What kind of interest is there in a FF railed HG made of a hight strength polymer

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suprathepeg

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I'm just curious what people have to say. The main benefits would be weight no gunsmithing.

Is it a project worth pursuing for the AR platform?
 
This was already done by Fobus and it pretty much failed,nobody should trust a plastic hand guard to retain zero on optics/aiming devices, or have the strength to allow the use of a VFG/bipod,etc.
 
Reaper said:
This was already done by Fobus and it pretty much failed,nobody should trust a plastic hand guard to retain zero on optics/aiming devices, or have the strength to allow the use of a VFG/bipod,etc.
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+1

Plastic is a good light material, but if you are using it for anything optically related (or Bipods as Reaper said) it would need quite a bit of steel re-enforcement.

Plus plastic does not always keep its shape after molding.


HK's plastic rails for the USC/UMP and SL8/G36 are undersized and they dont hold zero that well. And this is a company that is a master of plastics & gun stuffs.
 
What I'm learning about polymers is that its all about the reinforcing materials/content. I think you could get a setup that is equal to any aluminum piece but like you say past failures may taint the attempt.
 
I know from RC racing cars that's graphite plastic parts have dimensional stability that exceeds that of aluminum, and at less weight. Rather than bend, they break. A good thing, as an intact part can be trusted to be true, unlike components made from aluminum that look good, but are in fact bent. It however comes down to a matter of whether it has the inherent strength needed. I'd say keep researching the matter and the properties of available polymers.
 
TDC said:
Plastic tends to have "issues" with high heat as well.

TDC
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This is a bit of an ignorant statement, many of the modern polymers actually have incredibly high heat tolerances. Many of them would fail at temperatures so high that I would be much much more afraid of cooking off rounds then the deflection of the polymer. The heat at which the modern polymers such as those used in the G36 receiver deform are so hot that your hand would blister and burn from the radiant heat of the barrel before the hand guard did.

The real issue is that in the past PVC and other soft/cheap polymers were used. Now we have access to some incredible materials. The practical function of which would shock most people.
 
suprathepeg said:
This is a bit of an ignorant statement, many of the modern polymers actually have incredibly high heat tolerances. Many of them would fail at temperatures so high that I would be much much more afraid of cooking off rounds then the deflection of the polymer. The heat at which the modern polymers such as those used in the G36 receiver deform are so hot that your hand would blister and burn from the radiant heat of the barrel before the hand guard did.

The real issue is that in the past PVC and other soft/cheap polymers were used. Now we have access to some incredible materials. The practical function of which would shock most people.
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Are such polymers cost effective when compared to their aluminum counter parts?

TDC
 
Yes and No. The point of this exercise would be to create a heat neutral and lighter option then traditional aluminum hand guards.
 
One of the main issues with plastic/polymer rail attempts is that they do not hold M1913 specs,with repeated use the corners of the rails wear off as do the locking lugs. This happens at a rate that far exceeds a properly hard anodized aluminum hand guard system.
 
Not to rain on your parade - but to what end?
I understand the weight savings, but how much? and is that weight savings significant to bother? Same question applies to heat.
Also, if you have to make the rail portion out of aluminum anyhow, why not just stick with one material?
 
Lower price point - once the mold is setup, ongoing cost is relatively low. Dimension is consistent......if you can sucker a cheap government entity to buy a bunch, it is a good business project. ( like Philippine..or even Georgia!)

Unfortunately, I think CAA or Fobus had made the same thing already.
 
I had a Fobus dual rail on my shorty AR 15 for a while. It locked up nice and TIGHT, but even so I never trusted the top rail for optics. In fact, I didn't really want or think about using the top rail .... all I ever used was the bottom rail to mount a vertical forward grip, and potentially a bipod.

The Fobus dual rail setup was nice ...
light, compact, and it seemed stronger than an add on rail with the stock handguards.

Right now I am running a full floating rifle length alloy quad rail on my shorty. While it does hold a red dot solid way up front, where I like it, I find the quad rail is too fat for comfort unless using only the VFG. I am thinjking about ripping the two side rails off except for a short section at the front.

Of course, YPMMV!
LAZ 1
 
I think it would be a major benefit (if the rail is durable/stiff/strong/consistent enough) to have a home-grown, non-export-controlled source.
 
I think it would be a good idea, IF it was more lightweight then the handguards they currently have on the market. Anyone who has to wear full gear on a regular basis when shooting would appreciate the decrease in weight if it's significant enough.
 
Supra the only thing I'll say about this is that industry leaders in plastics (Magpul for one) haven't done this. In fact, nobody, save airsoft, has been successful with a plastic quad rail. That should tell you something right there.

Save your cash and work your niche. In the age of the internet, niche markets can be good revenue generators.
 
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