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A Product Review By
"Lancelot" of www.ar15.com

Introduction

Several parts manufacturers have produced versions of the railed hand guard system. I have tried a couple of them with varying results of satisfaction, and recently I had the opportunity to try the rifle length model produced by Midwest Industries.

The MI MCTAR-19, "Gen II"

My first impressions of the 19 were very favorable. It was well wrapped in bubble wrap and packaged in a simple box. There were no installation instructions, but then none are really needed since the 19 installs just like a standard set of AR15 hand guards.

Finish on the 19 was smooth and even. The color is a nice flat black, very similar to the finish on my Bushmaster and Stag rifles. The laser etched t-marks were sharp and clear, as was the manufacturer’s name which was found just below the upper rail on the ejection port side of the rifle.

Machining of the rails was straight and even. I had heard comments that the machining was such that the rails actually were too sharp on the edges, and that holding the handguards with a bare hand and no rail covers could be uncomfortable. The machining is sharp. Not so sharp as to hurt my hand, but I can see that if one were to be holding the rifle while moving aggressively, the edges could get your attention. I normally use rail covers and wear gloves so this would not be an issue for me.

Since the 19 is MI’s answer to the KAC M5, there is one a difference between the KAC M5 and MI 19 in weight. KAC lists the M5 at 14.1 ounces. The MI MCTAR-19 "Gen II" is listed at 16.0 ounces.

For comparison here are is a list of similar products, and their weights:

A2 Style, shielded, pair, plastic (9 oz)
Bruegger & Thomet AG Quad Rails, Railed 2 piece, aluminum (18.07 oz)
Fobus M44, Railed, plastic (w/o covers) (11.8 oz)
KAC RAS M5, railed, 2 piece, aluminum (14.1)
Midwest Industries, Railed, 2 piece, aluminum (16 oz)
Yankee Hill Machine, Railed, 2 piece, aluminum (16 oz)

Below are some pictures of the various products mentioned.

Left to right:
A2 style plastic, Bruegger & Thomet AG, Fobus M44, KAC M5 RAS, MI, YHM

Click here for details on the product and test rifle.

Installation

Installation of the 19 was fast and easy. I did use a hand guard installation tool to help me out. I bought one several years ago and I highly recommend them to anyone who owns an AR15 style rifle.

After removing the standard rifle length handguards, I installed the top piece of the system. The 19 is a two piece system, one top piece and one bottom piece, just like standard handguards. The 19 is designed for a rifle length application, so it requires the standard triangular shaped hand guard cap at the front sight base. The fit was tight, but with the hand guard tool the piece went on with little effort. I repeated the process for the bottom rail and total installation time was less then five minutes.

There was no fitting or fidgeting required. And although they two pieces were a tight fit, the top rail indexed properly with the top of my upper receiver. The lower piece fit well and locked up to the upper rail as designed.

Testing

I immediately set about determining if the rails were indeed manufactured to the MIL-STD 1913 specifications. My un-scientific way of testing that, was to mount a vertical fore grip, made by Tango Down, LLC, onto the lower rail. The TD grip is notorious for only fitting on those rails that are made to the 1913 specifications. I was pleased to see that the grip fit like a glove. And although I did not apply any other measurement devices to the rails, I was satisfied that the rails would at least meet my specifications.

I tested the fit and function of several things on the rails. The two things that were of primary concern to me were rail covers and vertical fore grips. The MI was designed with user input, and those users specified at least two requirements. First, that the rail be manufactured to use the KAC rail covers, with their proprietary locking system, and that they be able to accept the Tango Down vertical fore grip. As a result the bulk of my testing was with rail covers and fore grips.

Rail Cover Testing

To evaluate the MI rail system we tested two different rail covers. The very popular rail covers made by Knights Armament for the RAS system, and the covers produced by Tango Down, LLC.

The KAC rail covers slide on to the accessory rails and lock into position by means of proprietary metal spring clip. The clip locks into place via a small indentation machined into the side of the rail. This locking clip ensures that the cover does not move on the rail once in place. This is a very desirable feature since you don’t want the surface you’re gripping to move under stress. Many other companies have made their own version of a locking panel, but many professional users prefer the KAC rail covers because of this locking feature.

All MI hand guards are constructed with the required locking indentation in place. The locking indentation can be seen at the end of each rail.

This means that users of the MI system can use the KAC panels and take advantage of the locking tab. The KAC rail covers will fit on other standard rail systems, but will not lock into place because of the lack of the proper indentation for the locking tab.

Our test went as expected. A randomly selected and well used KAC rail cover was installed on the rail. It snapped in to place as designed. In fact, it snapped in so well that there was no movement at all. The rail cover essentially became part of the rail. It was only possible to remove the rail cover after significant force was applied to the locking tab. I was still able to do this by hand, but it was clear, the lock was working as designed and that panel was not moving.

Another strong front runner in the AR-15 parts arena is Tango Down, LLC. Tango Down makes a very popular line of pistol grips, vertical fore grips, and accessory rail covers.

The Tango Down rail covers fit on the MI system very well. They are tight, and the locking system Tango Down uses to secure the rail covers works well on the MI system. In contrast to the KAC panels, the TD panels do not use a metal spring clip to lock into place. Rather, they use a plastic tab that extends down into the rail slot. The tab is held in place by the contour of the cover, and is released by lifting up on a tab on the end of the panel.

