shooter521
Certified Glock Nut
Hey, INGOers!
I recently decided to purchase the Daniel Defense MFR (Modular Float Rail) 12.0 system to complete a new AR upper build.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...172819-ar_15_rail_systems_help_me_decide.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...on/173261-friggin_spiders_in_my_gun_room.html
Brownells was one of the few distributors that had the rail in-stock. I ordered it on 10/11/11; it arrived three days later.
The MFR 12.0 comes in a foam-lined cardboard box, and includes a color instruction sheet, a barrel nut wrench, locking setscrews and a hex wrench. Also included are three short rail sections, which come pre-attached to the tube. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to move the bottom rail section rearward, but unfortunately, Daniel Defense does not include a hex wrench of the necessary size for this purpose. After a bit of digging through my toolbox, I was able to locate one and remove the two screws holding the rail on.
The way the rail sections lock into the tube is genius. Two nubs on the bottom of the rail fit into the oval-shaped cooling slots on the tube to locate the rail section, while the stem of the L-shaped locking insert protrudes into the rail section to capture the screw, which pulls the flat (bottom) leg of the insert tight against the interior surface of the tube. This design allows the rail sections to be easily removed and reinstalled even after the tube has been mounted. Once I had relocated the bottom rail, I set about installing the system per the provided instructions.
The instructions say to seat the barrel nut with 50 ft-lbs of torque, using the provided installation tool. I simply applied a bit of anti-seize to the inside threads and screwed the nut on hand-tight, then used the tool on a ratchet handle to crank it down as hard as I could without applying what I thought to be excessive force. I then installed the low-profile gas block, gas tube and muzzle device onto the barrel.
The Troy low-profile gas block installed very easily. With gas blocks that feature bottom setscrews, my normal SOP for installation is:
1) align the block and snug down the screws
2) remove one screw, use a center punch in the screw hole to dimple the barrel, allowing the screw to obtain a better "bite," then apply threadlocker to the screw and torque it down hard
3) repeat with the other screw
4) use a center punch to lightly stake both screw heads
Finally, the tube is slipped over the barrel and barrel nut (the rear edges of the tube slightly overlap the leading edge of the upper receiver, serving as an anti-rotation measure), and the tube's top rail is held in alignment with the upper receiver rail while each of four locking setscrews is inserted into its hole and tightened. The setscrews, which come with a thread-locking compound already applied, engage a groove in the barrel nut on an angle and apply rearward holding force to the tube. While this may not seem to be the most robust method of attachment, it is very similar to that used on Daniel Defense's Omega and Omega-X rails.
The finished result!
I really like the look and feel of this rail system. It is slender enough (1.75" OD) to be comfortably gripped in a thumb-over or overhand grip and is long enough to allow the support arm to be more fully extended. It also provides a lot of barrel coverage and real estate without being overly heavy. I am pleased with how the gun came out, and look forward to getting some range time with it in a couple weeks.
Stay tuned!
I recently decided to purchase the Daniel Defense MFR (Modular Float Rail) 12.0 system to complete a new AR upper build.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...172819-ar_15_rail_systems_help_me_decide.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...on/173261-friggin_spiders_in_my_gun_room.html
Brownells was one of the few distributors that had the rail in-stock. I ordered it on 10/11/11; it arrived three days later.
The MFR 12.0 comes in a foam-lined cardboard box, and includes a color instruction sheet, a barrel nut wrench, locking setscrews and a hex wrench. Also included are three short rail sections, which come pre-attached to the tube. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to move the bottom rail section rearward, but unfortunately, Daniel Defense does not include a hex wrench of the necessary size for this purpose. After a bit of digging through my toolbox, I was able to locate one and remove the two screws holding the rail on.
The way the rail sections lock into the tube is genius. Two nubs on the bottom of the rail fit into the oval-shaped cooling slots on the tube to locate the rail section, while the stem of the L-shaped locking insert protrudes into the rail section to capture the screw, which pulls the flat (bottom) leg of the insert tight against the interior surface of the tube. This design allows the rail sections to be easily removed and reinstalled even after the tube has been mounted. Once I had relocated the bottom rail, I set about installing the system per the provided instructions.
The instructions say to seat the barrel nut with 50 ft-lbs of torque, using the provided installation tool. I simply applied a bit of anti-seize to the inside threads and screwed the nut on hand-tight, then used the tool on a ratchet handle to crank it down as hard as I could without applying what I thought to be excessive force. I then installed the low-profile gas block, gas tube and muzzle device onto the barrel.
The Troy low-profile gas block installed very easily. With gas blocks that feature bottom setscrews, my normal SOP for installation is:
1) align the block and snug down the screws
2) remove one screw, use a center punch in the screw hole to dimple the barrel, allowing the screw to obtain a better "bite," then apply threadlocker to the screw and torque it down hard
3) repeat with the other screw
4) use a center punch to lightly stake both screw heads
Finally, the tube is slipped over the barrel and barrel nut (the rear edges of the tube slightly overlap the leading edge of the upper receiver, serving as an anti-rotation measure), and the tube's top rail is held in alignment with the upper receiver rail while each of four locking setscrews is inserted into its hole and tightened. The setscrews, which come with a thread-locking compound already applied, engage a groove in the barrel nut on an angle and apply rearward holding force to the tube. While this may not seem to be the most robust method of attachment, it is very similar to that used on Daniel Defense's Omega and Omega-X rails.
The finished result!
I really like the look and feel of this rail system. It is slender enough (1.75" OD) to be comfortably gripped in a thumb-over or overhand grip and is long enough to allow the support arm to be more fully extended. It also provides a lot of barrel coverage and real estate without being overly heavy. I am pleased with how the gun came out, and look forward to getting some range time with it in a couple weeks.
Stay tuned!
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Original thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...defense_mfr_12_0_rail_system.html#post2249954
Original thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...defense_mfr_12_0_rail_system.html#post2249954
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