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Posted: 7/2/2014 9:48:40 AM EDT
| Has anybody tried one of the super-cheap ($60-80) free float tubes you see on eBay? If so, what are your thoughts? |
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Just bought an Ebay no-name 12" free-float unit. Nicely machined, looks robust. It weighs 18 ounces. It installs using a standard barrel wrench. It came with an end cap as well.
A Daniel Defense M4A1 Rail Interface System (RIS) II 12" weighs 17.7 ounces. It needs an additional special wrench from Daniel Defense to install it. They both do the same thing. They are both machined from the same Aircraft Grade 6061-T6 Aluminum. The no-name cost $55.95 (including shipping). The Daniel Defense sells for $395.00 (plus shipping). That 0.3 of an ounce plus some kind of bragging rights isn't worth $340.00 to me. If it's going to get the job done, I don't need the high-speed/low-drag stuff. YMMV. |
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Quoted:
Just bought an Ebay no-name 12" free-float unit. Nicely machined, looks robust. It weighs 18 ounces. It installs using a standard barrel wrench. It came with an end cap as well. A Daniel Defense M4A1 Rail Interface System (RIS) II 12" weighs 17.7 ounces. It needs an additional special wrench from Daniel Defense to install it. They both do the same thing. They are both machined from the same Aircraft Grade 6061-T6 Aluminum. The no-name cost $55.95 (including shipping). The Daniel Defense sells for $395.00 (plus shipping). That 0.3 of an ounce plus some kind of bragging rights isn't worth $340.00 to me. If it's going to get the job done, I don't need the high-speed/low-drag stuff. YMMV. Ok |
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Quoted: Just bought an Ebay no-name 12" free-float unit. Nicely machined, looks robust. It weighs 18 ounces. It installs using a standard barrel wrench. It came with an end cap as well. A Daniel Defense M4A1 Rail Interface System (RIS) II 12" weighs 17.7 ounces. It needs an additional special wrench from Daniel Defense to install it. They both do the same thing. They are both machined from the same Aircraft Grade 6061-T6 Aluminum. The no-name cost $55.95 (including shipping). The Daniel Defense sells for $395.00 (plus shipping). That 0.3 of an ounce plus some kind of bragging rights isn't worth $340.00 to me. If it's going to get the job done, I don't need the high-speed/low-drag stuff. YMMV. |
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Quoted:
Just bought an Ebay no-name 12" free-float unit. Nicely machined, looks robust. It weighs 18 ounces. It installs using a standard barrel wrench. It came with an end cap as well. A Daniel Defense M4A1 Rail Interface System (RIS) II 12" weighs 17.7 ounces. It needs an additional special wrench from Daniel Defense to install it. They both do the same thing. They are both machined from the same Aircraft Grade 6061-T6 Aluminum. The no-name cost $55.95 (including shipping). The Daniel Defense sells for $395.00 (plus shipping). That 0.3 of an ounce plus some kind of bragging rights isn't worth $340.00 to me. If it's going to get the job done, I don't need the high-speed/low-drag stuff. YMMV. And if it works for you that's awesome, be happy with your purchase. All I'm saying, and like has been pointed out, that for $99 you could buy something from a company like ALG and know you getting a quality part and not just clicking buy on eBay and hoping you get something serviceable. I know my rails are what they say they are, and if something goes wrong I have a company that will back it....but to each their own. |
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Quoted:
Just bought an Ebay no-name 12" free-float unit. Nicely machined, looks robust. It weighs 18 ounces. It installs using a standard barrel wrench. It came with an end cap as well. A Daniel Defense M4A1 Rail Interface System (RIS) II 12" weighs 17.7 ounces. It needs an additional special wrench from Daniel Defense to install it. They both do the same thing. They are both machined from the same Aircraft Grade 6061-T6 Aluminum. The no-name cost $55.95 (including shipping). The Daniel Defense sells for $395.00 (plus shipping). That 0.3 of an ounce plus some kind of bragging rights isn't worth $340.00 to me. If it's going to get the job done, I don't need the high-speed/low-drag stuff. YMMV. The fact remains that you still in no way have anything close to the quality of a DD, but if that's how you justifiy it then I'm not gonna argue with you. I'm not a brand snob nor do I buy brand name parts just to fit in here or brag like some of the other members do, I just like quality brands. Everyone's free to do what they wish with their money. |
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I have been looking at the Mas Defense Omega rail. Poster here pointed out same looking one on Egay for $49. I need two.for 10.5 inch builds with KAK cans. So 11-12 inch close to. $100. Where to find decent quality at that price. Will still have to buy BUIS and shave FSB. I like the higher end ones but don't have the coin. Anyone have link for ALG?
Thanks |
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Quoted:
I have been looking at the Mas Defense Omega rail. Poster here pointed out same looking one on Egay for $49. I need two.for 10.5 inch builds with KAK cans. So 11-12 inch close to. $100. Where to find decent quality at that price. Will still have to buy BUIS and shave FSB. I like the higher end ones but don't have the coin. Anyone have link for ALG? Thanks ALG M-Lok Rails |
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I'm not going to lie, this doesn't look bad for a 10oz 12" rail under $80 |
| I simply bought name brand and used Ebay & PayPal's Bill Me Later service to pay the rail off over time. Happy with what I got because it was quality and didn't feel the sting immediately. Here is a link to my build page with all of the parts that I've bought off ebay listed. |
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I did pick up one of those ebay forearms for my Casper build (Cheap Ass SPR). It's a range gun, nothing more, the purpose was to see how cheap I could build a sub MOA system. For the record, pretty cheap. It was an ACX or AVX or something like that. Got a 15" rail for around $50 shipped to the door.
Full disclaimer I have various MI and Seekins rails on other systems so I do have some idea of quality versus price and I know where to go quality and where to go cheap. Fit and finish was good, it's not horribly heavy but it's not 'vented' at all so there's a lot of weight that could have been saved but that adds to the machining and thus the cost. There are no locking notches, just screws that go into a groove on the barrel nut. I love my MCSR V2 and the precision machining on it that locks the rail to the upper with no need to try to align by eye or using a carry handle to bridge or whatever. It came with 4 3" rail sections that can be attached at the front only but I only need one for a bipod so that was fine with me. It won't have lights or lasers or vfg's or BUIS blah blah blah. For my purposes, for this particular project, the Ebay rail works fine, I have no regrets in buying it. System shoots sub 3/4 MOA without the slight vertical stringing I was getting with MOE forearm when I leaned into the system. Would I put such a forearm on a system that's going to get more active use than sitting on a bench? Nope, save your pennies. Save going cheap on little projects like this one. |
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My only word of advice, is make sure the seller on Ebay gives all the correct information on the part. Most sellers on Ebay use stock photos for that kind of stuff, whether it be for airsoft or the real deal.
I spent the extra for a reputable brand for the simple fact that I didn't trust some doofus on Ebay to give me the correct information on the part I was ordering. |
| Here's what I learned the hard way. Fit and finish (FDE hard coat) of the product was actually very good. The barrel nut seemed good too. The rails are not milspec. They are wider and the angles are off. The seller will give a refund, though. I'll post a separate topic about it too, but does anyone know how well ALG Defense's desert tan color matches Magpul Flat Dark Earth? |
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Quoted: Here's what I learned the hard way. Fit and finish (FDE hard coat) of the product was actually very good. The barrel nut seemed good too. The rails are not milspec. They are wider and the angles are off. The seller will give a refund, though. I'll post a separate topic about it too, but does anyone know how well ALG Defense's desert tan color matches Magpul Flat Dark Earth? |
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