Contessa Picatinny Rail for Howa 1500 Short (0 MOA)

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.

Contessa is an Italian company, famous for producing aesthetically appealing mounts with a nice finish. The tolerances of the produced pieces are very tight – there are no deviations, the mounts are very carefully machined. Contessa's Picatinny rails are made from steel and come with their unique screws which fit nicely into the rail. The screws have a huge contact surface and a bigger head than screws of other mount manufacturers, while the thread is the same. Contessa's Picatinny rails, made in Italy, are available in both 0 MOA and 20 MOA versions. Throughout the middle of the rail, there is a canal so that the rail can be used together with rifle's sights.

About the rifle

Howa is a machinery manufacturer with headquarters in Japan. It was founded in 1907. They produce firearms, industrial tools, construction vehicles, windows, and doors. Throughout the years, Howa has also produced components for other renowned firearms manufacturing companies such as Mossberg, Weatherby and Smith & Wesson.

Howa 1500 is a bolt-action centerfire rifle available in both short- and long-action versions, made in Japan. The short-action (SA) is chambered for most popular calibers, including .22-250 Rem., .204 Ruger, .223 Rem., .243 Win. and .308 Win. The magazine holds 5 rounds but 5- and 10-round removable box magazines are also available. Its safety has three positions. As regards stock and finish options, there are many versions on the market. The barrel is free-floating to ensure great accuracy. The action is push-feed.

There are two more Howa 1500 versions on the market: S and LA. Howa 1500 S is a short-action model that is very similar to SA model. The B distance is the same (see image below); however, there is a difference in the radius at the receiver bridge and in BHU (see image below). Howa 1500 S has an R47.5 radius at the receiver bridge and a BHU distance of 4 mm while Howa 1500 SA has an R60 radius at the receiver bridge and a BHU distance of 3 mm.

Howa 1500 SA (short-action) and Howa 1500 LA (long-action)'s mounting surfaces are of the same dimensions, but have different "B" distances (see image below). When a rifle is available in more than one action length, only two-piece mounts are interchangeable between these rifles (a two-piece mount made for Howa 1500 SA can also be mounted on Howa 1500 LA). One-piece mounts will only fit a rifle with a specific action length (a one-piece mount made for Howa 1500 SA will not fit Howa 1500 LA).

A: 21.9 mm
B: 98.6 mm
C: 15.24 mm
BHU: 3 mm
Fi: 6-48
R1: R17
R2: R60

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.