Swarovski rail system - is this the future?

Irish Bob

Well-Known Member
I don't keep up with the latest innovations, but I was on a website and noticed this. Seems like a good idea. Only downside I can see is it is hard to clean in the gap underneath. I assume they are easy to take off.

Just wondering what those ahead of the curve think?
 
There seems to be a reluctance to rail mounted scopes in the UK,as the rail mounts themselves seem expensive, although a set of Optilocks aren't cheap. Definitely a more solid,simpler mounting system and really should be the way forward.
 
I use a Swarovski rail mount on my M03 i have a z6i 2.5-15x44 and it is a great mount system the scope has teeth along the rail which lock into teeth on the mount and when it's all bolted together it physically cannot move anywhere as its locked in and the scope is perfectly level

there is a filler strip which covers the exposed rail to stop anything getting in there and to finish it all off neatly

cant fault the system and very happy with it , I genuinely can't see any negatives to be honest
 
I genuinely can't see any negatives to be honest

Mark

How you optically centre a scope that is rail mounted? I have three scopes mounted on picatinny rails and none of them are interchangeable. At least with picatinny rails I can swap the rings around and/or use Burris Signature Rings with inserts to utilise the optical centre of the scope.

Regards

JCS
 
I genuinely can't see any negatives to be honest

Choice of mounts
cost of mounts
availability of mounts
No inclined systems
choice of remedial solutions to poor scope/receiver/turret alignment
mounts are rifle AND scope brand specific (more difficult to sell)
scope is more expensive and less desirable in the UK

i personally like the idea but don't use them for many of the reasons above
 
Nothing new about rails - I have a zeiss distal 6x42 on a claw mount on a combination gun built in 1974, and many used a lot earlier.
 
I've had zeiss and swaro scopes on rails... far superior to rings in pretty much every way. The downside, as usual, is that all the manufacturers insist on using their own slightly different version of the same thing making them less desirable as they are more difficult to sell and non interchangeable without purchasing the same manufacturers mounts.

If they could all act like grown ups and agree on a standard system/mount, rings on new scopes would become extinct very quickly!
 
I've had zeiss and swaro scopes on rails... far superior to rings in pretty much every way. The downside, as usual, is that all the manufacturers insist on using their own slightly different version of the same thing making them less desirable as they are more difficult to sell and non interchangeable without purchasing the same manufacturers mounts.

If they could all act like grown ups and agree on a standard system/mount, rings on new scopes would become extinct very quickly!

There is an agreed std - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picatinny_rail Regards JCS
 
the Mauser and blaser rails will mount a 56mm scope at the same height whether rings or rail

Usually the height is no problem with 56mm since it needs some clearance between scope tube and rifle action anyway. Of course you can create a problem, like mounting picatinny rail on top of Tikka T3, and choosing a scope with rail to mount on top of that.

I took a look at Mauser M03 mounts at Optics Trade (couldn't find anything on Mauser website). This gets a bit offtopic but it seems Mauser wants to mount anything at the same height, regardless of personal preference or physical build. Luckily they also seem to have abandoned the integral mounting system in M12, although to cut down costs I guess.
 
Having 5 Swarovski rail scopes I can say they are great. No problems with canting and no problem with slippage. I will never worry about slippage on my 1.25-4x24 scope on my 8lb 416 Remington.
 
I don't keep up with the latest innovations, but I was on a website and noticed this. Seems like a good idea. Only downside I can see is it is hard to clean in the gap underneath. I assume they are easy to take off.

Just wondering what those ahead of the curve think?

If you have a qd system such as blaser, or Mauser just take it off and flush under a tap. Simple.
 
Germans have used them now for decades, difficult to sell on now in Germany. I would never want a rail scope on a precision rifle as one can't adjust the scope to the mechanical turret movement. You won't see proper sniper rifles with a rail scope.
edi
 
Germans have used them now for decades, difficult to sell on now in Germany. I would never want a rail scope on a precision rifle as one can't adjust the scope to the mechanical turret movement. You won't see proper sniper rifles with a rail scope.
edi


Mechanical zero for windage is fixed on a rail mount rifle and on a sniper rifle with rings and a picatinny rail it can't be adjusted unless I'm wrong


Mechanical zero for elevation is fixed on a rail mount which you are correct as you cannot buy a rail etc with more MOA


but realistically for hunting or a max range of 400-500 yards a rail will do just fine as you don't need to be shooting out to 1000 yards +
 
Mechanical zero for windage is fixed on a rail mount rifle and on a sniper rifle with rings and a picatinny rail it can't be adjusted unless I'm wrong


Mechanical zero for elevation is fixed on a rail mount which you are correct as you cannot buy a rail etc with more MOA


but realistically for hunting or a max range of 400-500 yards a rail will do just fine as you don't need to be shooting out to 1000 yards +

One can twist the scope in rings to align the up down movement with the plum line of the rifle. With a rail mounted rifle you get what you get.
Rail scopes are a thing of the past as I see it, most germans who have one can't wait to get rid of them. As for recoil proof... just look at second hand scopes on e-gun with rails, most are drilled by hand sideways through and pinned to get them to hold.
Anyone can buy what they want, I would not want one although initially the idea does sound good.
edi
 
With outer rails the installation procedure was to drill and pin.

Swaro inner rail has teeth (for recoil) and front adapter has them also, rear not because otherwise this would restrict mounting.

You can buy inclined rails (like picatinny) to mount rail scopes also, only if the rifle uses some proprietary QD you're out of luck (or not if inclined QD bases are available but I doubt this).

I have one rail scope, 3-12x50 Swaro. Bought it because it was discounted and the installation height restricts on which rifles I can reasonably mount it (no problem for me). I use Swaro Weaver/Picatinny bases.
 
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