Kinetic Development Group's M-LOK Kinect Mounts

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It’s hard to find a modern rifle without M-LOK slots up and down the handguard. But since Magpul released M-LOK in 2014, people have had a love-hate relationship when attaching accessories. We’ve all seen the M-LOK “T-Nuts” fall off and rattle down inside handguards or bottom-out the mounting screws onto a barrel, gas block, or other internal structure. At best, it’s a challenge getting everything blindly lined-up and positioned properly as you tighten the screws. Getting it to lock properly the first time is like winning the lottery. Kinetic Development Group's Kinect is the solution to all these issues. They make it a snap, literally.

Kinetic Development Group

If you own or have been issued an FN SCAR, you’ve heard of Kinetic Development Group (KDG) out of Seymour, Connecticut. They’ve became a favorite source for SCAR upgrades with special operations groups, law enforcement teams, and civilian owners worldwide. These relationships helped KDG grow and expand into popular accessories for AR-15s, H&Ks, and even the unusual Grand Power Stribog. KDG also makes Picatinny QD Sidelok optic mounts that take seconds to remove and replace. They also manufacture the Optics Hub, a wrap-around M-LOK-ensconced housing for Leupold Mark IV style spotting scopes, allowing co-aligned attachment of lasers, rangefinders, and other accessories. Of course, one of the most ingenious products they make is the Kinect M-LOK mounts.

The Kinect Mount

The toolless Kinect mounts feature a spring-loaded wedge and pin system that snugs a mount securely into an M-LOK slot. The wedge’s tab on each end extends roughly ¼ inch until they are pinch-locked inward and held in place with an automatic spring-loaded retention pin that extends roughly .006-inch from the base. To install, firmly press the mount’s base into an M-LOK slot until you feel a click on each end. And you’re done. The clicks you’ll feel are the retention pins releasing and retracting back below flush. The tapered wedges deploy sharply with about 4 pounds of spring-loaded pressure and extend outward along the back face of the slot, assuring a firm fit. As the mount settles into the slot, an integral lug with a spring-loaded, tapered side-wedge automatically reduces any side-to-side rotational movement or wiggle. The whole process takes about a second. To remove, pinch the ends inward again until they lock and remove the accessory.

Currently, KDG offers seven options that can handle most weapon-mounted accessories, with many more on the drawing board. Aside from rail sections, they make 45-degree offset rails, weaponlight mounts, sling socket mounts, and a robust bipod mount. They even make a GoPro mount for running and gunning. Even though KDG warns not to use their rail system for bipods (other than their bipod mount), the longer rail section has worked beautifully for me from day one. It’s rock solid. But I haven’t tested it on anything with greater recoil than an AR-15, so your mileage may vary. Because of the internal mechanism, the KDG rails are slightly thicker than a standard M-LOK mount when in place. The mounted height of a KDG rail piece is .443 inch compared to the average .313 inch for a standard M-LOK rail piece. In my opinion, this is barely noticeable. The good news about this design is that the wedges only protrude about .075-inch inside the handguard. That’s about the thickness of a U.S. quarter. The average M-LOK T-Nut and screw can extend almost three times that much, digging into barrels and gas blocks, forcing a reposition. The Kinect mount would be ideal for those with heavy barrel profiles where clearance is critical.

Like any product, there are a couple small compromises to be aware of. First, the exposed wedge-end tabs are vulnerable to shooters who regularly brace against barricades. You’ll need a fixed barricade stop ahead of it if PRS is your game. Also, the wedges are designed to work within Magpul’s original wall thickness specifications. So, any wall-thicknesses thinner than .080 inch or thicker than .125 inch may not work as intended. This usually applies to some polymer handguards where tolerances vary wildly and some aluminum slots where wall thicknesses can be quite thin or heavy. It’s the wild-west out there when it comes to M-LOK slot tolerances, so it’s best to measure your wall thicknesses before ordering. My samples worked on the majority of handguards I tested them on with no problem. Overall, Kinect mounts performed extremely well and have already become an essential part of my kit. Now, back to the range!