EAW Steel Picatinny rail, SAN Swiss Arms SHR 970

Introduction

Picatinny rail consists of slots with 5.23 mm spaces between one another, which means that it can be used across its entire length. It is simple to mount and interchangeable – if something is made for a Picatinny rail, it will fit regardless of the manufacturer or manufacturing date. It is affordable, resilient and reliable – this is why it so commonly used by professionals and military. Because of all its great qualities, Picatinny rail has been dominating the rail market in the recent years.

Picatinny is a big step forward from the Weaver standard. Weaver has a few predesignated slots while Picatinny has slots all over its surface, allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. Weaver's slot is 3.8 mm wide, which is why ring mounts made for a Weaver rail will also fit on a Picatinny rail while ring mounts made specifically for a Picatinny rail will not fit on a Weaver rail. This is one of the main reasons why Picatinny is a far better mounting solution.

EAW is a German company, known for producing top-quality mounts. Their Picatinny rails, which are all made from steel, have a nice finish and come with a unique channel in the middle, allowing the user to clearly see the rifle's sights. Screws are included. EAW chooses only the best materials for their products. All of these great features; however, come at quite a steep price.

About the rifle

Swiss Arms is – as the name suggests – a Swiss manufacturer of small arms. They used to call themselves “Sig Arms AG” before Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier bought the company in 2000. The company achieved great fame under the old name (it was founded back in 1860).

Swiss Arms SHR 970's action is equipped with three locking lugs. The receiver operates very smoothly as the bolt body is completely cylindrical. SHR 970 is a take-down rifle, meaning that you can change its barrel – it can be replaced relatively quickly. There is a split on the bottom of the front receiver ring – here is where two Allen screws lock the barrel into place when tightened. SHR 970 has 3 holes on each mounting surface but most mounting solutions for it (e.g. Picatinny rails) have four drillings in it, leaving the middle hole on both surfaces unused.

Swiss Arms SHR 970 has a similar action as rifles Rössler Titan 3 and 6. The radiuses of the mounting surfaces are the same but there is a difference in B distance (see the picture below). This is why two-piece mounts made for Swiss Arms SHR 970 will fit rifles Rössler Titan 3 and 6 while one-piece made for Swiss Arms SHR 970 mounts will not fit rifles Rössler Titan 3 and 6.

A1: 10 mm
A: 11.9 mm
B: 93.5 mm
C: 11.9 mm
C1: 10 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Fi: 6-48
R1: R17
R2: R17

Mounting instructions

Remove all the stains (grease, oil etc.) from the rifle's receiver with a cleaning fluid (acetone). Once the surface is clean and dry, check whether the screws match the rail and the holes on the receiver. Make sure that the Picatinny rail is compatible with the rifle by inspecting the mounting holes on both. Before mounting the rail permanently, apply a minimal amount of thread-locking fluid 278 or 648 on screws and contact surfaces. Be careful not to get the fluid in or near the mounting holes. Carefully clean the remaining excess fluid around the rail with a cleaning fluid. Using a torque driver, screw the screws appropriately (up to 2.2 Nm) – do not overtighten.

Warranty

The product has a warranty period of 30 years.