Dovetail rail

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(Redirected from
Warsaw Pact rail
)
A dovetail rail on a rifle receiver for mounting a sight (i.e. a scope or iron sights).

A dovetail rail or dovetail mount can refer to several types of

Weaver rail and Picatinny rail are also derivative dovetail designs) running parallel to the bore for mounting a scope or diopter sight
to a rifle. These are sometimes also called "tip-off" mounts, and allow the user to easily take on or off the sight. Dovetail mount can also refer to a dovetail track running perpendicular to the bore (see "Other uses" below).

Dovetail rails for detachable sights

The SIG Sauer 200 STR has an 11 mm dovetail on the receiver for mounting a diopter rear sight or a scope sight, either directly or via a Picatinny rail adapter.

Dovetails come in several different types and sizes depending on manufacturer, but the most common are the 11 mm and 38 inch (9.5 mm).[1][2][3] Some other less known, but currently commercially available dovetail mounts, are 12, 13, 13.5, 14,[4] 14.5, 16, 16.5, 17 and 19 mm.

While the well standardized Picatinny rail mount (and its less standardized predecessor the Weaver rail) is most known in the U.S., many European gun manufacturers offer proprietary scope base receiver mounting systems for their guns, for example Sako has tapered dovetails, Tikka use a 17 mm dovetail,[5] and there are other solutions such as the Blaser Saddle Mount[6] or Recknagel Swing Mount.[citation needed] Dovetail mounts are today mostly found on light recoiling air guns, but can also be found on some modern rifles for hunting and sport shooting using smokeless powder, although other options such as the Picatinny rail, which has a built-in recoil lug, are becoming more popular.

Some examples of rifles with different types of rails:

Dovetails are also integrated into some rifles most noticeably the L85A2 and A1 variants of the SA80 bullpup rifle for mounting the iron sights and the SUSAT sighting system. But in recent times it has been changed to Picatinny rail in place of it, as Dovetails were not fit for the purpose of making space for ACOG sighting system, according to the MOD

Dovetail rails with recoil lugs

Picatinny
riser.
Approximate dimensions of an Aimpoint Acro rail.

Some dovetail rails have integrated recoil lugs. One example is the Aimpoint Acro rail which is a 45 degree rail with a width of approximately 16.5 mm.

Side mounted scope rail

While most dovetail rails are placed on top of the receiver, there are also examples of side-mounted rails. Some

PSL rifle, the PKM as well as some AK series assault rifles from 1954 onwards. Since 1992 the side rail mount has become standard on all AK rifles.[citation needed
]

The SVD and the AK rifles use slightly different dovetail mounts.[7] The Warsaw rails are roughly 14 mm wide.[8]

  • A PSO-1M2-1 scope mounted on a VSS Vintorez
    A PSO-1M2-1 scope mounted on a VSS Vintorez
  • Side-mounted dovetail scope mount on a Romanian PSL rifle
    Side-mounted dovetail scope mount on a Romanian PSL rifle
  • Side mounting rail for scope sight on a PKP Pecheneg machine gun
    Side mounting rail for scope sight on a PKP Pecheneg machine gun

Dovetail rails for semi-permanent sights

A Beretta 92FS pistol with a dovetail mounted rear sight
Pistol sights with perpendicular dovetails

Dovetail mount can also refer to a dovetail track running perpendicular to the bore,[9] often used for smaller front sights posts and rear sights blades found on handguns and some rifles. This mounting method is meant as a semi-permanent friction fit mounting solution where a slot is milled, for instance in the slide of a pistol,[10] and a sight with a corresponding dovetail is punched or drifted into that slot.[11]

Rear sights are offered in many dovetail cut profiles which are non-compatible, and some well known (and incompatible) cut profiles are those from sight manufacturers such as Novak, BoMar, LPA/TRT, Kimber or the 1911 mil standard ("GI").[9] Additionally many pistol manufacturers have their own proprietary dovetail cut profiles.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ Picatinny, Weaver & dovetail scope bases | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report
  2. ^ BKL Technologies - 1" Scope Rings and Mounts for 3/8" and 11mm Dovetails
  3. ^ Shooting Illustrated | BKL's Tri-Mount Dovetail Riser Mounts and Picatinny Adaptors
  4. ^ 11mm scope dovetails: Why do they interchange with 3/8″? | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report
  5. ^ Scope Mounts | SAKO
  6. ^ "Blaser Hunting Rifles: Blaser Saddle Mount". Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  7. ^ a b "The AK Side Rail - How It Works". Russian optics. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Firearm Accessory Rails: Which is the Best?". Catalyst Arms. Roughly a 14mm dovetail is common in the soviet/eastern block firearms.
  9. ^ a b Common 1911 Sight Dovetails
  10. ^ Milling a Front Sight Dovetail
  11. ^ Definition of Dovetail Notch