Quick Tip: Picatinny vs Weaver Rail - What's the Diff?

Two of the most popular mounting rails for scopes, and now many other accessories, are the Weaver and the MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny, usually called just "Picatinny". They look similar but they ARE different. Brownells Firearm Support Technician Caleb Savant tells us the nitty gritty on HOW they differ, starting with their origins. (Hint: think William Weaver of Weaver scope rings and the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.) The Picatinny has a precisely defined set of exact dimensions and tolerances, while the Weaver is a bit more loosey-goosey. An accessory designed to fit a true Picatinny rail will not fit a Weaver rail, but most Weaver accessories will fit a Picatinny rail. BUT for the most secure installation, it's always best to match a particular ring to its corresponding base.

[TacShooter]

Thanks. I didn't know there was an actual difference. I thought the two were synonymous. Now I know better!

[jimzivny]

I've heard so many different explanations it's great to hear a simple but concise one without all the fluff and bs

[Gottaculat]

I always wondered, but never really got a straight answer until now.

[daffidavit]

My experience with the "Picatinny rail". Many years ago, probably back in the early 1970s, I lived not far from the Picatinny Arsenal in northern New Jersey. I was fortunate to have taken flying lessons in 1968 at 16 years old and eventually got my pilot's license in 1969. One day, I was flying solo returning from Blairstown airport headed towards my home base at Caldwell Airport (KCDW) in a small two-seater Cessna 150. There are no restricted areas over Picatinny Arsenal and there are were no warnings when the army was about to do an explosion test. I was flying at a pretty low altitude, about 2, 000 MSL (mean sea level) which meant I was probably about 1, 500 ft above the ground over the Picatinny range. I'm not sure what kind of testing they were doing at the time, but suddenly I heard the loudest explosion ever. The shock wave was so intense the airplane actually buffeted from the shock. I guess they were testing a tank round, but I have no clue what it was really from. We didn't have noise-suppressing headsets back in the day. I wore earplugs when other pilots laughed at me. Now I can hear better than they can, but still not so great. Anyway, that's my experience with the Picatinny "rail".

[lobstersrs]

If you found this interesting or informative, I would highly recommend Small Arms Solutions' video on the 1913 rail or "Picatinny" rail. Some interesting info there on its' origins and then some. It's definitely an interesting video, and goes more in-depth into something a lot of us get a lot of utility out of, but probably don't really think a whole lot about.

[PhillyChzStak]

"And now you know."
"And knowing is half the battle."

[theol]

I once had a guy genuinely ask me why the 1913 picatinny rail was never found on ww1 guns, it was a good laugh.

[Anon.Emouse]

You should've also mentioned that the Slots on a Picatinny rail are at a set spacing and will be consistent so you can move a scope or accessory from one picatinny rail to another.
The slots on a Weaver rail or base could be any spacing and are usually put where weaver thinks they most suit the intended firearm. So moving a scope with weaver rings from one rifle to the next may not always fit without sliding at least one of the rings to fit the new platform.

[Horcalong]

I learned something firearm-related and not one watermelon had to die.

[ditzydoo]

What Picatinny did in order to not become the target of copy right infringement was to leave the material between the mounting lugs and refine it's over-all tolerances. That's basically how they can make a near Weaver clone without paying royalties. Its just different enough to make a difference in the eyes of the patent laws.

[garyreno]

I love this channel. Why did it take so long to stumble upon it?

[millieatr]

I dated two girls in College Brittany Picatinny (sweet Italian girl) and Mary Weaver . The differences between these girls was just as He described the differences on these to mounts..Weird
Sweet girls both of them

[botfoblhrp]

Hmmmm after all these years i never knew there was a difference. Guess i need to do more than iron sights and maybe get ar15 😉 thanks for simple but very informative video.

[troybingham]

That's nice of Brownells to offer that consulting number for people to call. Can anyone just call them with technical questions at any time?

[Superabound]

I bet you can mount more rigidly and securely to that hair than to the picatinny rail

[martincolvill]

Hey Caleb,
They also make great coffee stirrers!

[mursalot]

I’m having a difficult time taking you seriously after the Christmas video seeing you dressed as Santa 🤪

[gominhogo]

I was today years old when I learned the differences. Thanks!

[glennroberts]

So they are similar but different. Thanks for explaining that. Geez.

[lanedexter]

Thank you for a succinct and useful video.