Picatinny rails - shopmade or outsourced?

PurpLev

PurpLev

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I have an airsmithing project that calls for a long (~14") picatinny rail to be mounted. I have ordered a 12" stock rail cheaply ($13) to work on mounting fixture and long term test fixture while I consider getting or making a longer version as the final part. I see some 16" and 32" rails available on the market either raw aluminum extrusion or anodized black-matte, but those start to run more $$$. I could probably make one in the shop, but that means my time.

curious - what do you guys do? shop make? or outsource?
 
If you put a $ value on your time, I bet the store bought is cheaper. If you want to occupy your time and get that job well done feeling, DIY. Sounds like the extruded material is a compromise. I am in the planning stage of a qctp for my 7x. I can buy one with an assortment of tool holders all ready to go for way less than the labor involved, much less if I can't pull all material from the scrap bin and have to buy some. I want to know I built that every time I use the lathe though. So for me this project is not a dollar and cents kind of decision. I'm sure that makes it all clear as mud for you, but I guess I'm saying it's a decision of where to spend time and where to spend money. Which do you have more of?
 
I'm actually planning on making some (although this is way down on my "to do" list). I've been looking for a commercially available rail that is solid and flat-bottomed but anything I've seen so far is made from plastic or aluminum. In that it's for replacing the current rail that I have on my .50 BMG Barret I'm needing something a little more substantial.

With the proper setup and specs. (which I don't have yet) I think this would be fairly straight forward.

JMHO

-Ron
 
well, I have the 12" premade rail on route, and I stopped today at the local metal supply and picked up a 72" long 1"x0.75" bar that I could custom machine for a more fitting part later on. next step I'll do is machine some jigs to hold the bar in the set angles to machine the profile and maybe some jig to preset the bar to notch the mounting slots evenly spaced without having to measure wheel turns...
 
Brownells sells a 24" blank with no cross slots for 19.95 , I don't think I would want to make it for that. Part#296-000-098AC
 
thanks for the info, good to know of more sources. at $20 (plus shipping) this is a 24" extrusion without the slots, so the only thing premade is the profile. I just picked up a 72" blank for $18 out the door (but will have to mill the profile on it obviously). If I was to save on effort, I would pick up the slotted version from egwguns (raw silver or anodized option).

All the accessories that I've seen to be mounted on these rails use some sort of cross pin/bolt to register against the slots. are there mounts that do not use that and can be mounted on unslotted rails? or are those expected to be milled?
 
Most have the crossbolt for recoil to keep your scope from sliding. Airguns probably need them more than some rifles.
 
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