Wilcox Industries Develops "Electric Rail" For ARs

posted on May 19, 2011
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ii2015_fs.jpg (1)

The Holy Grail of tactical-grade M4 rifles (including the military’s M4) is a chalice of electrons, a way to power any and all accessories from a single battery source—wirelessly. Wilcox Industries, a New Hampshire-basedproducer of a wide range of military and commercialproducts, has finally found the sacred cup and solved this age-old problem.

It’s called the Fusion Rail, an M1913 rail fore-end with integral “electric rails” that carry power from either a small battery pack or a Wilcox Universal Control Grip, a vertical grip with dual thumb-switches and batteries inside.

Onto the Fusion Rail can go a white light or a laser targeting module, the two most commonly used tactical accessories that normally require their own separate batteries. That adds weight and bulk, two big negatives on a tactical rifle.

Wilcox teamed with SureFire to develop a small “head” that fits onto the Fusion Rail and ispowered from the rail itself.

Then, Wilcox developed its own visible and infrared laser “head” which also self-powers from the Fusion Rail.

Down the road, I wouldn’t be surprised to see optical sight modules, night vision viewers and even miniature cameras all running from a Fusion Rail.

As noted, Wilcox also offers a Universal Control Grip with dual thumb-switches into which the “heads” from lasers, lights or other devices can be plugged. Press the switch for momentary-on or double-tap it for constant-on.

Wilcox has alsodeveloped other highly clever and innovative products for the military and tactical markets. There’s a helmet mount for NODs (night vision devices like the PVS-14) that features a “break-loose” safety to release the NOD in case it becomes snagged or stuck. The current military helmet mount is permanent, so a snagged NOD is like face-masking in football—it jerks the wearer’s head and neck dangerously.

Then there’s the Wilcox Patriot System, a breathing system for chemical-biological environments that runs foreight hours. Competing products are good for 45 minutes. Let's see… eight hours versus less thanone hour. That's a pretty significant improvement!

Another cool item is a camera about the size of a No. 2 pencil eraser that fits on a military helmet and records everything the wearer sees or hears onto a disk. Given that the President and his national security team were reported in the news to have watched the SEAL’s raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, the Insider has a pretty strong hunch they were watching through a Wilcox Mission Recording Helmet System. Wilcox will never tell and neither will the SEALs, but that’s my guess.

Look for the Wilcox Fusion Rail to become commerciallyavailable soon. And remember, the Insider brought you the first word.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.