Weaver vs Picatinny
Weaver and Picatinny are the names of mounting rails that are used to attach accessories to firearms like rifles and shotguns. It is mostly a telescopic sight that is connected using these mounting rails. Both the rails are very similar to each other, and many people consider them as the same. Despite similarities and also used almost interchangeably, there are subtle differences between Weaver and Picatinny rail systems that will be talked about in this article.
Weaver
Weaver is the name of the rail mount that was developed by a company by the same name in 1930 to help people attach standardized accessories to firearms like rifles. Before the development of this rail mount, people had to tighten screws to attach telescopic sights to their rifles. This rail mount had slots that fixed onto the rifle obliterating the need to make use of screws. These slots were 3.8mm wide and deep enough to hold on the telescopic sight securely to the rifle.
Picatinny
Picatinny rail mount is a standardized mount system used on firearms to allow the user to attach telescopic sights and other accessories. It is a bracket that was originally used to attach telescopic sights but later it was developed further to make it more functional as it allowed people to attach bayonets, devices for night vision and accessories for laser aiming.
Weaver vs Picatinny
• It is difficult to locate differences between Picatinny and weaver rail mounting systems as their profiles are almost identical.
• Weaver was developed earlier than Picatinny.
• You can use a Picatinny rail to attach to the firearms that have been using Weaver. However, this does not mean that Weaver and Picatinny are interchangeable. In fact, people using Picatinny find that Weaver rail mount does not fit on their firearms easily.
• The rails in Weaver mount are continuous while there are slots in Picatinny mounts.