Thomas B. was a police officer in New York.
One day, he and fellow officers swarmed a house to arrest a drug dealer.
The man was handcuffed without any issues.
After arresting the individual, the officers cleared the house to make sure there were no other suspects inside.
That’s when an officer reported someone was hiding in the basement.
The officers inside the house soon found a makeshift wall blocking the door to the basement.
They smashed the wall with a police shield to force their way through.
The officers stepped through the hole and went down into the basement.
The basement was dark, the only light coming from the kitchen upstairs.
As the officers went into the basement one of them tried to turn on his M3 Tactical flashlight attached to his Glock 19.
Instead, the cop accidentally fired his pistol, striking Thomas in the leg.
You see, the officer intended to push the switch on his weapon-mounted light but instead pulled the trigger.
Thomas suffered a fractured leg and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.
In a lawsuit against the company that manufactured the weapon-mounted light, Thomas said he “suffered grievous and permanent injuries from being shot.”
Thomas was left with a permanent limp from surgery that left one leg shorter than the other and he now uses a cane to walk.
One firearms expert said the flashlight design was unsafe because “it increases the likelihood of someone pointing a loaded firearm at someone when a threat of deadly force does not exist.”
Thomas settled with the company that manufactured the weapon-mounted light.
Many gun owners add accessories to their firearms, which is perfectly fine.
But an important decision to make is the type of rail system you will use to attach the accessories.
This influences how they will sit on your gun, what they might interfere with, and how easily you can activate the accessories.
So, here are some considerations about some of the best rail systems and why you might choose one over the other for your gun and accessories.
Weaver:
The Weaver Rail was developed in 1975 by the telescopic company of William Weaver and led the way in rail-style designs.
The system is known for flat dovetail rails with perpendicular slots.
The Weaver Rail is a bit outdated but still popular for hunting rifles because it’s lightweight and inexpensive.
Yet, the Weaver has inconsistent slot dimensions and limited modularity.
It’s also not MIL-SPEC and doesn’t follow military standardization.
Picatinny:
The Picatinny rail was born from the Weaver system, developed to standardize Weaver rails to meet military specifications.
Thus, some Weaver and Picatinny components are interchangeable.
The Picatinny supports a wide range of accessories and is still used among some military and law enforcement communities.
Picatinny rails are durable and can withstand harsh conditions.
The drawback to the Picatinny is that it’s heavier than other options, and also more prone to snag on something when moving.
KeyMod:
The KeyMod system was developed in 2012 and is named for its keyhole mounting design.
The system isn’t as heavy as the Picatinny and doesn’t have sharp edges.
However, KeyMod rails are not as secure as other options and there are fewer accessory options.
The rail requires precise fitting, and if it’s not perfect the accessories can move.
Plus, KeyMod doesn’t have a military specification backing it up.
M-LOK:
The M-LOK system was developed by Magpul in 2014.
It’s simple to attach, durable, and heat-resistant.
It has a sleek design and is customizable for the specific accessories you want to attach.
It uses T-shape attachment lugs that are designed to work with polymer attachments.
Plus, it’s more secure than other rail systems thanks to the locking T-nuts.
From a tactical standpoint, M-LOK is most popular for AR-15s and is widely used by the U.S. military.
Which rail system is the best?:
The answer depends on your needs.
If you want a solid rail system for a hunting rifle, both a Weaver or a Picatinny rail are fine options.
For a tactical rifle I would get an M-LOK made by Magpul.
Whatever you choose, don’t go cheap, as a quality rail is vital when adding accessories to your gun.
