Archive for the ‘rifle’ tag
Daniel Defense SOPMOD II Rails
The AR-15 lends itself to modification as no other small arm ever has. SOCOM wanted a new rail interface system for its M4A1 and Mk 18 weapons under their SOPMOD II programme - they went for the Daniel Defense RIS II Series. These have now been supplied to all SOCOM branches in their thousands.
SOCOM wanted a free floating rail. All of the rails use Daniel Defense’s patented method of bolting on for a true free-floating. SOCOM wanted the carbine’s barrel to stay free floating when an M203 40 mm grenade launcher was fitted. The basic RIS II and the M4A1 or FSP versions enable the M203 to mount to the bottom rail easily without affecting the barrel. SOCOM wanted the rail as light as possible. To accomplish this metal has been pared away wherever possible. The holes also have the benefit of aiding cooling. The mounting ring also acts as a heat sink. The Daniel Defense RIS II Comes in three versions.
The Daniel Defense RIS II (basic version) is a rail intended to protrude almost to the muzzle of an M4A1 carbine. The carbine cannot use the USGI Sight tower and must be fitted with a low profile gas block. SOCOM use the Mk 12. This version accepts the M203 40mm GL and provides four uninterrupted rails for accessory placement.
The Daniel Defense RIS II M4A1 is identical to the RIS II rail (basic version) but has a cut-out to enable the use of the USGI M4A1 front sight tower. This enables easier fitting to in-service weapons without gunsmithing whilst still allowing a lot of real estate for accessory mounting. The laser, for example, can be mounted ahead of the foresight tower.
The final version is the Daniel Defense Mk 18 RIS IIMk 18 RIS II AR rail. This is a shorter rail intended for use with 10.3″ barrelled SOCOM Mk 18 carbines. This uses the Mk 18 CQBR receiver. This rail is unique in the range in not having the M203 option. All of the RIS II AR rails can be had in black or dark earth finish.
