Accessory Rail

Most modern semi-automatic firearms are designed to allow users to attach items to the rifle or pistol that are tailored to specific uses. Everything from optics to lights to lasers and infrared devices can be added to the firearm using a built-in or bolted-on accessory rail. Typically, these rails use an attachment pattern developed by the U.S. Military’s Picatinny Arsenal that includes universally spaced “teeth” to allow after-market accessories to securely lock onto the firearm. Pistol accessory rails can usually be found below the forward portion of the slide in front of the trigger guard, also known as the dustcover, while rifle accessory rails typically extend along the top portion of the receiver and up to four quadrants on the semi-automatic rifle’s handguard, normally located at 12, 3, 6, and 9 0’clock. Keymod™ and M-LOK™ are two of the more common accessory rail interface systems.