Tip! Rook Rails info video
- Thread starter Michele
- Start date
-
- Tags
- p80 rook rails
Rook rails sure make things easier. @Michele would say "cheating!" Ha!
Thanks for joining the forum and participating by posting! When you get a chance, please write up a quick “introduction” (or RE-introduction if you were a former MGB forum member) of yourself over in the Introduce Yourself! section. Tell us about yourself, your building experience, and how you found the forum.
Jump into other threads, too! Come on in... the water's fine!
Rook needs to make a PF9ss rear rail. I forgot how bad the P80 factory rear rails were. I would have gladly grabbed a set and tossed the factory rail in the bin of sh%t & shame. Building my last old stock PF940ss frame in cobalt.
Last edited:
If you mean a PF9ss I I would like some too.
I did here someone said that they would have rails for all P80 at some time this year, but I might be wrong on that.
If you need some PF940sc they have both front and rear rails.
I did here someone said that they would have rails for all P80 at some time this year, but I might be wrong on that.
If you need some PF940sc they have both front and rear rails.
D
Deleted member 2128
Guest
If your p80 rails are working well, why would you fix something that's not broken?
I have some Rook rails, and they work fine, but I'm just not convinced they work any better than the P80 rails. I also like the idea of the rear rails being connected/one piece.
Another thing like about p80 rails, is that after installed, I can put the frame without the LPK, but pins in, and set the frame/ rails down on a piece of glass, and make sure they don't rock. I can do that too with Rook rails, but it takes modifying a trigger housing.
I can see a huge advantage of Rook rails if the holes weren't drilled correctly though.
P80 rails work well if everything else is done correctly.. I know this isn't a popular opinion.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2023
- Messages
- 2,654
- Reaction score
- 3,235
- Points
- 168
Any time I can replace a MIM part with one that is machined, I do. I have done that numerous times with 1911's. There is no debate about whether machined parts are better than MIM. MIM is used by gunmakers because it's cheaper to make. Is it inferior? Not really. It's just not as good. Or as durable. There are reasons why a Nighthawk or Wilson costs three times more than Kimber. MIM internals is one of them.
Reliability is not a factor. It's a question of a gun being the sum of its parts. Better quality, more precisely made parts equals better gun. What is better? Whatever I believe is better because it's my money.
Rear rails... there's zero chance my holes are in the wrong place or outsized. Leveling rails, other than checking them, is not something I have found to be necessary. But if I were going to take it to that degree of precision I would choose the beefier, machined front and rear rails. Like I said about MIM, why use cheap stamped steel when you can use a machined part? Because you can is probably the best answer.
I have no quarrel with those who choose to go as cheap as possible. Cheap internals, slides, or Holosun optics made by Chinese slaves using technology stolen from American companies.
Not my thing. I also do not save scraps of lumber or parts from cars or motorcycles I no longer own because I might need them someday. Because someday never comes and you end up with a basement and garage full of useless shit your spouse or kids will toss in the dumpster when you die. 
Reliability is not a factor. It's a question of a gun being the sum of its parts. Better quality, more precisely made parts equals better gun. What is better? Whatever I believe is better because it's my money.
Rear rails... there's zero chance my holes are in the wrong place or outsized. Leveling rails, other than checking them, is not something I have found to be necessary. But if I were going to take it to that degree of precision I would choose the beefier, machined front and rear rails. Like I said about MIM, why use cheap stamped steel when you can use a machined part? Because you can is probably the best answer.
I have no quarrel with those who choose to go as cheap as possible. Cheap internals, slides, or Holosun optics made by Chinese slaves using technology stolen from American companies.
Not my thing. I also do not save scraps of lumber or parts from cars or motorcycles I no longer own because I might need them someday. Because someday never comes and you end up with a basement and garage full of useless shit your spouse or kids will toss in the dumpster when you die. 
Rook rails aren't a fix, they're an upgrade.
Sure the P80 rails work just fine, but just by looking at the 2 different rear rail systems side by side, it's obvious which is better. The fact that it's more difficult for you to check the 2 piece rail system for level, isn't really a factor, because the Rook rails, providing that you drilled the holes correctly will be level. No need to check them, like the P80 rails.
As far as the front lbrs, the P80 work fine also, but it's a fact that machined parts are better quality than mim. Just look at the surface of the mim part with a magnifying glass to see the inconsistencies.
Sure, you can polish or hone the P80 lbrs and then you would probably need a microscope to see the inconsistencies, but they'd still be there. Plus, if the mim part was surface hardened which many are, you're opening up a whole new can of worms with that.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 2128
Guest
I didn't know p80 rails are MIM. I thought they're stamped stainless steel?
D
Deleted member 2128
Guest
The Rook rails certainly look to be a better quality. If the rear rails were connected to each other I'd be a bigger fan. The one piece rear rail just seems to be a stronger design.
The rear are stamped stainless. The front are mim.
We definitely look at things differently.
True, Rook rails are an upgrade to P80 rails because they hold a closer tolerance. That is what one does to an any gun to improve accuracy. If someone has an old P80 with the black cast rails knows that tolerance was an afterthought. The newer P80 front rails are much better but the rear rail still lacks a tight tolerance and strength that Rook rails have. One of the problems I have with P80 rear rails is that being a thin stamped part they bend very easy; I Just replace them from the start. I might hold off on replacing the front rail until I can test a few rounds thought it but usually replace them too.
5D Tactical has some rails that look good. I bought a set and will be trying them out on my next 19 build.
5D Tactical has some rails that look good. I bought a set and will be trying them out on my next 19 build.
D
Deleted member 2128
Guest
Yeah man, we do, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Folks are happy with Rook. I'm happy with p80. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I was just curious of the thinking on it.
Another advantage of the Rook split rear rails is that they support the trigger housing better with full-length contact / support. By contrast, the P80 stamped one-piece supports the trigger housing on the right side at only one small point - with that little bent ear thingy.
So, the trigger housing can have some potential to be torqued or move slightly. Does it matter? I don't know for sure. But the Rook rear rails have full support there.
Lastly... I've used Rook rails for all my builds. I've never once even had to check or adjust the levels. I just put the slide on and it glides like it's on ice.
D
Deleted member 2128
Guest
That's a good point, I hadn't considered.
I've never had to make any adjustments with p80 rails, except to the first of the rear rails, before they were corrected -or I guess they were corrected?
- Joined
- May 12, 2022
- Messages
- 1,334
- Reaction score
- 1,502
- Points
- 128
Hadn't noticed/considered that either. Good observation, especially given that the housing is plastic!
I can't claim originality on that. Someone else here (forget who) pointed that out to me.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2022
- Messages
- 1,746
- Reaction score
- 1,651
- Points
- 128
BL brings up some valid points both for and against…but for is indeed compelling and something I’ve been considering for my builds. When the budget allows, I’ll upgrade ours to the ROOK rails they are more robust and while our PMF’s of this type certainly aren’t a Wilson or Nighthawk, I like the idea of these being upgraded. It’s (rails) what the slide rides on, anyways….