In the never-ending battle to remove weight from weapon components, several companies have turned to a pretty simple AR-15 handguard design: a tube with a rail along the top and several small removable sections of rail. The thinking is that the average shooter doesn’t really need all that rail space. It’s pretty sound thinking, in my opinion. It’s not really a new idea, but it has seemingly enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the last year or so.
One of the designs that follows that line of thought is the Troy TRX Extreme. Not to be confused with the heavy Troy TRX Standard rail, this handguard comes in two versions and four different lengths per version – 7.6″, 9″, 11″, and 13″ (Note that the 7.6″ version won’t work with an FSB in the carbine position. Why they did this is beyond me). The first version is the Troy branded one, which has a lot of holes –
The second version is branded and sold by VTAC, but made by Troy. It has slots in lieu of holes –
They differ slightly in weight – with, I believe, the Troy versions being slightly lighter, when comparing handguards of the same length. It’s not really noticeable, as the weight difference is spread out along the handguard.
It uses a proprietary barrel nut, one that has very shallow “teeth”, and requires a special barrel wrench. I believe that all new production handguards come with the wrench, though until recently, the VTAC branded ones did not. It’s a pretty nice wrench (that requires a 1/2″ ratchet, breaker bar, or, preferably, a torque wrench) that can also be used with the standard “GI” barrel nut.
Installation is very simple – properly install and torque the barrel nut, install your gas block and tube, then slide the TRX handguard over the barrel. The handguard has notches running along the longitudinal axis that serve to index the handguard on the barrel nut and to allow a “backing plate” to stay in place (for the short rail sections).
You’ll slide the handguard on one notch counterclockwise, then, when it is making contact with – or nearly making contact with – the receiver, rotate it clockwise into alignment with the upper receiver rail. After that, tighten two allen head screws on the bottom of the handguard (but not tighter than a certain point described in the instructions), clamping the handguard to the barrel nut. Installation is complete. Pretty simple, not that there are any really difficult handguards to install. Make sure you follow the instructions provided, not my guidelines – they are for descriptive purposes only.
There are a few problems related to installation – the screws tighten with the assistance of helicoils, instead of going straight into the aluminum, and one handguard that I bought used had its helicoils back out along with the screws when I attempted to remove them prior to installation. Because I bought the handguard used, Troy refused to look at it (let alone fix it), even on my dime. It’s understandable, but certain companies in this field really raise the bar when it comes to customer service, and Troy fell short of that standard, in my opinion.
Also, a gunsmith friend of mine (a real gunsmith, not a hobbyist like myself) encountered a cracked TRX Extreme rail, and said that the very heavy barrel used in the build probably put too much pressure on the clamping area.
I’m not convinced that the handguard could withstand months of use with a vertical grip being pulled and pushed and twisted on. I have spent a few range days doing just that without incident, but… it’s not the strongest or most confidence-inspiring design in the world. It does seem to be able to take a good amount of punishment. I’m just not sold on the design yet. Those with more experience and knowledge than I have expressed concern about the design as it relates to the expansion rates of aluminum and steel, specifically, the handguard/barrel nut/receiver/barrel interface.
Based on my own experiences, I would also recommend installing the rail only once, and not uninstalling it unless absolutely necessary; I’d also recommend buying one from a dealer, or you’ll find yourself stuck with a nonfunctional piece of gear that you have to fix yourself.
If you’re looking for an affordable ($150-200), good quality, lightweight free float handguard that will allow you to install sections of rail where you need them, check out the Troy TRX Extreme. If you don’t mind giving up an ounce or three for a more durable, secure (and expensive) quad rail handguard, stick with something like Daniel Defense’s outstanding OmegaX.
My new spr wears the vtac. Love it so far.
I have two of these, and while I like the “feel” of it, I too am concerned about long-term durability.
Good write-up, you just saved me $200.
Incidentally, I can vouch for a Troy competitor, Midwest Industries and their CS. I bought a MI FF quadrail off an online seller. When I received it, I realized it did not have tapped holes for mounting the two pieces together. I called Midwest fully expecting to be asked for receipts, vendor, etc and instead I got, “We’re sorry about that, what is your address? We’ll ship you a new one with a pre-paid return label. Please send the other one back” Now, that’s CS and I have a ton of MI stuff because of it.
I do have one Troy MRF rail still in the box, so I will have a chance to compare the two soon.
I’m curious to hear your opinion on the Midwest Industries SS series. They match the “tube with rails on top and removable panels” design, and they make ’em in standard lengths of 7″, 9″, 10″, 12″, and 15″. They also have big sturdy barrel nuts that the tube is threaded onto.
I have the SS7 and it weighs 7.8 ounces total, including the barrel nut (less than single-shielded CAR handguards, even!). It feels almost unreal in its lightness, and I am very satisfied with it.
I haven’t handled one yet. I’ve been meaning to.
My TRX had one of the helicoils back out the first time I removed it after having a gunsmith install it. I called Troy and told them about the helicoil and they got my mailing address and emailed me a USP shipping label and said it would be repaired as soon as possible, no questions asked as to who was the original owner. My only complaint is if I have the tab on the rail snug against my upper receiver, the rails will not line up. This requires some good torque on the two screws to make sure it won’t move around when installed. I ended up clamping my Larue Aimpoint on top of the receiver and Troy rail to ensure no movement. I’m not 100% sold on the TRX just yet. Perhaps the VTAC version is better made?
I think all of those points are good, but the main advantage to this rail for me is how slim it is. It allows excellent control and “feels” a lot less bulky. I also think rails like this will be the future once a big enough name can sway the market enough to establish an alternate mounting method that is more efficient than our current one (using bulk and added weight that is normally wasted on slack rail space).
Just don’t really see the need for a design like this. Yes, it shaves off what, a few ounces of weight? Who really cares? It’s not like the M4 is up in the BAR weight class. Not to mention the hassle of ensuring removeable rails stay in the same place-it’d be just smashing to find out your aiming laser isn’t zeroed anymore because the rail moved a little.
Fixed-quad works way better, IMO.
Thank you for this write up! I was actually thinking of going with this rail for my next build, but after mixed reviews from heat issues to durability, I think I’m going to go with the traditional quad rail instead.