For those that don't know, DangerWerx is a one man company who makes highly functional and incredibly useful airsoft accessories. Their newest project is the Tri-Shot Rail, or TS-R for short. This rail is a bolt on upgrade for DE/TSD/UTG/Bravo Tri-Shot shotguns, which adds a rail to your pump handle. This lets you add a vertical grip, flashlight, even something ridiculous like a grenade launcher to your shotgun, making it even more functional on the airsoft battlefield!
The rail is CNC machined out of 6061 aluminum and is specially designed to fit onto the M3 Tri-Shot models. It has struts to raise it off of the uneven surface of the pump handle, which also help evenly distribute the pressure that you put on the mounting screws when pumping the handle. The issue with using a flat bottomed universal rail section is that the pump has a slight angle, so your rail would be crooked. The other issue is that if you just mount up a flat rail with longer screws, all of the pump force will be placed on those screws, which are secured into the plastic framework of the gun. You run the risk of stripping out those screw holes with a flat rail, however the DangerWerx TS-R helps alleviate this risk by placing the majority of the pressure on the strut as well as the recessed holes in the pump handle itself. It's a really innovative way to get around the inherent issue of mounting a rail on the M3.
Rail, showing the mounting struts
Compared with a G36 rail
Mounted up, showing how it levels off the rail in relation to the barrel
DangerWerx includes new screws that are the correct length for use with the rail. This really makes installation a breeze, as you simply have to unscrew the two existing screws in the pump handle, insert the rail unit, and screw in the new screws. Don't overtighten them, as you are screwing into plastic, but snug them up to the point where you feel that it's secure.
Old screw vs. new screw
Mounted up on an old UTG M3
Really, this thing is kind of a no-brainer if you have a tri-shot M3 shotgun and want to mount an accessory on it. The only issue I had was having to re-learn how to pump the gun with a different grip angle, due to the addition of a vertical foregrip in my case. It did make pumping the gun a bit more difficult at first, which can cause problems with the M3 shotgun, as a half-cock can break the internals. I recommend practicing with the gun unloaded for a bit before throwing some rounds downrange with it. You really just have to be authoritative when you pump it, and not try to ease it back. Slam that sucker back when you pump it.
Looks really good with a vert grip
Just plain awesome
The rail is available currently at Airsoft GI, for the currently produced Polymer rail, priced at $14.99, and I expect to see it pop up at most other airsoft retailers. The aluminum rail reviewed today is a limited edition, and later, an injection molded glass reinforced polymer is available priced at about $14.99! Many thanks to DangerWerx for kicking one over to Airsoft Retreat for this review!