KeyMod Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Misunderstood
Let’s talk to the younger shooters out there for a sec. KeyMod was actually awesome—yeah, it didn’t have the same pull strength as M-LOK, but when it comes to ease and speed of adding or removing accessories, KeyMod had it beat, and the Noveske KeyMod rail covers are the best ever made.
So why bring this up? Because KeyMod gets a lot of hate these days, which means you can score some insane deals on rails—or even get them for free, like I did.
I managed to pick up a KAC URX4 10.75” rail from one of those KeyMod haters at no cost. The cool part about the URX4? A pistol silencer tucks in perfectly underneath. Years ago (pre-COVID), I built a 9mm upper using this same rail with an AAC Ti-RANT 9 nestled right under it. That setup taught me two things: the URX4 is perfect for that kind of build, and I absolutely can’t stand direct blowback in 9mm—it’s just too much reciprocating mass and makes for a rougher shooting experience.
This time around, I’m giving it another go—but with a twist: CMMG’s radial delayed blowback system. Much smoother, in theory. Plus, CMMG’s AR-style 9mm mags work great in standard SBR lowers, which is a win.
I’ll circle back once the build’s complete and I’ve put some rounds downrange. Let’s see if this new setup lives up to the hype.