The rail is a mechanical fixing system placed on the body of a weapon. Made up of several notches, it allows you to install various accessories such as a telescopic sight, a red dot sight or a front handle. The rail mounting system is available in different models depending on the size of the weapon and the accessories to be added. It can be installed as standard on the weapon or be mounted later by the user.
Rear Sight Rail
The most well-known types of rails are the Weaver and the(also called Swan / Weaver). Even if their notches are different, it is generally possible to fix the same accessory on one or the other of these rails (sometimes uncertain for the fixing of a Weaver accessory on arail). The rear sight rail for ak 47 is important here.
History of the rail fastening system
The Weaver model was one of the first rail mounting systems. It was invented by William Ralph Weaver in 1975.The Earl Reddick model designed by the firm Reddicks Arms Developpement would be the second. Similar to the Weaver, however, it met a more precise specification with more transparent data regarding the shape and dimensions of the rail.The Swan / Weaver model appears next. It bears the name of its inventor: Dick Swan. The difference with the previous versions is the width of the notches: a little larger than the other two. This new model is manufactured byArsenal, a Research & Development branch of the US Army.
Features ofand Weaver Rail
Because of its many advantages, the rail replaced the sights on many pistols, pellet rifles, and crossbows and the forearm on rifles. It can be original or added by the owner of the weapon. The rail can equip firearms, non-lethal recreational weapons, paintball and airsoft guns.The rail is equipped with several notches which take the shape of a T and which are about 5 millimeters thick and about 2 millimeters deep. The space between two notches is approximately 10 millimeters.The difference betweenand Weaver rails is in the width of the notches:
- approximately 5 millimeters for rail system for ak 47,
- approximately 4 millimeters for Weaver.The greater width of the notches increases the resistance of therail.During firing, both versions expand along the longitudinal axis of the weapon and thus retain their original shape despite the heat.
Attaching an accessory to a rail
The accessories are easily mounted on the rail: they slide on it and then are screwed on so that they no longer move. In some cases, they are set in place with a wing screw, a lock or a lever.
More info on therail
Originally, therail was used in the military to mount riflescopes on large caliber rifles. Subsequently, it was used to install tactical lamps, laser sights, night vision devices or bayonets on military weapons.It was ordered by the US military which was dissatisfied with the rails used at the time. Designed by mechanical designer Gary Houtsma, it was commissioned in 1995.In 2009; an improved version of therail was designed in collaboration with several weapon manufacturers (Colt, Beretta, Aimpoint, Heckler & Koch, FN Herstal). It has been approved by the NATO National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG).
