Do C7 Triad rails actually hold zero?

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Question for all those Diemaco aficionados, clone builder hobbyists, and brave few who have actually been issued a LAM overseas…

Do the triad rail systems mounted to the C7/C8/AR15 gas block actually hold zero? Lights are fine with a bit of slip and slop, but lasers are another story.

There’s technically a super short pic rail on the bottom, hence the tri-part. How useful do you think a bipod on there might be? It’s essentially the opposite of a free floating barrel at that point.

Idle questions while I sit and watch the rain, dreaming of Colt Canada’s long lost sporter lineup

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(Also, it seems hilarious to me that there's no guarantee that a triad is "forwards" or "backwards." Lots of cases of both out there...)
 
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Anything touching the barrel will cause a deviation, whether it's noticeable is another topic, IMHO the triad was a cop out to getting a RIS/RAS, if you want pure attachment goodness, get a true free float handguard, anything less will have some effect.
 
It'll hold zero as well as any barrel mounted rail system, which is the problem.

Free floated rails are the only way to get reliably better.
 
Theoretically LAD should be mounted on barrel. LAD doesn't work like an optical sight. But barrels give out a lot of heat so it is a common sense not to mount electronic devices on things that generate a lot of heat unless the devices are designed to do so. PAQ 4/2 were mounted on plastic handguard by the Americans back almost a quarter century ago.

I will expect the C8 HB is rock solid with the triad, as long as people dp not screw around with them ie taking them on and off all the time.

LAD is not exactly an accurate thing, it is a minute of human accuracy and an area pointer mostly. So even if if it moves a slight bit no one will ever notice. And I doubt many people actually ever zero-re zero these thing with many live rounds at distance to have meaningful idea how will they retain zero, unless they are grossly failing.
 
sigpig said:
Anything touching the barrel will cause a deviation, whether it's noticeable is another topic, IMHO the triad was a cop out to getting a RIS/RAS, if you want pure attachment goodness, get a true free float handguard, anything less will have some effect.
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^^^ This Or Colt didn't want to pay to use a FF handguard from another manufacturer, and couldn't come up with one in time :rolleyes:

Triad= garbage
 
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If the triad is installed correctly (tight) and the PEQ2/4 are also mounted and zeroed properly, most end users will not notice any difference and it will hold zero.

Now if you jam a rifle in a vice and remove all human error, monitor everything and shoot a lot of bullet, it’s very likely to affect accuracy.

The biggest complaint about the triad is how it threw off balance on our C7 assault musket or on heavy barreled+simon sleeved C8. It was an expensive alternative to an existing solution: the quad rail ! But again, procurement and the top brass chose this expensive chunk of metal with sharp edges and cheap metal that would sheer off for no reason instead of a battle proven product.

Notice how no other armies copied it, even those who use C7/C8 like Danemark and Norway, which came equipped with quad rails from factory. It feels like quad rails was too expensive for us so we only got the cheap, overpriced, balance throwing piece of metal.

But it did the job… it held zero and allowed us, paired with NVGs, to accurately engage from 0 to 300m (tested on ranges).

Still a piece of junk along with the cadex folder with the cheap rail
 
Was there a mount that clamped to the barrel, that went thru the vent holes on the handguard? Or am I imagining it?

But way some units work you never know. Expect you to slap it on and it be good. Oh here's a C8. But you need your optic off your zeroed C7. But we are not gonna zero them. So in threatre with a un zeroed gun.
 
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The proper way to mount them according to Colt is with the long rail going forward looking like it’s neptunes spear. Placing it the other way was a work around of having weight brought back to centre of gravity vs at the far end of a barrel. PS, the troops hate them.
 
OkayShooter said:
Was there a mount that clamped to the barrel, that went thru the vent holes on the handguard? Or am I imagining it?

But way some units work you never know. Expect you to slap it on and it be good. Oh here's a C8. But you need your optic off your zeroed C7. But we are not gonna zero them. So in threatre with a un zeroed gun.
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There is the little rail that mounts through the handguards vent holes, but it doesn't mount to the barrel only to the handguard itself. I have never heard of one that would clamp to the barrel through the handguard, and I don't think one exists either as it wouldn't make much sense.
 
OkayShooter said:
Sold to the lowest bidder. I had a M5 RIS that made it rounds on multiple tours.
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Definitely knew guys slapping their own quad rails on from way back. This smart guy was a reservist on exercise I had the pleasure of knowing way back in 2009. Even with a pretty rough C7A1 he was determined to make his equipment work for him, and clearly had put some real thought into his kit.

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OkayShooter said:
But way some units work you never know. Expect you to slap it on and it be good. Oh here's a C8. But you need your optic off your zeroed C7. But we are not gonna zero them. So in threatre with a un zeroed gun.
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Stuff like that drives me nuts. Big armies end up making do with all kinds of less than ideal situations, but for cryin' out loud...
 
R711 said:
The proper way to mount them according to Colt is with the long rail going forward looking like it’s neptunes spear. Placing it the other way was a work around of having weight brought back to centre of gravity vs at the far end of a barrel. PS, the troops hate them.
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The fact that the "arms" are scalloped to fit around the handguard makes me think either is acceptable.

Reading the phrase "Neptune's Spear" makes me want to see a tri-bayonet version from the weirder depths of the internet please.
 
TV-PressPass said:
Stuff like that drives me nuts. Big armies end up making do with all kinds of less than ideal situations, but for cryin' out loud...
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Doubt it would happen in a battalion. But DNS yup it happened. Oh you're going on convoys here is a C8, it did not even have a BUIS, just a blank FT. Here is a pistol. Found out both those had mag issues. Glad I did not need it.
 
the only thing a triad is reasonable is a light mount, and basic as that. I would not mount any aiming device on there. I could easily see POI changes due to heat and sustained firing.

Boltgun
 
OkayShooter said:
Was there a mount that clamped to the barrel, that went thru the vent holes on the handguard? Or am I imagining it?

But way some units work you never know. Expect you to slap it on and it be good. Oh here's a C8. But you need your optic off your zeroed C7. But we are not gonna zero them. So in threatre with a un zeroed gun.
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Yes. That’s how they were mounted before the Triad came along. Wpns techs hated them because they had to mount them all, same with the M203 when we first got them.

As for holding zero, sadly, most have no idea how to properly zero their LAD so it won’t matter. ;)
 
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