#OpticsMount

LaRue Tactical has an interesting new take on the classic carry handle mounting rail. The AccARizer rail runs from the carry handle to the front sight post with one continuous rail surface. Let’s take a look at the details. 

C&H Precision Weapons has a new line of modular ring mounts for attaching red dots to scope tubes. Rather than place the secondary optic on top of the scope ring, C&H placed it on a ring so it could be placed anywhere on the main tube. This also allows it to sit at any angle.

Cutting your slide for an optic can be expensive. Well, at least if you want it done right. It also limits you to only using optics that fit the footprint you chose. Plate systems work, but if you’re looking for a Glock, in my experience, the MOS guns are not as easy to find as they should be (optics compatibility on a “perfect” combat handgun should be standard by now, but that’s for another time). On top of all of this, there are so many red dots out there, committing to just one can be difficult. If you’re among the shooters who aren’t ready to cut your slide or choose one dot, the Strike Industries Scorpion Universal Reflex Mount Version 2 might be right for you.

Reptilia Corp‘s bread and butter has long been optics mounts, although they do offer a menu of other products as well, including weaponlight bodies, AR-15 grips/stocks, and more. While many of their optics mounts focus on affixing backup/CQB red dots to riflescopes, the latest model delves into the world of combat shotgunning. Beretta’s 1301 has become the first word in tactical scatterguns, and the A300 model is popular as well. More shooters than ever are opting to add red dots on their shotguns, and Reptilia aims to help. Meet their new Saddle mount, which permits the fitting of an Aimpoint ACRO or Steiner MPS onto your Beretta 1301 or A300 shotgun. Read more in the official product release announcement below.

Reptilia Corp is probably most well-known for their optics mounts, though they make a variety of other products such as stocks, grips, and weaponlight bodies. Their optics mounts are available for a broad spectrum of applications, many of which are designed to add red dots onto scope mounts for quick and effective transitions between longer-distance engagements and close-quarters shooting. Other models are built as standalone red dot mounts for non-scoped firearms. They have just announced a new version of their red dot mount, this time supporting the Holosun AEMS micro reflex sight. Check out their official product announcement below.

As modern shooting techniques change, so must our gear. Recently, shooters have been finding the advantages of a more heads-up shooting position, especially while shooting under NODs. For those who enjoy this position and run a Trijicon MRO, this is the new Unity FAST MRO Mount.

OuterImpact have announced the addition to their line of Modular Red Dot Adapters (M.R.A.) to include a riser mount for rifles, carbines, and other firearms with Picatinny rails suitable for mounting optics on. OuterImpact note that it is able to accommodate around 30 red dot optics. The mount also has 7 different levels so shooters can pick their own level of co-witness.

Just this year, Midwest Industries launched a new type of M-LOK red dot sight mount that is compatible with the rails they make for Marlin lever-action rifles and Ruger’s PC Carbine.  The optic mount is made to attach to the rail via M-LOK slots and eliminates the extra space between the optic and barrel without having to use a Picatinny rail section.  By reducing the height of the red dot sight, it appears to allow for a better cheek weld with rifles that use traditional style stocks.  Let’s look at the specifications from Midwest Industries:

It may seem counterintuitive to some shooters, but a backup reflex or red dot optic on top of a 1x variable optic does make sense. Competition shooters can transition between close and far targets without having take a hand off to move the magnification ring. Similarly, home defense setups can have optics with two zero distances. The Reptilia RMR mounting options give shooters the ability to put together the perfect setup for their intended uses. Details, links and specifications can be found below.

Cadex Defense had two recently introduced products specifically for the .50 BMG M2 Heavy Machine Gun on display at their booth at SHOT 2018. The first one was their KOLOS sight mount, meant as a lighter and less obtrusive alternative to the earlier SOLO sight mount. Second for this year is the M2 Cradle Mount.

Optic mounting on an AK is problematic for two reasons: one, the platform is not ideally designed for optics mounting.  Second, when an AK operator does decide to shoehorn glass onto this six-decade-old design, there are actually many good options for solid mounting available, and the decision can be just as tough.