Picatinny Rails

What is a Picatinny rail?

Also known as the MIL-STD-1913 rail or 1913 rail, the Picatinny rail is a standardized mount originally developed for the US military, and has been adopted worldwide. They are designed to be used to securely attach optics, lights, lasers, and other accessories to sporting and bolt action rifles.  The goal is simple: Any Picatinny accessory should be compatible with every Picatinny rail.  

A Picatinny rails is a solid one-piece mount with cross slots along the top at regular intervals.  Each slot in a picatinny rail is the same width and depth, and each high point between slots is exactly as far apart as the next.  This creates a standardized platform that allows universal interchangeability.  If you buy a Picatinny scope ring or other accessory from any manufacturer, it should be mount effortlessly to a Picatinny rail made by any other manufacturer, and it should be secure and accurate.  

This makes the Picatinny rail different from the Weaver rail, which is another popular mount type.  While the Weaver rail is a fine option for some situations, it lacks the precision and uniformity of the Picatinny standard.  Slot widths on a Weaver rail are not standardized so they can vary, even on the same rail.  Many accessories will not fit Weaver rails because of this.  

Picatinny Rail vs. Weaver Rail

What Picatinny rail do I need for my rifle?

This question is so common that we have created a resource that can help answer that question: What Picatinny rail do I need for my rifle?

Does My Rifle Use a Short Action or Long Action?

Many Picatinny rails are specific to the action length of your rifle, and action lengths are not interchangeable, meaning a short action rail will not mount on a long action, and vice-versa.  

Learn more: What's the Difference Between Short Action and Long Action?

Do I need a 0 MOA or 20 MOA rail?

Zero MOA Picatinny rails do not add any additional elevation to an optic mounted to a rifle.  Most shooters will need a zero MOA rail.  But if you are a shooter or hunter who finds themselves firing at targets that stretch the limitations of your rifle and optics, you might need a 20 MOA rail.

Learn more: Do I need a zero MOA or 20 MOA Picatinny rail?