EAW Steel Picatinny, Sako A7 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.

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

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 A7 is a bolt-action rifle. There are four holes bored onto the receiver – 2 at the front side and two at the back side. There are three locking lugs on the bolt which operates on a 70-degree lift. A7 is equipped with a detachable 3-round magazine. There are many versions available: Synthetic, Synthetic Stainless, Roughtech Pro and Roughtech Range. When purchasing the rifle, the buyer can choose between S and M versions as far as concerns the length of the action and barrel length. S models are chambered for .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., .308 Win., .270 Win Short Mag. and .300 Win. Short Mag. M models are chambered for .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., .30-06 Sprg., 7mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. This EAW Picatinny rail is made for S models. Unlike other Sako rifles, A7 does not have a dove-tail on the receiver.

A: 21.9 mm
B: 84.8 mm
C: 21.9 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Fi:
R1:
R2:

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.