Mounting rails for airsoft replicas

What is a mounting rail?

A mounting rail is a standard accessory that attaches to an airsoft gun, allowing the attachment of additional accessories such as optics, laser sights, or grips. These rails are manufactured in various lengths, allowing us to install tactical accessories on almost any weapon. The materials most commonly used for the production of mounting rails are metal and polymer.

How are mounting rails attached to a weapon?

In order to start using a rail on a weapon, it must be securely attached to the fore-grip or any other suitable part of the weapon.
In the handguard category, we mentioned phrases such as M-LOK and KeyMod. These are mounting systems into which the rail, or more precisely the rail locks, are inserted. The lock is then tightened with an Allen key and the rail should hold firmly in place.
When choosing a rail, we therefore need to know what type of mounting we have on our handguard, as the mounting locks are not compatible with each other due to their different cut-outs. Nowadays, sets are sold where both types of locks are included with the rail itself. Some sniper rifles do not have a rail on the receiver and it must be purchased separately. In this case, it is necessary to purchase a rail designed specifically for the specific type of weapon.

Our tip:
Universal mounting rails are often attached to weapons that do not have a mounting rail from the factory. The rails often have holes for screws, so all you have to do is place the rail in its future position, mark the screw spacing, drill the holes, and secure the rail with screws, washers, and nuts. This makes it easy to install a collimator on M249 machine guns, for example.
 

Length of mounting rails

Rails are manufactured in many different lengths.
Short mounts are suitable for installation on weapons where space is limited, or for short accessories such as collimators, hand stops, grips, and the like. Long mounting rails are suitable for larger accessories such as laser sights, optics, and pressure switches. 

Special types of mounting rails

This category includes all rails that are unique or designed for specific types of weapons. For example, cable guides, angled or offset mounts for flashlights, angled mounts for collimators, rails for MP5 weapons, or typical mounts for AKs such as the B-18, B-22, and B-12 rails manufactured by Zenitco. On AK weapons, for example, we can find side mounts (not always possible to install directly on the weapon) and mounts that are installed in place of the rear sight (B-18).

Our tip:
With angled mounts for collimators, keep in mind that when the airsoft gun is tilted, the hop-up will cause the BBs to veer to the side.

Which manufacturers do we recommend?

There are a number of manufacturers that produce mounting rails. The manufacturer 5KU produces mounting rails primarily for AK-type weapons. Other great manufacturers include WADSN, which produces many accessories and add-ons in addition to rails, Metal, which is a cheaper manufacturer offering reasonable quality, and Vector Optics, which is more expensive but a high-quality manufacturer of both rails and, above all, optics and collimators. The latter manufactures products that are also used on live weapons.