I have been searching for a way to mount an optic to my SA M5 (no side rail). I am open to these optics: T1, M2, or RMR Below are some of the mounts that have caught my attention. The Ultimak works but I would like to get the optic a little bit closer to the rear of the rifle.
I like the Attero Arms mount because it is so simple. The MI mount is very close to the Attero but the MI has a few more screws which is a bit of a turn off.
The TWS rail looks solid and it would allow me to run a M2/M3 in a low mount. A plus is the rear sight gives you a much longer sight radius than the factory rear sight.
I have not read any real feedback on the Parabellum top rail that AIM has been selling but it looks about the same as the TWS.
Right now I am leaning towards the Attero mount with an H1.
Everything I have heard is the T1/H1 Aimpoints take the heat and keep on going. Templar and a few other guys have been using this set up with very good results. The plus with the Ultimak is you can run the Vltor offset scout light mount.
I know I should just listen to Jay and Tim and stick with the Ultimak but I would like to get the optic back just a bit. If I had a side rail I would buy the RS mount for the M2.
Maybe I should have been a bit more clear; all of the other AK‘s that I have owned have had the side rail which made it possible for me to use Russian optics or use a KVAR type mount for a RDS.
My SA M5 does not have the rail which changes things up a bit for me. As I said in the 1st part of my post I know the Ultimak works well but in the time since the Ultimak hit the market there seems to be many more options out there. I was simply hoping that some of the members here had tried these other options.
I have a SGL-21 and have a ML2 that I bought for it. My thinking has been to do the RS side rail mount but the idea of being able to mount the VTAC flashlight is desirable. Would a ML2 be too heavy up on an Ultimak?
Light mounts are tough for AK’s - nothing on the market right now is really ideal. The closest is an Ultimak and an offset - I used to use the Vltor offset scout mount - it was fabulous.
One of my goals after using an AK for a while in multigun was to add an optic without making the rifle any more front-heavy.
For an all-in-one solution, nothing beats the Ultimak, but mounting a light and optic on it will shift the rifle’s point of balance forward.
I use the Ultimak and Vltor offset mount mentioned and have found it to work well.
For the lightest, best balanced solution, nothing beats the TWS mount. It replaces the whole dust cover and is made of aluminum (lighter). It allows you to mount your optic at or behind your rifle’s point of balance and features a rear peep sight.
Looking at the mount at aimsurplus and comparing it with the TWS, I’d go with the TWS. The Parabellum mount is just a rail over your existing top cover. The TWS will result in a lighter weapon, have more rail space, and can be had with a rear peep iron sight.
I’ve found that the Ultimak adds about 2oz and the TWS is actually about 0.5oz lighter than the parts it replaces. I ended up using the Ultimak to mount a light and the TWS to get the optic and point of balance as far back as possible. My SLR-106FR with light and R1 optic mounted as mentioned balances about 0.5" in front of the magazine.
I recommend the T1/H1 optics. They are durable, have great battery life, and are very light.
MI just released a longer railed AK handguard that is worth a look. It is the length of the Samson but without a full length toprail, using the optic-specific upper covers.
Just my opinion, but I still favor the Ultimak overall too. I have two of the MI rails, and two of the TWS dustcovers. The reason is that with this platform, I often reach over the gun to charge it, and with an optic in the way that becomes far more difficult. The Ultimak is really, really solid when properly mounted. Aimpoints don’t fry on them despite the significant heat (or at least it’s as close to a non-issue as issues get), it’s affordable, it sports the optic forward which is out of the way if you are charging the gun over AND under, and it’s fairly light. If you were going for some sort of AK DMR kind of thing, and the faster manipulations just are not that important, the other mounting solutions begin to make more sense. But if the goal is speed and efficiency, it’s REALLY hard to beat the Ultimak / Aimpoint combo. And I’ve tried. A lot.
I am guessing that is where MI and Attero got their inspiration. From what I understand the AK Iron Dot is no more. The Burris would have been far from my first choice. If they would have made it for the RMR it might be worth trying to track down a used one.
I have a TWS rail on one of my AKs and an Ultimak on another.They are both good quality solid rails. Personally I prefer the TWS. The ultimak is great but it does get HOT!! Although good quality optics will take the heat, if I am firing from an alternate shooting position and I have rail to skin contact, it burns like hell! (This may not be an issue if you are in a place with cold weather) Just my 2 cents.
