Why Install an Arca Rail on Your Rifle?

The prospect of modifying or altering a firearm can seem like a daunting task, even to seasoned gun owners; however, some upgrades can yield significant performance benefits that a factory rifle just is not capable of achieving. One of the easier, but dramatic, upgrades you can make is by adding an Arca Swiss rail mounting system to your rifle, simply referred to as Arca rail.

Whether you are a long-range hunter, competitive shooter, or just getting into the sport, upgrading your precision rifle accessories with an Arca rail will boost your shooting stability and can take precision shot placement to that next level. At Salmon River Armory we manufacture model-specific, high-quality Arca rail kits that are not only quick and easy to install, but provide a rock-solid platform for mounting your tripod or bi-pod.

Combining a custom Arca rail mount with a quality tripod gives you the ability to easily transport bench-rest-like stability to anywhere you hunt or shoot. Originally used in the photography world, the Arca Swiss system gives the user the ability to quickly and efficiently attach or detach the rifle to bipods and tripods. Most rifle Arca rails mounting heads provide a full range of adjustment motion, locking and unlocking typically with a single lever.

Once the shooter maneuvers his rifle into that perfect shooting position and locks the head, the larger surface area of the Arca dovetail provides unparalleled gripping strength and rigidity, all in the blink of an eye and without the need for tools. The Arca rail system gives shooters an unparalleled level of versatility when packing a tripod, making transitions from rifles to spotting scopes seamless.

Regardless of how new they are in the shooting industry, utilizing a tripod with an Arca rail is fast becoming a necessity for both hunters and competitive shooters. 

Challenges to Consider When Thinking of Upgrading to an Arca Rail.

The difficulty and level of complexity in mounting an Arca rail to your rifle are going to directly depend on the type of stock or chassis your rifle has. Chassis are typically the easiest, and an appropriate rail can simply be bolted on using a standard mounting system.

However, most hunting-oriented, factory rifles today come with a traditional hunter style stock made from polymers or composite materials and have a narrow, tapered, and rounded (contoured) fore end. These traditional stocks are designed to be lightweight, packable, and the ergonomics favor quick, off-hand shooting scenarios, which was perfect for the old spot-and-stalk method of hunting.

Today, with advancements made in the precision manufacturing of rifles, ammo, and optics, the old spot-and-stalk method has been modified to incorporate the ability to confidently take animals at much longer distances than our dads and grandads would have even considered.

These longer shots, however, require a very stable rest to humanely take animals at a distance, and an Arca rail equipped with a bipod or tripod is arguably the most stable platform you can achieve in the field today.  

The problem is how to attach a long, wide, flat accessory to the tapered, narrow, and rounded fore end of your stock…and avoid spending more than the cost of the rifle on an aftermarket hybrid stock. At Salmon River Armory, we believe we have come up with the perfect solution for this problem.

Using 3D scanning technology to capture the exact contour of some of the most popular rifles on the market today, we model and manufacture our Arca rails to perfectly fit your exact rifle model using an engineered and strategic mounting system. Gone are the days when you would have to buy a “one-size-fits-all” universal rail and then try and figure out how to mount it with generic hardware…typically with very mediocre results. With our engineered mounting system, provided tools, hardware, and clear, comprehensive step-by-step video installation guides, our rails can easily be installed in about 5 minutes by just about anyone.

Our model-specific Arca rails are as attractive as they are functional, machined with strategic geometric patterns to reduce weight while maintaining maximum rigidity, fully deburred to remove any sharp edges, and then coated with a rugged and durable Cerakote finish. These rails are also crafted to look and feel as though they belong on the stock and are still very comfortable to shoot off-hand if the need arises. 

Which Arca Rail Configuration is Right for you

The two most popular Arca rail configurations today are either a full-length Arca or a short rail segment. Full rails are typically 10 inches in length or more and extend roughly from the nose of the bottom metal to the far end of the stock, whereas the half/short rails are generally about 3 to 4 inches long and are mounted somewhere near the rifle's balance point.

The shorter rail segments are preferred by some shooters because this is the point they typically mount their tripod, leaving the rest of the fore end unencumbered with room enough for a traditionally mounted bipod. 

If you are considering upgrading your rifle with an Arca rail, Salmon River Armory strongly recommends installing the full-length rail in almost all cases, as these provide the maximum versatility in configuring your rifle for any type of shooting or hunting situations you may engage in. We do, however, manufacture half rails for a select number of popular rifles for customers who want them. 

Full-length rails provide the highest range of adjustability, allowing you to find that perfect shooting position for any environment you find yourself in. You can also easily mount a forward bipod on the full-length rails and still have plenty of Arca real estate for maneuvering your rifle fore and aft on the tripod.

Final Thoughts: Upgrade Your Rifle with Confidence

Choosing a Salmon River Armory Arca rail ensures you are equipping your rifle with the very best option available on the market today. The installation process is easy to follow and will give you the rigid mounting, stability, and versatility that every shooter needs when making that one critical shot. If, for any reason, you need help with the installation, feel free to call Salmon River Armory at 208-742-1892 or visit our website at salmonriverarmory.com.