It isn't very often that a company is willing to allow a prototype out of their sight, but in this case Mega Arms has made an exception. Several months ago, Mega Arms pulled their monolithic uppers due to LMT being granted a patent for a somewhat similar design (read more here). What was unknown at the time, was that Mega Arms was already working on another project, which is what we see pictured here. Removal of the monolithic upper allowed for Mega Arms to accelerate the timeline of the MKM-MATEN, but it is worth pointing out this is NOT the replacement for the monolithic uppers.
What sticks out at first to most people we spoke with is the "KeyMod" rails. If you aren't sure what a KeyMod rail is, or just have it confused with shelving and door locks, take a look at an earlier Gear Scout article which covers them (link). The KeyMod rails blend the smooth sided free floating tubular rails with the mounting options of the traditional 1913 rails. In the case of this new MKM-MATEN from Mega Arms, the male/ female connection allows a modular option, while still retaining a monolithic feel for the user. This means a shooter should be able to use use a KeyMod rail which is short, then pull the screws and drop on a long railed or KeyMod piece in place, and swap back and forth as needed. The .308 KeyMod version as shown here is being manufacturered first, other sizes and designs will follow.
Mike Miller from Mega Arms stated the following, "Our new Key Mod design upper and hand-guard, dubbed the MKM-MATEN and MKM-AR15, features a male barrel nut system identical to the discontinued monolithic upper. The hand-guard is cut from a proprietary extrusion, which is designed for exact fit to the upper. This fit has already proven itself to be flat and straight beyond any competitors monolithic design, and the upper rail and hand-guard rail are aligned perfectly. The key mod openings in the ergonomically shaped hand-guard, are patterned across the seven open sides of the octagonal shape and will fit any and all Key Mod accessories."
You can probably tell from the pictures, this is a polymer rapid prototype component, we are expecting to see aluminum within the next few weeks, and will show a lot more pictures and how it all comes together on a functional weapon at that time.
[nggallery id=597]
