AK optic mounting options?

Weight- they're all pretty heavy. Lighter than they look, but still heavy.

Any quality side-mount rail will work fine if you tighten it like it's supposed to be. Even the cheapo UTG mount works.

Strongest are probably the Russian import combat optics, and any AK siderail optic should hold zero fine. They were designed to hold zero with repeated mounting and dismounting, and do it much better than your average Picatinny rail QD system.

i will share my experiences.
I hlave had mixed results with the BP-02 which can be a good mount. It is made of some kind of soft metal though for what that's worth.

KVAR 04s is a good mount. It only uses two screws to fasten the rail where I would like to see 3. The mount is not adjustable for elevation so you better hope your side rail is mounted right, and use a good scope.

TWS rail gen 1: seemed like a good mount. Came back too close to my nose with a warsaw stock and can't be used with an Ace sidefolder if you cut off the tang.

The PSO scopes were designed for the SVD and applied to the AK as an afterthought but they do hold zero and feature good optics.

For a side mount, currently the best out there is the Midwest Industries AKSM. The KV-04s used to be the best, but the MI rail sits lower, is lighter, and has more available rail space. It also uses a better quick detach mechanism. Great for conventional optics or for red dots.

Look at the RS Products mounts. Very solid mounts, and the side-mount versions let you remove and replace the mount without losing zero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkRvMUVal3U

I think they make them with 1" scope rings, and just a rail. If you're going for just a rail, the MI rail is just fine. The RS is just nice if you're thinking 30mm dot or 1" scope.

The best choice for an optic mount, in my experience, is the UTG 978 lever-lock mount. I have both it and a BP-02, and the UTG mount is much lighter weight and has no loss of durability. Its rails are also longer than the BP-02, allowing for an optic to be mounted farther forwards. I have put the UTG mount through abuse hunting, and it can take the hits. Just make sure you get the lever-lock version, not the set-screw version. It's truly an excellent mount, at a good price.

So far I've tried the Ultimak, the TWS dogleg, and the RS Products sidemount. None of them add any noticeable weight. My favorite is the RS sidemount, but I'm not running a folding stock. If you are, the TWS is your best bet. I'm not a fan of the Ultimak, rather not have a $600 Aimpoint Micro sitting right on top of the gas tube.

WardenWolf said:

The best choice for an optic mount, in my experience, is the UTG 978 lever-lock mount. I have both it and a BP-02, and the UTG mount is much lighter weight and has no loss of durability. Its rails are also longer than the BP-02, allowing for an optic to be mounted farther forwards. I have put the UTG mount through abuse hunting, and it can take the hits. Just make sure you get the lever-lock version, not the set-screw version. It's truly an excellent mount, at a good price.

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I cannot recommend one to anyone. I had the lever-lock, and the front section of rail snapped off under recoil, sending an Aimpoint ML3 airborne.

You must have gotten the one bad one then. I read reviews before I buy something, and I haven't seen anyone else complaining about UTG rail hardware. While hunting with my Saiga .223, the whole 10-pound rifle fell off my shoulder onto a rock, scope first. Broke the scope, but the rail didn't flinch. I put a new scope on it and still use it to this day.

Here's the front of mine. I really don't see how that could break under any circumstances. There's a LOT of metal there.



Also, what the heck were you shooting? A Saiga .308? I honestly can't picture any AK having enough recoil to challenge a mount that isn't so badly compromised you can see it with the naked eye, let alone send an Aimpoint airborn.

FYI, I have heard of a BP-02 breaking, but it was a much more severe structural failure. Things happen. Sometimes air bubbles get into the metal when it's being made, and even things milled from billets are not always immune to this if the original billet is flawed. It's a freak event when it happens. However, having used both the BP-02 and the UTG mount, I believe the UTG is a better unit overall, and it at least appears to be sturdier than its other competitors based purely on how much meat there is on it.

The Midwest Industries mount is the best. It sits lower than any mount I've seen and you can keep your irons (unlike other popular options, I.E. Krebs, TWS, and others).

I had a midwest mount and returned it to midway. It was so low that it would not clear the dust cover on my SGL-31 or on my Saiga 308 when tightened. I also had a difficult time adjusting the mechanism to tighten the unit securely. I did eventually get it tight IIRC but the product was not good enough for me to keep. I returned it for a KVAR04s which uses the original PSO mounting mechanism design and has a little more clearance on the dustcover.
On the MI unit I was tempted to take one leg off the "W" and shorten the rail at the rear. It would save some weight and take off some unnecessary rail at the rear.
Also on my rifles the MI mount was at least 1/4" off of center where the KVAR unit is closer to center

The main issue you will run into with most AK mounts is the fact that they will put the optic so far above the iron sights that you will need to build up the stock of the rifle quite a bit to get a proper shooting position with cheek weld... which then makes it hard to use the iron sights unless you remove the cheek

This will certainly be an issue if you use anything like an EOTECH or a Kobra, which sit very high themselves.

The only mounts I would consider for an AK would be those that allow a red dot sight to be co-witnessed with the irons. Those would be the Ultimak and the RS AKM. Wanting to run a folding stock makes it an easy choice in favor of the Ultimak. The fact that it mounts on the gas tube has never been demonstrated to have any adverse affects on any quality optics like an Aimpoint. It will give you a lower 1/3 co-witness with a 30mm Aimpoint in a low ring, or the compact T1 or H1.

Also, what the heck were you shooting? A Saiga .308? I honestly can't picture any AK having enough recoil to challenge a mount that isn't so badly compromised you can see it with the naked eye, let alone send an Aimpoint airborn.

FYI, I have heard of a BP-02 breaking, but it was a much more severe structural failure. Things happen. Sometimes air bubbles get into the metal when it's being made, and even things milled from billets are not always immune to this if the original billet is flawed. It's a freak event when it happens. However, having used both the BP-02 and the UTG mount, I believe the UTG is a better unit overall, and it at least appears to be sturdier than its other competitors based purely on how much meat there is on it.

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It was an Arsenal SGL-21, so 7.62x39. Sheared right where your front scope base is.

jason41987 said:

youre referring to their side mount, right?

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Yes.

Inebriated said:

It was an Arsenal SGL-21, so 7.62x39. Sheared right where your front scope base is.

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Must have got a bubble in the metal, then. I've seen a BP-02 that cracked for similar reasons. That said, it should have been pretty obvious from looking at it.

If I was doing the RS aimpoint mount I would definitely look at the aimpoint PRO.
MI also is making an aimpiont AK mount.