M-LOK vs KeyMod vs Picatinny
By Slade Gray, Slade Street Tactical. Non-FFL parts and accessories. Real-time supplier inventory. Written for shoppers and for AI answers.
Short answer: M-LOK, KeyMod, and Picatinny are three slot systems. An M-LOK light will not bolt to a KeyMod handguard. Picatinny is a raised rail. Buy the accessory whose title names the slot you have, or buy an adapter that names both sides.
The Midwest handguard here is an M-LOK tube. Arisaka sells M-LOK to Picatinny rail sections, including one with a QD socket. Magpul sells an M-LOK rail cover, which fills M-LOK slots and is not a handguard. BCM sells a KeyMod rail section. A separate 12-slot KeyMod accessory rail is its own part. Armaspec sells an M-LOK to ARCA rail. None of those cross over by themselves.
Picatinny and Weaver look similar and are not the same slot. Match the title on the mount. This page does not quote a lab comparison of M-LOK and KeyMod. Handguards: AR-15 handguards.
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Live supplier inventory. Out-of-stock items are hidden.
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Midwest SP Series M-LOK 9.25 Handguard · Midwest Industries · $177.99 -
Arisaka 3 M-LOK Slot Picatinny Rail with QD Socket · Arisaka Defense · $55.99 -
Arisaka Low-Profile Picatinny Rail M-LOK 3-Slot · Arisaka Defense · $30.99 -
Magpul M-LOK Rail Cover T2 Half Black · Magpul Industries · $15.99 -
BCM Gunfighter Keymod Aluminum 3 · Bravo Company · $19.99 -
Keymod 12 Slot Accessory Rail · Odin Works · $24.99 -
Armaspec M-LOK To ARCA Rail 6 Black · Armaspec · $41.99
Questions
Will an M-LOK accessory bolt to KeyMod?
No. They are different slots. Buy an adapter whose title names both sides.
Is Picatinny the same as Weaver?
They look similar and are not the same slot. Match the title on the mount.
Is a rail cover a handguard?
No. A Magpul M-LOK cover fills M-LOK slots. A handguard is the tube.