the rail protector is just that, a protector for when you don't have something mounted on it. you don't like it, take it off. the grip has been changed so that they don't have to make two different frame styles, the standard frame and the Vertec frame. now the grip can simply be changed out, and you can have a variety of different grip sizes and angles as a result. as well they've now incorporated some sort of recoil dampening system into the frame, which means the new barrels won't fit into older guns. I suppose that's because of the number of breakages they've had with the .40's.