ICS M4A1 receiver top rail

[HackD]

I'm hoping someone might have alternative suggestions to a fix required.

I had an incident recently with my ICS M4A1, whereas i was thrown to the ground, landing on my rifle, which in turn applied force to the aimpoint situated on the top receiver rail, which in turn snapped the receiver rail very cleanly off of the upper receiver. Only the portion attached to the aimpoint mount broke off cleanly, but it left a nice sized hole on the top as a result. The rest of the rail remained attached at the front and rear mount points on the receiver.

A JB Weld solution would be a temporary solution, at best. It would not be able to withstand any torquing or stress before re-breakage.

I've searched around for parts - only coming up with a replacement whole upper receiver assembly. Though this is a separately manufactured and attached part to the upper receiver, it does not appear to be separately available for purchase.

Any suggestions? Are there any compatible parts available for TM standardized M4/M16's that may work on this ICS M4? Alternatively, is there a rail system available to essentially cover over, and bridge between the upper receiver and a RIS to reinforce the current weakness as it is now, with a JB Weld - repaired receiver rail underneath?

Thanks.

[venture]

As far as I know you will need to purchase a new upper receiver.

[Andre_1999]

I don't picture what your saying but maybe an S-System style rail?

[Affliction]

I'm assuming that your upper receiver is plastic -- they tend to be two halves that are attached together at the rail on top. If so, you're SOL. Metal uppers usually have the rails built into the upper receiver as one solid piece. Good excuse to upgrade to a metal upper though.

You might be able to find somebody with an old ICS plastic upper they don't need (and can salvage the upper off of). I recently threw out an old plastic lower/upper receiver after stripping the rail off it. Unfortunately it does not attach the same way that ICS rails do (missing two screw holes at the back). If you're feeling handy enough, you're welcome to come pick it up for free and drill holes yourself.

(Bottom: ICS M4, Top: Salvaged spare rail)

[HackD]

Mine is a full metal upper/lower. See photo below to see just what happened - as i said, an extremely clean break the same footprint of the aimpoint mount (which came out of the experience unscathed.)

Affliction: Thank you for the kind offer - I'll take it into consideration. I am handy .. but not countersunk screw holes handy.

It's just seems a shame to have to buy a complete upper assembly, only to pull the rail off of it..

[Affliction]

Originally Posted by HackD

Mine is a full metal upper/lower. See photo below to see just what happened - as i said, an extremely clean break the same footprint of the aimpoint mount (which came out of the experience unscathed.)

Affliction: Thank you for the kind offer - I'll take it into consideration. I am handy .. but not countersunk screw holes handy.

It's just seems a shame to have to buy a complete upper assembly, only to pull the rail off of it..

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...95093161_n.jpg

Since the front and back are still intact, you could easily slap on a rail mount riser and call it a day.



I would still re-attach the broken piece underneath the riser just to prevent dirt from getting inside the gun as easily. That's definitely an unusually clean break though, I suspect due to the design of the thin separately attached rail. All of my armalites have the rails CNCed into the body, which makes this kind of breakage an impossibility.

It's a shame that ICS metal bodies have the same design as their plastic counterparts.

[Styrak]

That's a strange design. On most airsoft M4's, the rail is integral to the receiver, cast as part of the receiver like a real M4.

You could use something like this if you want:
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...roducts_id=205
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...oducts_id=2335

[HackD]

Originally Posted by Styrak

That's a strange design. On most airsoft M4's, the rail is integral to the receiver, cast as part of the receiver like a real M4.

You could use something like this if you want:
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...roducts_id=205
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...oducts_id=2335

Thank you, that is precisely what i was looking for in terms of a 'fix', as well as to lock my RIS to my receiver - even before the rail breakage, and with the RIS on as tight as she'd go, it would still twist off-center on occasion when i'd get ham-fisted with the rifle.

I also had a contact from Darklen, who messaged me with a replacement part for the top rail out of his bone-yard parts stash. Hopefully he will contact me back on getting the ball rolling on that.

Thanks again all, for the input.