As time changes, what gets attached to guns changes. What was commonplace on M4s back in 2006 doesn't fly in 2019, and the vertical grip has been (mostly) ditched for the handstop. The market is flooded with choices, but is there a king of the hill for handstops? Well, our Railscales Karve-P review should tell us if it is a worthy contender.
What Is The Railscales Karve P?
The Karve-P is a short handstop made by the Oklahoma based Railscales. I've previously reviewed their namesake product, the Railscales HTP, and was quite impressed. Railscales has made a name over the last few years for manufacturing high quality, with a specific use in mind. The Karve-P is a more general purpose item, made to fit the role of a small handstop. It is made from the same heat-resistant, high-temp polymer as the Railscales HTP, and features the same 416 stainless mounting hardware. The "P" in Karve-P denotes that this is the polymer version, not the 6061 billet aluminum one.
The Karve-P was made for use in conjunction with the aforementioned Railscales HTP, however it can be used without them too. It mounts perfectly aligned with the Railscales HTP, and is offered in the same smattering of colors. I purchased the M-LOK Karve-P, which takes up only a single complete M-LOK slot, however the KeyMod version will take up two holes. The Karve-P is extremely lightweight, at only three tenths of an ounce.
The Karve-P offers the same aggressive texturing regardless of color, and can be mounted either forwards or backwards for use. Aside from using the M-LOK T-Nut for attachment, the Karve-P also has a molded in boss for reinforcement. Railscales includes the correct Allen key for the Karve-P, so mounting is a breeze too.
With the light weight, and polymer material of the Karve-P, I was slightly worried about durability. Would the Karve-P survive bashes and knocks, or would it break into pieces?
Slap Slap Slap, Clap Clap Clap
The testing period for the Karve-P was a little over three months. Two Karve-P units were tested. Testing was done on the Aero Precision ATLAS R-ONE and M4E1 Enhanced rails, and on two different BCM MCMR rails (10" & 13"). The Karve-P units were properly attached and torqued each time.
During regular shooting use, the Karve-P was fantastic to use. Either used alone, or with the Railscales HTP, it facilitated a comfortable grip on the rail, and ledge to pull back into for recoil mitigation. The vertical nature of the Karve-P made indexing the support hand on the rail very easy to do. This is vital, as when mounting pressure pads for lights and lasers on rails, we want consistency of hand placement.
Whether shooting with bare hands or gloves, the texturing on the Karve-P was great. It is aggressive enough to dig in to, but not so much as to cause discomfort. I did a fair bit of shooting in the rain with my Karve-P equipped guns, and it made that a fun task.
Durability was 100% on the Karve-P. I tested this by using the handstop as a ledge to rest the rail on a number of times, when shooting from supported positions, or barricades. I also repeatedly bashed the two units into various objects (with a reasonable amount of force), with no breakages. The two Karve-Ps are no worse for wear, and I'm happy to keep them on my rails.
The Karve-P is yet another sexy accessory from Railscales. The Karve will do to your gun what having a puppy on your Tinder profile will do. Ok, maybe not, but the Karve is worth the rail real estate based on looks alone.
Would I Recommend the Railscales Karve-P?
I started this review by stating that the vertical grip has been nearly phased out of common use. I stand by that, but there are specific instances in which the vertical grip is still desirable. However, if you don't need a VG, the Karve-P is what I would recommend. At $26.00, it's a steal for how much it brings to the table. It is comfy, durably, and looks great to boot. If you slap a Karve and some Railscales on your blaster, you'll get a right swipe from me.
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