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Contessa | How the Quick Release Mounts to Fit 12mm Euro Rail Work

An Overview of What's Possible

The Quick Release Euro Rail System is among the most versatile scope mounting systems in the world. It is simple to install, simple to operate and it has some outstanding features including:

  • 100% Guaranteed Zero when remounting.
  • Interchange Multiple Scopes on One Rifle.
  • Interchange One Scope onto Multiple Rifles.
  • Very Fast and Simple Mounting and Release Method.

Below are just some of the Various Euro Rail Bases for different Rifle Models that we stock. We carry popular rifle models such as Tikka T3, Remington 700, Sauer 202, Winchester Model 70, Sako 75/85, CZ550 and many more.

Contessa Euro Rail

Below are some of the various Quick Release Mounts which fit onto the Euro Rail Bases. As you can see, there are Ring Mounts (with Various Diameter/Height Options), Picatinny Rails (Standard or Extended), Zeiss Rail, Swarovski Rail and Red Dot Sight Mounts. Once your Scope is mounted onto one of these Quick Release Mounts, you can then attach it to the Euro Rail Base, fitted to your rifle. In effect if you has a day scope mounted to a Quick Release Ring Mount Unit and a Night Vision Scope mounted to a Quick Release Picatinny Rail Unit, you can interchange these two mounts onto the same Euro Rail Base in seconds, retaining zero.

Contessa Euro Rail

How it Works

There are various Quick Release Mount Units available, including Rings Mounts, Picatinny Rail Mounts, Scope Rail Mounts and Red Dot Sight Mounts. For this example we are attaching a Quick Release Ring Mount Unit to a 12mm Euro Rail Base for Anschutz.

The 12mm Euro Rail Base is screwed to your rifle and come in a number of model specific options such as for Tikka T3, Remington 700, Sako 75/85, Winchester 70 and many more.

Contessa Euro Rail Mounting

Each of the Quick Release Mount Unit is designed in the same way, with the same method of attaching to the 12mm Euro Rail Base. The Quick Release Mount Unit will have a Release Lever which Uncompresses the 12mm Rail Clamp, and on the underside of the mount it will have a Recoil Lug.

Each of the 12mm Euro Rail Bases will be designed in the same way also. They will have a length of 12mm Dovetail with usually two Recoil Lug Holes or Recesses. These are to act as a guide for the Quick Release Mount Unit to sit into and prevent any lateral movement.

Contessa Euro Rail Mounting

To open the Quick Release Lever, there is a compression catch which you will need to press. This allows the lever to be opened out and in turn Uncompresses the Dovetail Clamp.

Once the lever is opened you are then able to place your Quick Release Mount Unit onto the 12mm Euro Rail. You can feel the Recoil Lug on the Mount Unit fit into the Recess on the Rail which means the lever is now ok to be closed. The 12mm Euro Rail usually has two Recesses, which means there is two positions to place the Mount Unit on the rail.

Contessa Euro Rail Mounting

As you can see from this image of the Quick Release Lever in the Open position and in the Closed position, the Dovetail Clamp clamps into the 12mm Euro Rail thus securing the Mount Unit to the Rail.

If the Recoil Lugs have not been located into the Recoil Lug Recesses, you will not be able to close the lever and clamp the Mount Unit to the Rail. If you try to force the lever closed when it's not in the correct position it can damage the mount.

Some rifles have the 12mm Euro Rail as standard already built into the action. You can tell by measuring the width of the rail and if there are Recoil Lugs or Recesses towards the rear of the rail.

Contessa Euro Rail Mounting

The Quick Release Mount Unit is fitted to the 12mm Euro Rail and the lever closed. The mount is now secured onto the Euro Rail and therefore the rifle.

You will not be able to release the Mount Unit without opening the release lever. A very secure system and provided you are mounting the Mount Unit into the same Recoil Recess, it will Repeat Zero.

One 12mm Euro Rail fitted to your rifle means you can mount several Quick Release Mount Units to your one rifle. You effectively exchange Mount Units/Scopes in a matter of seconds.

Contessa Euro Rail Mounting

12mm Euro Rail Bases for the Quick Release System

The Contessa Quick Release Mount System attaches to 12mm Euro Rail base. These 12mm Euro Rail bases are precision drilled for your rifle. In theory, if you had 12mm Euro Rail bases on two different models of rifle, such as a Tikka T3 and a Remington 700, you could interchange the Quick Release Mount and Scope between them both. Below is a complete list of rifle models the Contessa 12mm Euro Rail bases are made for:

Bolt Action

  • BENELLI: Lupo
  • BERGARA: BX11
  • BROWNING: Acera Dualis, X Bolt short action, X Bolt long action, European
  • FRANCHI: Horizon
  • HEYM: SR 30
  • MANNLICHER SCHONAUER: M72
  • MAUSER ZASTAVA
  • REMINGTON: 700 Long, 700 Short, 710, 770
  • ROESSELER: Titan 6
  • SABATTI: Rover 600 Short, Rover 870 Long, Rover custom
  • SAUER: 202 Standard, 202 magnum, Sauer 200
  • TIKKA: T3
  • WINCHESTER: 70 Short, 70 Long, 70 WSM
  • ZOLI ANTONIO: AZ1900 

Single Shot Rifle

  • ARDESA
  • BERETTA: Express
  • BERGARA: BA13
  • BATTISTA RIZZINI: Sovrapposto Express, Doppietta Express, Combinato  
  • BETTINSOLI: Sovrapposto Express  
  • CAESAR: Sovrapposto Express  
  • EFFEBI: Terminator 
  • F.A.I.R: Express Sovrapposto  
  • FAUSTI SRL: Express Sovrapposto, doppietta  
  • ZOLI ANTONIO: Express Doppietta, drilling 

Semi-Automatics

  • BENELLI: Argo, M2  
  • BROWNING: Bar1, Bar2, Bar shortrack, longtrack, Zenith  
  • H&K: 770, Slb2000  
  • MARLIN: 336
  • MERKEL: SR1  
  • REMINGTON: 7400, 7500  
  • WINCHESTER: Sxr Vulcan 
  • VERNEY CARRON:

Bolt Action and Semi-Automatic with Swallow Tail Rails

  • ANSHUTZ: Models 54 / 64  
  • BRNO: Effect 
  • BROWNING: Fusion, Evolve, Phoenix
  • CZ: 550, 527, 452  
  • MERKEL HELIX 
  • PIETTA PEDERSOLI: Lever Action  
  • SAKO: 85, 75  
  • SAKO: S20
  • SAUER: 303
  • WINCHESTER: SX3