Soft Air Colt M4 Cqb Automatic Electric Airsoft Gun Pictinny Rail Width

Armed forces standard rails interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories

The M4 carbine with a Picatinny rail system, Grip Pod vertical forward grip, and M68 CCO sight

Picatinny rail dimensions, cross section (dimensions in inches)

Picatinny track side view (dimensions in inches)

The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Movie rail for short, likewise known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 runway (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was originally used for mounting of scopes atop the receivers of larger caliber rifles. Once established, its employ expanded to as well attaching other accessories, such as: iron sights, tactical lights, light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation aiming modules, night vision devices, reflex sights, holographic sights, foregrips, bipods, slings and bayonets.

An updated version of the rail is adopted as a NATO standard every bit the STANAG 4694 NATO Accessory Rail.

Significance [edit]

Because of their many uses, Picatinny rails and accessories have replaced iron sights in the design of many firearms, and they are likewise on the undersides of semi-automatic pistol frames and grips.^[1] Their usefulness has led to them being used in paintball, gel blasters and airsoft.^[2]

History [edit]

Attempts to standardize the Weaver rail designs appointment back to the early 1980s from work by the A.R.M.Due south. company and Otto Repa.^{[ citation needed ]} Specifications for the M16A2E4 rifle and the M4E1 carbine received type classification generic in December 1994.^{[ citation needed ]} These were the M16A2^[3] and the M4^[4] modified with new upper receivers where rails replaced hand guards.^{[ verification needed ]}

The rails itself is named later on the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, which was named "after the Lenape-named peak overlooking the one-time forge, loosely translated to mean 'rugged cliff by water' or 'h2o by the hills'."^[5] The Picatinny Armory was tasked in 1992 to develop a standardized mounting system after the U.S. Army was dissatisfied with the contemporary products on the marketplace. The Picatinny team was headed past mechanical designer Gary Houtsma (who was awarded the Order of Saint Maurice Honour in 2014 for this contribution^[6]), who took the measurements from 20 or so different Weaver rail products from weapons bunkers at Picatinny (and even local sporting goods stores) and came up with an average set of numbers set on a 45-degree angled surface. Houtsma and so took the specifications over to the production facility and requested they design a dimensioning style then the rail could be easily produced and inspected. The factory recognized the similarity of the purposed rail interface to the existing track design on 105 mm howitzers, and so they chose to scale downwardly the howitzer rails design and co-opted the production and inspection procedures. The team then sent the finished prototype over to Stone Island Armory for review and trial, and then to the technical data section to determine if it should be a standard or a specification. After it was determined that the new rail should be a standard, non a specification, it was adopted and fielded in 1995^[7] with the designation MIL-STD-1913, dated February 3, 1995.^[eight]

A metric-upgraded version of the Picatinny rail, the STANAG 4694 NATO Accompaniment Rail, was designed in conjunction with weapon manufacturers similar Aimpoint, Beretta, Colt, FN Herstal and Heckler & Koch, and was approved by the NATO Army Armaments Group (NAAG), Country Capability Grouping 1 Dismounted Soldier (LCG1-DS) on May 8, 2009.

Currently, many firearm manufacturers include a Picatinny runway arrangement out of factory, such every bit the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle.^[9]

Design & specifications [edit]

Metric dimensions of a Picatinny track

The rail consists of a strip undercut to form a "flattened T" with a hexagonal top cross-section, with cross slots interspersed with flats that allow accessories to be slid into place from the end of the rail and so locked in place. It is like in concept to the before commercial Weaver rail mount used to mount telescopic sights, but is taller and has wider slots at regular intervals forth the entire length.

The Picatinny locking slot width is 0.206 in (5.23 mm). The spacing of slot centres is 0.394 in (ten.01 mm) and the slot depth is 0.118 in (3.00 mm).^[eight]

Comparison to Weaver rail [edit]

Whereas the before Weaver rail is modified from a low, broad dovetail rail, the Picatinny rail has a more pronounced athwart department.^{[ citation needed ]} Designed to mount heavy sights of diverse kinds, a not bad variety of accessories and attachments are now available and the rails are no longer confined to the rear upper surface (receiver) of long arms simply are either fitted to or automobile milled into the upper, side or lower surfaces of all manner of weapons from crossbows to pistols and long arms up to and including anti-materiel rifles.^{[ citation needed ]}

The only significant difference between the Picatinny track and the like Weaver track are the size and shapes of the slots, where the Picatinny rail has square-bottomed slots while Weaver rails take rounded slots.^{[ commendation needed ]} This means that an accompaniment designed for a Weaver runway volition fit onto a Picatinny runway whereas the opposite might not exist possible (unless the slots in the Weaver rail are modified to have foursquare bottoms.)^{[ citation needed ]}

Weaver rails take a slot width of 0.180 in (four.57 mm), only are not necessarily consistent in the spacing of slot centers.^[10] While some accessories are designed to fit on both Weaver and Picatinny rails, near Picatinny devices will not fit on Weaver rails. From May 2012, most mounting track are cut to Picatinny standards.^{[ commendation needed ]} Many accessories tin can be secured to a rail with a single spring-loaded retaining pivot.

Meet also [edit]

NATO Accessory Rail
Warsaw Pact track, is a track mount system to connect telescopic sights to rifles
Track Systems
Zeiss rails, a ringless scope mounting standard
Tertiary Arm Weapon Interface Organization

References [edit]

^ "Does a Concealed Carry Gun Need an Accessory Rails? | Gun Belts Blog". Bigfoot Gun Belts . Retrieved Dec nineteen, 2018.
^ "Magfed TCR". Tippmann Sports . Retrieved Dec 19, 2018.
^ Freeway, John. "M16 5.56mm Rifle". www.globalsecurity.org . Retrieved May 30, 2016.
^ Pike, John. "M4 / M4A1 5.56mm Carbine". www.globalsecurity.org . Retrieved May 30, 2016.
^ "Picatinny Peak". njskylands.com . Retrieved September 27, 2020.
^ "Picatinny engineer recognized for developing venerable Picatinny Rail". U.S. Regular army. November half-dozen, 2014.
^ Guthrie, J. (September 23, 2010). "Rails Crazy: Picatinny Rail Basics". Shooting Times.
^ ^a ^b "Dimensioning of accessory mounting rail for small arms weapons" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on Nov 26, 2010.
^ "Ruger® Mini-14® Ranch Rifle Autoloading Rifle Model 5801". ruger.com . Retrieved September 17, 2020.
^ Brownells

External links [edit]

Picatinny Runway Specifications