I have been using AR-15 end plate sling mounts for a long time. They offer an excellent compromise between mobility and stability when used as your rear attachment point with a two point sling. I started with the excellent fixed loop Burnsed Loops from Daniel Defense and eventually migrated to end plates with QD sling swivel sockets. In all that time, I have tried several different end plates and the QD End Plate RL from Impact Weapons Components (IWC) is the best of them.
The QD End Plate RL is CNC machined from billet steel and Black Manganese Phosphate coated. Some laser cut or stamped steel end plates tend to have rough, uneven edges. That isn’t the case with the QD End Plate RL.
IWC makes them thicker than similar steel end plates which makes it easier to stake properly. There is plenty of “meat” that can be pushed into the staking notches on the castle nut. I have several aluminum end plates and they can be staked but staked aluminum can’t match the security of staked steel.
Most QD end plates aren’t rotation limited because they generally don’t need to be. The castle nut and receiver extension will prevent a normal sized swivel from completing a full rotation. However, smaller d-ring shaped swivels have been introduced that will not catch on the castle nut and end plate so IWC incorporated rotation limiters. The ability of the QD swivel to swing from side to side is one of the best things about QD end plates so I am thankful that IWC placed their rotation limiters to provide a wide range of motion.
The truth is that this isn’t that much different than other QD end plates on the market but little things like the extra thickness and the CNC machining make it better. It also helps that it happens to be one of the most reasonably priced options. When it comes time to stake your end plate (and you should be staking your end plates), you will be glad you used an IWC QD End Plate RL.
Check out the IWC QD End Plate RL and for forget to use the discount code “triggerjerk” for 5% off your purchase.
