I was just curious about why there is now a second generation quick release by NRG. I decided to drop by since I'm local myself. I have been informed that the second generation from NRG is in response to people that have been comparing them to splash, rapfix, L2, megan, etc... They wanted to prove to people that they are not mere imitators, but innovators. It is an original design with various improvements, and they are in the process of patenting it. Alot of time and resources has been spent in order to maximize the quality of these units and insure they are the best and most durable as possible. The finish is great and these units should be good for a long duration of time. The rings are now made from steel but the body is still made of aircraft aluminum. They said that this would increase the life of the product. The self-lock was for convenience so that you don't have to pull the ring and hold to remove or replace the unit. If I missed anything, they have a tech there named Roth that does much of the R&D. Or you can e-mail at Roth@nrginnovations.com.