There is some slight fore and aft movement of the Tango Down covers when in place, but is very slight, and more a function of how they are made, then how the MI rail system is manufactured. I did not apply any scientific measuring devices to the rail and cover, but I would estimate that the TD cover moved fore and aft approximately 1/16^th of an inch. Not much, just enough to feel it move and hear the locking tab when it made contact with the rail.

Vertical Fore Grip Testing

To evaluate the MI rail system we tested two different vertical fore grips. The version made by Knights Armament for the RAS system, and the very popular model produced by Tango Down, LLC.

The KAC vertical fore grip slides on to the rail and is secured by means of a long plastic screw that travels the length of the grip, and is tightened by means of the knurled base of the grip, which in fact is the end of the screw. A witness hole is drilled in the area of the grip that slides onto the rail. The user simply slides the grip onto the rail until the desired position is obtained, then ensures that the grip is lined up with a slot on the rail by looking through the witness hole. The screw is then tightened down by turning the knurled knob.

With this system the KAC grip is easily moved fore and aft on the rail until the user finds the optimum location for it. The KAC grip fits on the MI rail, but it is not snug, and moves freely when the screw is loosened. Once tightened down, the grip does not move at all.

Product shown on test rifle with a KAC brand foregrip and rail cover.

As I manipulated the rifle with the KAC grip in place, I did come to understand the comments made about the "sharpness" of the edges on the rails. I typically hold the vertical grip with my left hand. My  thumb is in a vertical position similar to a thumbs up signal. When holding the grip in this manner, the fleshy part of my left index finger comes into contact with the rail. As my hand moves with the rifle, my finger rubs on the rail. The edges of the rail slot just forward of the grip dig into my finger. I'm sure that I wouldn't notice under stress, but then again if I really started moving the rifle around in a violent manner, I'd lose some skin off that finger.

A lot of people run a thing called a "Gapper" on their rifle. This is a small rubber piece that fills in the gap between the trigger guard and the pistol grip. Clearly what's needed here is a "Gapper" for the rails. Although we didn't have any in hand for testing we'd recommend a rail cover of some type, probably a ladder rail cover to remediate the sharpness of the rail. Or wear gloves.

This issue was not as pronounced with the Tango Down vertical grip, because the TD grip positions your hand farther off the rail, and has a larger footprint on the rail.

The Tango Down vertical fore grip slides on the rail, but requires a little more work to get in place. The TD grip is secured to the rail by two squared off cross bars that are spring loaded. The bars are pulled down into the grip allowing the grip to slide on the rail. Once the grip is in position the bars are released and the springs push the bars up into two of the slots on the rail. This makes for a very secure fit that does not allow the grip to move fore or aft.

Notorious for not fitting on a rail that is not made to the correct specification, fans of the TD system are noted for saying that if the grip doesn’t fit a rail system, then the rail is not made to the correct specifications. So popular is the TD grip that some users will not use a rail system that will not accept the TD grip. In essence they are using the TD grip to verify if the rails are made correctly. This is a true testament to the manufacturing tolerances and quality control, of the Tango Down products.

Product shown on test rifle with a Tango Down brand foregrip and rail cover.

And finally a note about the stability of the lower rail with a grip installed. We did not note any appreciable movement of the lower rail section when used with a grip. The rail did not move or separate from the top rail. We’re not saying it can’t or won’t happen when dynamic forces are applied to under stress, but it didn’t move for us.

Tango Down Vertical Grip Installation

The TD grip we tested fit on the 19 rail like a glove. There is a little installation trick with the TD grip. The grip ships with three small tie wraps. These are used to secure the wires if you are using a flashlight with a remote switch. We used the tie wraps to help install the grip.

Pulling down one of the locking bars, carefully insert the square end of one of the tie wraps. The end that locks the tie wrap in place. Repeat this for the other end of the locking bar. The tie wraps will stick out like whiskers. Repeat the process with the one remaining tie wrap on one end of the other locking bar. This will keep one bar completely depressed, and enable you to hold the one remaining end down while sliding the grip on the rail. Once in place you simply remove the tie wraps and allow the locking bars to snap into place.

Overall Impressions

After this brief testing process we were very impressed with this product. It did everything the manufacturer said it would. It accepted the accessories we were most concerned with, and was aesthetically pleasing as well. Constructed with high quality materials, the unit fit our test rifle the way we would expect it to. Fit and finish were on par with any of the other systems we have tested.

The Midwest Industries MCTAR-19 should prove to be popular with full length AR-15 rifle shooters. It offers the versatility that rails provide, without all the work a free float system installation requires.  This will be advantageous to those who can't make any permanent modifications to an issued weapon.

The 19 is one of a series of hand guard systems sold by MI. They also offer the system in a carbine length, a carbine extended length, and a mid-length model. If you are interested in the MCTAR-19 or any of the other fine MI products, you may contact the manufacturer directly at:

Midwest Industries, Inc.
833 West College Ave.,
Waukesha, WI 53186
Phone:(262)896-6780
Fax:(262)896-6756
http://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/