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Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913): profile, grooves and mount jaw

What are the exact Picatinny rail dimensions (MIL-STD-1913)? · Standard part · basis: MIL-STD-1913 (AR), Figures 1 and 2 (public release)

Also called: picatinny rail dimensions, mil-std-1913, 1913 rail, picatinny slot width, picatinny slot spacing, picatinny rail stl, picatinny rail profile, picatinny mount design, 20mm rail, airsoft rail dimensions, weaver vs picatinny

Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.

width
21.209 mm
height
9.322 mm

Notes

  • MIL-STD-1913 is the Picatinny accessory rail: lights, lasers, optics, red dots, grips, bipods, cameras and phone mounts clamp across its 45° dovetail flanks, and a key in the clamp sits in a recoil groove so the accessory cannot slide.
  • Every number here is from the standard's Figure 1 (profile) and Figure 2 (recoil groove), printed in inches; the mm values are exact conversions. The standard is public (Distribution Statement A).
  • Groove dimensions apply to all grooves; the number of grooves depends on the application. Accessory makers often count rail length in slots: an n-slot section is n × .394 in long.
  • The mount-jaw file is the female shape at nominal size with one recoil key: subtract or adapt it for your mount, and add your process clearance on the flanks (a printed clamp typically needs a few tenths of a mm).
  • Weaver rails share the outer shape loosely but have narrower .180 in grooves without a fixed spacing: Weaver accessories usually fit Picatinny, Picatinny accessories often do not fit Weaver.

Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913): profile, grooves and mount jaw size chart

parametervalue
width across the 45° edges.835 −.005 in (21.209 mm)
top flat (datum C).748 ±.002 in (18.999 mm)
neck width.617 −.010 in (15.672 mm)
lower flank45°, .108 in (2.743 mm) deep (basic)
upper edge45° from the top flat to the widest point (1.105 mm)
top to neck.164 −.020 in
rail height above the mounting surface.367 in min (9.322 mm)
recoil groove width.206 +.008/−0 in (5.232 mm)
recoil groove depth.118 +.008/−0 in (2.997 mm)
groove spacing (centre to centre).394 in basic (10.008 mm)
edge break / fillets.002 +.010 in / .020 ±.015 in

Where the files are

Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.

US Army ARDEC (via EverySpec)MIL-STD-1913 (AR): Dimensioning of accessory mounting rail for small arms weapons, 1995 (Distribution A, public release)webUS Government work, public release
WikipediaPicatinny rail (Weaver compatibility)webPublisher's page; dimensions are facts

Free files

★ Free files 6 parts. Generated by Xem Studio from the standard; threads are plain cylinders at major diameter. CC BY 4.0. index.json

picatinny-rail-3-slot3-slot rail section, 30.02 mm long (3 x .394 in), MIL-STD-1913 profile and grooves, true sizeSTEP · STL
picatinny-rail-5-slot5-slot rail section, 50.04 mm long (5 x .394 in), MIL-STD-1913 profile and grooves, true sizeSTEP · STL
picatinny-rail-7-slot7-slot rail section, 70.05 mm long (7 x .394 in), MIL-STD-1913 profile and grooves, true sizeSTEP · STL
picatinny-rail-9-slot9-slot rail section, 90.07 mm long (9 x .394 in), MIL-STD-1913 profile and grooves, true sizeSTEP · STL
picatinny-rail-13-slot13-slot rail section, 130.10 mm long (13 x .394 in), MIL-STD-1913 profile and grooves, true sizeSTEP · STL
picatinny-mount-jawFemale profile for designing a mount: block with the MIL-STD-1913 rail removed and a .206 in recoil key; nominal, add clearanceSTEP · STL
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Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=picatinny-rail-mil-std-1913

Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913): profile, grooves and mount jaw, isometric render of a generated part
Render of picatinny-rail-9-slot from the free STEP; not to scale.

Fits with

Questions

How far apart are Picatinny slots?

.394 in (10.008 mm) centre to centre; each groove is .206 in (5.232 mm) wide and .118 in (2.997 mm) deep.

How wide is a Picatinny rail?

.835 in (21.21 mm) across the 45° edges; the top flat is .748 in (19.0 mm) and the neck .617 in (15.67 mm).