Picatinny Rail Mount Tripod Adaptor

To follow up my Quick Release base for standard rifles, I wanted to make one for a railed rifle. For all you AR shooters out there, this one's for you.

The project started with the purchase of a Shooter's Ridge Bi-Pod Picatinny Rail Adaptor. I chose this one because the mounting base was fairly flat, compared to the other MFGs out there.



First thing I needed to do was remove the swivel stud. It was locked in there really good with blue Loc-Tite. To remove it I used a smaller screw and inserted it into the hole. Using my Gator Grip Socket, I was able to wrench it out. To work, I had to find a screw that would fit sideways into the Gator Grip Socket. I attached the Bi-Pod adaptor to another Picatinny riser for some leverage. I could have attached it to my rifle's picatinny rail, but I didn't have it handy.



Off to ACE Hardware. I determined that the thread was 10-32. I chose a button head socket cap with a length of 5/8". I paired it up with a Grade-8 1/4" washer, as that washer fit perfectly into the recessed portion under my Manfrotto Quick Release Plate. Plus, it would be strong enough to withstand the torque of attaching it, without bending. The 5/8" length screw gave me the length to thread most of it in there and still be short enough to not interfere with the rail attachment.





Using a 1/8" hex wrench, I put all the pieces together.



Here's a pic of the finished product. It's holding strong. I'm able to quickly install the Quick Release Plate onto my rifle and snap it onto the tripod with ease. On my AR-10, I installed the mount towards the rear, close to the magazine well. It have it better balance and weight distribution.



Final Cost

Manfrotto Quick Release Plate = $10.00 delivered
Shooter's Ridge Bi-Pod Picatinny Rail Adaptor = $15.00 delivered.
1/4" Grade-8 washer = $0.25 cents
10-32x5/8" screw = $0.50 cents

Total = $25.75 and took 25mins including the trip to ACE Hardware.

If the weather holds up, I will take this plus the other mount to the range and give it a good testing. :)

nice job

btw who did the paint on that ar? looks sweet

I did the paint job myself. I degreased the whole thing, then applied several different colors of Krylon camo paint.

Range Report

The conditions today were not ideal. The humidity was high, the temperature was around 109 degrees, and wind was coming from the SE at around 15mph.

I set up the tripod for a standing shot. This is what I would be using it for when I'm out hunting. I figured this would be the worst I would be. On the field, if I had the opportunity to shoot in a crouched or prone position, the groupings would be better.

I used my DSArms M4 .223rem with a 12x scope. The picatinny mount was towards the front of the rifle. Not the ideal place, as it puts all the weight towards the rear and made it more difficult to stabalize. Not just with the tripod, but with any bipod or shooting sticks.



I ended up taking five 3-shot groups at 115 yards. Point of hold was center of "LIGHT clock", just left of the 3-shot grouping. Based on the conditions, I think it went pretty well. The rifle shot consistantly. Afterwards, I checked the Picatinny Quick Release Plate and it was still attached securely to the rifle, as well as on the tripod.

Initially, I was going to put a lever or a better knob on the Picatinny adaptor. However, the knob had a small nut that kept it from unscrewing off the Picatinny adaptor. I could not find a socket that had thin enough walls to get in there and remove that small nut. Therefore, I could only finger-tighten the rail adaptor onto my firearm. Did this have an impact on the stability? Probably. How much? Not sure.

This photo was of my last shot grouping. Remember: I was shooting standing up.



I also brought my Armalite AR-10 .308win with a 20x scope to test. This rifle allowed me to install the Picatinny adaptor toward the rear of the barrel and in front of the magazine well. Sorry. I forgot to take a photo when on the field. I hope this will suffice.



Point of hold was center of the "Storm Tactical Logo". It had a crosshair, so it seemed appropriate. :) It was starting to get REALLY hot and humid and I was out of water. I was looking to get out of there pretty quickly. So, I only fired one 3-shot group.




Do I think this project was a success? Yup. A centered mount was WAY more stable. I don't think I will use the Picatinny adaptor on my front Picatinny rails again. it wasn't very good.

In any case, with practice I think I would be a lot better. :)