ERA-TAC picatinny rail - Sako 75 / MAO5 I / II / III, 85 / MAO05 XS / SM / S

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.

About the rifle

Sako or Civil Guard Gun-Machining works LTD is a Finnish firearm producer located in Riihimäki. It was founded in 1919 as a workshop for repairing military rifles left from WW I. In 1921, it became an independent commercial enterprise. They started exporting pistol cartridges to Sweden in the 1930s. After WW II, Sako started manufacturing rifles. Their first invention was the Model L-42 rifle (patented in 1942), followed by L-46 in 1949. For a short period of time, Sako Firearms also produced lever-action rifles (Finnwolf) and rimfire rifles (Finnscout). Over decades, Sako produced more than 40 different models of firearms with various rifle chamberings. The company was owned by a series of owners. Currently, owner of the company is an Italian firearms holding company Beretta Holding. In 2013, Sako reached a new production record of over 100.000 rifles produced.

Sako 85 is a bolt-action rifle with a controlled-feed action. Similarly to other Sako rifles, model 85 has a conical dove-tail on the top of the action which tapers towards the rear part of the receiver – for mounting purposes (front dove-tail base is wider than the rear dove-tail base). There are no mounting holes. Barrels are drilled, honed and cold-hammer forged. Sako 85 features a recoil stop at the rear mounting surface.

Sako 85 rifles come in six action sizes: XS, S, SM, M, L, and XL. This mount is suitable for Sako 85 with action size XS (Extra Short), which is chambered for .204 Ruger, .222 Rem. and .223 Rem. It is also suitable for Sako 85 with action size S (Short), chambered for .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., .260 Rem., 7mm-08 Rem. and .308 Win, and for Sako 85 with action size SM (Short Magnum), chambered for .270 WSM and .300 WSM.

This mount will fit rifles Sako 75 with actions I, II and III as well.

This Picatinny rail is suitable for three action lengths because of its unique design. The front mounting surface of the rail can be regulated for the rail to fit either Sako 75 I, II, III and Sako 85 XS, S and SM.

Sako 85 is available in six action lengths. 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 Sako 85 M can also be mounted on Sako 85 XS, S, SM, L, and XL). One-piece mounts will only fit a rifle with a specific action length (a one-piece mount made for Sako 85 M will not fit Sako 85 XS, S, SM, L, and XL).

Rifles Sako Forest-Finnbear, Vixen and models 75/85 have similar actions. This is why, for example, two-piece mounts made for Sako Forest-Finnbear will fit rifles Sako Vixen and models 75/85 while one-piece mounts made for Sako Forest-Finnbear will not fit rifles Sako Vixen and models 75/85. These rifles do not have mounting surfaces with radiuses since they have a dove-tail on the receiver. Sako dove-tails are conical – they taper towards the rear part of the receiver.

A: / (no holes)
B: / (no holes)
C: / (no holes)
BHU: 0 mm
Fi: /
R1: Prisma
R2: Prisma

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.