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Rifle scopes with mount rail

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Introduction

In majority, rifle scopes have central tubular part where rings can be placed for mounting them on a rifle. This is how first scopes were mounted on rifles and it is still common practice in most cases, but not all of them. European manufacturers of rifle scopes have started to produce scopes with special rails under the tubes and this began already decades ago. Such scopes do not need rings for mounting, because they offer completely different solution.

In the beginning, there was only one type of rail in use by most European scope manufacturers. Nevertheless, manufacturers decided to develop better solutions. In the end (we are talking about last decades), three more modern rail standards were established.

This type of mounting systems gained in popularity recently and will become the predominant way of mounting premium scopes in the future.

Pros of Rifle Scopes with Mounting Rails

One of the main advantages of using the rail is that scopes with integrated mounting rail are robust. The whole mount is stiffer because there is lack of many screws which are not needed with this solution. Therefore, reliability comes to place here (also because of the rigidness, mentioned above). If there is no rings attached (with screws) to the scope tube, it also means that there is no stress on the scope – that might also end in better accuracy when shooting. If there is a need to change the scope or put it on the other gun, there will be no marks on the tube from previous installation, which is common when mounting with scope rings.

Schmidt & Bender with S&B convex rail

One of the advantages which might be very important to a lot of shooters, is that there is always the perfect level of the scope when rails are used. Balancing and leveling the scope to reach perfect horizontal alignment, while mounting with scope rings, can really be pain in the ass. Through my eyes, always getting the perfect level of the scope, is really the main advantage of using integrated rails. We should not forget that mounting a railed scope is always much easier than with rings. Last, but not least – scopes with integrated mounting rails offers better recoil profness of the mounts.

Cons of Rifle Scopes with Mounting Rails

Sometimes scope bases combined with rifle scope with integrated mounting rails end up much higher, compared to traditional setup with scope rings. Height of our setup must be checked before buying bases and railed scope. In that way, we can avoid disappointment.

As a rule, rail mounting is only available with expensive rifle scopes.

Type of Scopes Rail Standards

Below, we are going to briefly present different types of scope rail standards, available on the market nowadays.

LM Rails

LM rails standard is also known and often called "prism rail" or "70 mm prism". This is the oldest rail standard on the market and is not used anymore. The problem with this standard was that drilling was needed when mounting these scopes on rifles.

Zeiss ZM/VM Rail

ZM/VM rail standard is widely used these days in it is probably the most common rail mounting standard available. It is widely known also as "Inner rail", "M rail" or "Zeiss rail" standard. It was invented by Zeiss and for this reason it is widely known as "Zeiss rail" – however, it is used by many manufacturers nowadays, not only Zeiss.

Zeiss Victory HT 3-12x56 M (rail)

Swarovski SR Rail

One of the most famous European optics manufacturer, Swarovski Optik, presented their own mounting rail solution on the market – known as SR rail. It is a specific design, patented by the company. It contains many small teeth under the scope through the whole area of the rail which is great for more powerful calibers with stronger recoil. It is no wonder that this rail is also used by Kahles, since Swarovski company took over Kahles in 1974.

Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12x50 BT SR

S&B Convex Rail

Schmidt & Bender’s Convex rail is made by Schmidt & Bender and is used only by them. In terms of design, it is quite similar to Zeiss rail. However, lower surface on S&B rail rounded and not straight, on the contrary to Zeiss. Comparatively, it is most rare among all rail standards.

Conclusion

As seen above, only the best European rifle scopes manufacturers have rails as option on their scopes. These scopes with rail are usually more expensive as the ones without rails – it is quite logical, because they are more expensive to produce. Unquestionably scopes with rails provide best possible mounting solution and hopefully, most of the rifle scopes in the future will be made with rail mounts.

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VIDEO

General features

As the name suggests, these riflescopes are incredibly compact, measuring up to 33 centimeters in length. They weigh below 1000 grams and have a lens diameter of somewhere between 32 and 50 mm.

As these fall into this category, they are equipped with tactical turrets and an FFP reticle (there are some exceptions). Commonly, they feature a MIL/MIL configuration. Even though these riflescopes are small and light, they are packed with tactical capabilities.

Models of firearms compact tactical riflescopes are mounted on

This type of riflescopes are often paired with two distinct groups of rifles:

Semi-auto rifles, chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor or similar
Light tactical bolt action rifles, chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor or similar

It is important to keep the weight at a minimum, which is why these rifles are compact and light. With such rifles, one can expect to shoot at a medium range. Shooting beyond 1000 meters is rare.

Even though riflescopes designed for these rifles fall into the same category, they are not all the same. There are two major groups that we will discuss below.

Compact tactical riflescopes for semi-auto rifles, chambered in .308 Win. or related products

Certain optical devices in this category are designed with the DMR field of use in mind. DMR stands for Designated Marksman Rifle. Unlike sniper rifles, DMRs are almost always semi-automatic rifles with a high rate of fire. A designated marksman (DM) usually covers a distance of 50–800 m. Several riflescopes in this category are designed with the DM's objectives in mind. A wide field of view is important since engaging targets at a close range is common. Since this type of shooting takes place during the day, having a daytime bright illumination is a must. Some are partially designed for the tactical concept called CQB (Close-Quarters Battle) – the lowest magnification of such riflescopes is often 2x or even lower. Some devices feature an adjustable parallax, others do not. It is not uncommon for a shooter to use a compact-tactical riflescope both on a semi-auto rifle chambered in .308 Win. and on an AR-type rifle chambered in .223. Even though not a rule, a MIL/MIL configuration is popular. FFP reticles are much more common than SFP ones.

Compact tactical riflescopes for tactical bolt action rifles

Some optics in this category are designed for certain light bolt-action rifles, predominantly chambered in .308 Win. or 6.5 Creedmoor and packed with tactical features (Remington 700 Police is a great example of such a rifle). The size is the most important factor – only a compact rifle does justice to a compact riflescope. These devices are heavier than the ones for semi-auto rifles but don't exceed the 1 kg mark. With a magnification up to 20x and a lens diameter no bigger than 50 mm, once can pull off a shot up to 1000 m of distance. These rifles can also be paired with full-size tactical riflescopes, but the priority of owning a light tactical rifle is keeping the weight of its accessories at a minimum. Having an illuminated reticle is important, but a weak illumination will do just fine. As the maximum magnification is 12x or higher, one can expect to have an adjustable parallax on such a device. Having lots of elevation range at disposal is crucial, so the riflescope's tube measures at least 30 mm in diameter. The majority of these optics are of the MIL/MIL configuration.

Weight of compact tactical scopes

Weight is an especially important factor for a semi-auto rifle – it has to be as light as possible. Riflescopes for bolt-action rifles can weigh as much as 1 kg. It is important to note that a compact size does not necessarily imply a low weight.

A short presentation of this type of tactical products is available here.

Slideshare Presentation

Short Presentation | Compact Tactical Riflescopes | Optics Trade from Optics-Trade

Rifle scopes with mount rail

VIDEO

Introduction

Pros of Rifle Scopes with Mounting Rails

Cons of Rifle Scopes with Mounting Rails