M-4 Rail Systems

[jihad]

For anyone with experience with the M-4,

What company does the government get their Rail systems from? Knights?Have any of you shot the M4's from Knight? How do the Knights SR-M4K carbines stand up to the Colt/FN M4's? If you were going to get a civilian AR/M4 where would you get your gun and Rail Systems from? Thanks, I'm looking to own one sometime and I'm trying to get some opinions from people with some range time with them.

[JY]

Hi jihad;

Knights is the supplier of the RAS, the only company I know of making it. There are other ways to build an M4A1 than going with the expensive SR-M4K. Hit the gun shows (before the left wing outlaws another right) and get a CAR15 or AR15A3 tactical carbine with the telescoping stock(legal pre ban and Police "only" ones) Then contact J&T Enterprises in Kentucky, they produce a regular 14.5" barrel with a bird cage type flash hider(longer than normal GI)that is permanently attached to bring the barrel length up to just over 16" and legal. They also supply the RAS and other M4 attachments and sights, in this way you have a clone M4A1 in every respect except the barrel will be 16.10" and it will be semi auto. If you can not get the J&T upper, you can get the M4A1 upper (prior to getting the lower to stay legal) and have the VORTEX flash suppressor attached permanently this will also bring the barrel up to 16.10 inches and legal, but the flash suppressors must be attached permanently, non removelbe.

The Rail System is top grade gear for mounting all number of goodies, Just check out the SOPMOD M4 page by T.R. and myself on this site. A benifit is it is much cooler while firing than even the standard M4 double heat shield hand guards.

If I can help further with this please feel free to ask, went this route myself for retirement, wanted a clone of issue weapon that I was used to handling and using under stress, and duplicated my issue weapon, minus full auto of course (we use double taps anyway). The main thing is you HAVE TO USE an existing PRE BAN lower or AR15A3 Tactical Carbine manufactured as an "assault weapon" telestock, bayonet lug, flash suppressor. And be certain it's legit not made on POST BAN lower ingnorance of the law or status of lower is no excuse they will confiscate and prosecute. So be safe, take care...Jim

[recce_o]

1. What the price estimate on a pre-ban lower?

2. Price estimate on an M4 home built to JY's specs?

2. Can you buy a pre-ban lower stripped, or do you have to buy a complete pre-ban weapon with collapsable stock and rebuild from there?

[Mac679]

You can thank the assault weapons ban for prices :-)
1)not cheap, it can cost as much as some post ban complete rifles ( $800 or more-some times less depending on where you look; Shotgun News & Gun List are good places )
2)let's say $800 for a complete lower ( the guts and a stock-not necessarily telescoping ), another $400-$600 for the upper ( my prices may be off-don't have a copy of Shotgun News in front of me ), CFI Arms lists the RIS/RAS ( or as Knights calls it-the Modular Weapon System ) for $289-no accessories just the handguards; the collapsible stock can be found all over the place and should be around $300 or less, Delta Force ( a gun parts company ) sells it for $300 or less depending on the model you go for. Same company sells the Vortex Flash Surpressor for $40; so given those prices ( keep in mind some are at the high end of the scale ) about $2000, it might just be cheaper to buy a complete preban rifle ( about $1400-$2000 ) and adding whatever parts you need, then you have 2 rifles just by switching out the uppers on an as needed basis
3) yes but keep in mind that the lowers usually come with the guts and a stock, sometimes you find one with just the reciever, no stock or internal parst
Hope it helps,
Mac
A few websites to help out http://www.prebanguns.com http://www.cfiarms.com http://www.deltaforce.com http://www.knightsarmament.com