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Which Rings Do You Use With a Picatinny Rail Scope Mount?

Picatinny rail mounts are scope mounts, with mounting slots cut across them, commonly found on military type weapons. The rail mounts were named for the Picatinny Arsenal that helped designed them. Picatinny rail mounts are similar in design to a Weaver rail mount and are indistinguishable at first glance; however, the slots cut across a Picatinny rail mount are .206 inches wide compared to the slightly smaller .180-inch slots of the Weaver rail mount.

Picatinny Rings
- Picatinny scope rings are designed with brackets at their bases and are designed to fit the .206-inch slots that are cut across the rail mount. Picatinny rings can only be used with a Picatinny rail mount system and are not compatible with the Weaver rail system.
Weaver Rings
- Weaver rings are designed similarly to Picatinny rings, but are slightly narrower at .180 inches. Weaver rings are completely compatible with Picatinny rail mounts and can easily be used.
One-Inch Rings
- When a ring is referred to as "one inch," it means that the rings are designed for a scope with a tube that is one inch in diameter. One-inch diameter scopes are common in the United States. Both one-inch Picatinny and Weaver scope rings will fit on a Picatinny rail mount system.
30 mm Rings
- A 30 mm scope ring is designed to support a scope with a 30 mm tube. Scopes with tubes 30 mm in diameter are commonly used throughout Europe, but are also popular among American shooters. Both 30 mm Picatinny and Weaver scope rings are available and can be used with a Picatinny rail mount system.

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