regular handguards (stabilized by the front endcap). Therefore they are not super stable and I definitely would not put an optic on them. Grips/lights should be fine. At the price point vs. performance in the market today, there are definitely superior options if you are not trying for a milspec clone.

I am pretty sure KAC makes some updated more functional models now, but I am not familiar with them.

I have a DD Omega sitting around waiting to be installed on my current build when I have the rest of the parts.

 

[Rokman]

I can vouch for Daniel Defense. It's good stuff. I also like the Larue. Troy rails appear to be pretty good, but no personal experience with them.

 

[kwelz]

Maybe this will make your decision easier

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Daniel-Defense-OMEGA-12-0-FSP-Rail-p/dd 10005.htm

 

[44 Blues]

I have the DD Omega and the Troy TRX Extreme, both are of excellent quality.

 

[Ruggles]

Larue is made in Tejas.....that settle the matter as we all know Tejas made = Best

 

[Maverick223]

I would go with the cheaper, but still well made YHM forearm, unless you want lighter weight, in which case the DD is the way to go.

 

[kwelz]

With DD and Troy rails at 179 there is little argument to go with YHM anymore.

 

[Maverick223]

With DD and Troy rails at 179 there is little argument to go with YHM anymore.

Link? That seems awfully cheap for DD lightweight freefloated rails.

 

[Rokman]

The YHM rails with the diamond cuts are pretty nice.

 

[Mags]

I like Troy they have good customer service.

 

[Zach S]

Link? That seems awfully cheap for DD lightweight freefloated rails.

Several (missed) good deals for holiday specials. I didnt see any 12" rails on sale, which is what I would need for my dissipator.

BCM has DD omegas for $180.
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Daniel-Defense-OMEGA-12-0-FSP-Rail-p/dd 10005.htm

I dont care much for YHM.

 

[Maverick223]

While it is undoubtedly good quality, if I went with DD it would be for the lightweight version, which the Omega is not.

 

[ThePunisher'sArmory]

Aluminum is aluminum. id go with the least expensive one. Knights Armamnet is another good brand. Their good enough for the army.

 

[Zach S]

While it is undoubtedly good quality, if I went with DD it would be for the lightweight version, which the Omega is not.

The 7" Omega rail weighs in at 8 ounces, the lite weighs in at 8.5. I dont know if DD takes the weight of their proprietary bbl nut into consideration or not, I'd guess they do since its part of the assembly.

Either way, installed, I think the weight difference would be negligible.

 

[Maverick223]

The 7" Omega rail weighs in at 8 ounces, the lite weighs in at 8.5. I dont know if DD takes the weight of their proprietary bbl nut into consideration or not, I'd guess they do since its part of the assembly.

I see, that isn't bad at all, my mistake.

 

[MCMXI]

I have a DD Piston Omega Rail 7.0 on my POF (came with standard M4 plastic handguard) and I'd definitely buy another DD rail based on my experience with their products. The GP rail is a 3-piece model that uses the original barrel nut. It's extremely rigid with excellent design and execution.