AAC Introduces a New AR Rail Standard, Sort Of
If Keymod and M-LOK have failed to catch your attention, perhaps Advanced Armament’s new SquareDrop will finally be the ticket. Just announced, AAC’s interface will come on the company’s new SquareDrop AR-15 free-float rails, which are offered in 8″, 11.2″, and 13.5″ lengths.
Now, while AAC’s new system looks like candy corn and is certainly different than its competitors, it actually isn’t totally new. In fact, SquareDrop will accept all Keymod accessories. That’s a welcome feature as the market is already saturated by the two current options. For folks who aren’t appreciative (perhaps rightly so) of Keymod’s sorta-phallic mounting holes, SquareDrop offers similar functionality and equivalent compatibility.
Aside from SquareDrop, AAC has also developed a “turnbuckle” mounting design that, at least as far as I can tell, turns the whole rail into a quick attach unit. It’s actually pretty cool, and I suppose it is only fitting that a company known for suppressors would introduce a QD rail.
The rails weigh 6.35 oz, 9 oz, and 10.45 oz, depending on the length and will include a proprietary barrel nut. Pricing starts at $179.99 for the 8″ model and goes up to $199.99 for the 13.5″ version.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.