Do C7 Triad rails actually hold zero?

[Diamondback Six]

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.

The Cadex rail mounts only to the handguard itself, not the barrel. If you want to mount a laser the Cheap and Crap way with an issue rifle because they won't let you mount a quad, IIRC the "least bad" option with the available parts is get a second Cadex rail and mount it to the upper handguard. Still has that pesky issue of not being free-float, but moves it closer to center of gravity and gives a sturdier mounting with more contact area to clamp onto.

Not field experience, just observations from this community helping me clone one.

 

[OkayShooter]

The Cadex rail mounts only to the handguard itself, not the barrel. If you want to mount a laser the Cheap and Crap way with an issue rifle because they won't let you mount a quad, IIRC the "least bad" option with the available parts is get a second Cadex rail and mount it to the upper handguard. Still has that pesky issue of not being free-float, but moves it closer to center of gravity and gives a sturdier mounting with more contact area to clamp onto.

Not field experience, just observations from this community helping me clone one.

No this I remember clamped onto the barrel under the handguard. It wasn't the issued rail added to the handguard for the stupid folding grip.

Ill search my old photos as I'm pretty sure I have a picture somewheres.

Yup this is it..

 

[Leg]

The Cadex rail mounts only to the handguard itself, not the barrel. If you want to mount a laser the Cheap and Crap way with an issue rifle because they won't let you mount a quad, IIRC the "least bad" option with the available parts is get a second Cadex rail and mount it to the upper handguard. Still has that pesky issue of not being free-float, but moves it closer to center of gravity and gives a sturdier mounting with more contact area to clamp onto.

Not field experience, just observations from this community helping me clone one.

This predates Cadex even existing. OkayShooter’s picture is the mount that we used to use. I would imagine the US used it prior to the KAC RAS as well. It gets it pretty close to the bore.

I still have one kicking around somewhere and I’d honestly prefer it over the Triad.

 

[OkayShooter]

This predates Cadex even existing. OkayShooter’s picture is the mount that we used to use. I would imagine the US used it prior to the KAC RAS as well. It gets it pretty close to the bore.

I still have one kicking around somewhere and I’d honestly prefer it over the Triad.

Even thought back then it was good. As it's bit more protected vs being out by the muzzle. Plus helped the balance. C7A2 was front heavy as is, got worse when you added the kitchen sink.

 

[Bile]

The rails frequently come loose when the barrels heat up and shake under use. Usually because today's troops are stupid and don't know how to tighten them (flat head righty tighty, lefty loosey(I can only assume this not taught in today's schools as it likely offends the leftists somehow)), and in many cases, today's new civis to troops are so dumb they'll mount the cross screw backwards where it doesn't engage the thread and they will see that it's loose and assume that's how it's supposed to be. This compounds when the picatinny adapter and second mounting screw on the lasers also come loose under use. I'll spitball the ratio about 50/30/20; User error / Coy QMs error / weapon tech errors and 90% bad design error.

Also St Jean teaching C7 stuff has been pure cancer.

2 cents.