

This rail system is standardized and has consistent spacing, and while Weaver and Picatinny may look the same the dimensions are different. It is sometimes referred to by its official title of MIL-STD-1913. This later system was developed for military use in the mid-1990s. The first rail system developed for optics was the Weaver system and you still see it advertised today, however it has been in large part replaced by the Picatinny rail system. And if you wanted to get tactical by adding a flashlight to your rifle, Duct Tape (Bill Murray style) was your only option. In the bad old days if you wanted to add an optic to your rifle you had to take it to a gunsmith who drilled and tapped the receiver in order to install scope rings.
