ERA-TAC picatinny rail - Howa 1500 short 20 MOA

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.

Recknagel is currently the biggest manufacturer of mounts in Germany. Their Picatinny rails, known for great fit and finish, are mostly made of high-grade aluminum (a few are also made of steel), which is why they are very reliable. Screws are included. Currently, a common trend among rifle manufacturers is making receivers out of aluminum – mounting a Picatinny rail made of aluminum on one of those receivers is thus not problematic. Their products are marketed either under the name Recknagel or Era-Tac.

20 MOA Inclination

20 MOA inclination is only needed when the scope runs out of elevation. For example, when shooting at the range of 100 m, shooter gains 58.2 cm / 100 m of additional elevation range with a 20 MOA mount. This is approximately 5.8 Mrad of elevation. To make things even clearer – if the target was placed at 100 m, the scope with 20 MOA inclined rail would aim to the center of the target while the rifle’s barrel would aim 58 cm higher than the scope. This gives the shooter extra elevation needed for long range shooting. If you plan to shoot on distances longer than 600 meters, use of rail with 20 MOA is greatly recommended. There is no negative effect of the inclined Picatinny rail in the mounting setup if you only shoot on shorter distances. The same goes also the other way around, since if you don’t shoot on extreme distances then Picatinny rail with inclination is not needed.

About the rifle

Howa is a machinery manufacturer with headquarters in Japan. It was founded in 1907. They produce firearms, industrial tools, construction vehicles, windows, and doors. Throughout the years, Howa has also produced components for other renowned firearms manufacturing companies such as Mossberg, Weatherby and Smith & Wesson.

Howa 1500 is a bolt-action centerfire rifle available in both short- and long-action versions, made in Japan. The short-action (SA) is chambered for most popular calibers, including .22-250 Rem., .204 Ruger, .223 Rem., .243 Win. and .308 Win. The magazine holds 5 rounds but 5- and 10-round removable box magazines are also available. Its safety has three positions. As regards stock and finish options, there are many versions on the market. The barrel is free-floating to ensure great accuracy. The action is push-feed.

There are two more Howa 1500 versions on the market: S and LA. Howa 1500 S is a short-action model that is very similar to SA model. The B distance is the same (see image below); however, there is a difference in the radius at the receiver bridge and in BHU (see image below). Howa 1500 S has an R47.5 radius at the receiver bridge and a BHU distance of 4 mm while Howa 1500 SA has an R60 radius at the receiver bridge and a BHU distance of 3 mm.

Howa 1500 SA (short-action) and Howa 1500 LA (long-action)'s mounting surfaces are of the same dimensions, but have different "B" distances (see image below). When a rifle is available in more than one action length, only two-piece mounts are interchangeable between these rifles (a two-piece mount made for Howa 1500 SA can also be mounted on Howa 1500 LA). One-piece mounts will only fit a rifle with a specific action length (a one-piece mount made for Howa 1500 SA will not fit Howa 1500 LA).

A: 21.9 mm
B: 98.6 mm
C: 15.24 mm
BHU: 3 mm
Fi: 6-48
R1: R17
R2: R60

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 10 years.