mstranglr 9 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Why did I buy this mount? I have been working on a 308 saiga DMR for a month now, trying to wring every bit of accuracy out of it and trying to get it fairly accurate at 500 yards. The com-block side rail mounts work good - but for extreme accuracy, they are not great. Shooting at 100 yards, I noticed a shift of 1/2 MOA every time I would remove and reinstall the side rail mount to clean. 1/2-1 MOA is not noticeable to most and doesn't really matter, until you try to hit at 500 yards. So I was looking for something else and the Beryl mount looked promising. As usual, my transaction with DPH went smooth and was shipped rapidly. When I received the mount, I was impressed by the ruggedness and heft of the mount. This is no POS, it is high quality. The mount was shipped with no instructions for installation, but luckily its pretty self explanatory because I have tinkered and built AKs for many years. But I can see where a newbie would definitely need instructions, especially for preparing the trunnion for the front of the mount and keeping things level. This is where the review gets interesting for Saiga owners. The mount, as shipped, will not fit a Saiga without some Dremel work. It fits perfectly on other Aks, just not Saigas. Saiga rear trunnion tabs are thicker than other AKs, so the space in the tab of the Saiga is much narrower than with other AKs. Here is a side-by-side picture of a Romanian tab and a Saiga tab; Also, if you have a stock that sits higher than the rear trunnion tab (Ace block or Tapco stock), you will have to modify extensively to fit. IMHO, this mount is too much of a PITA for a newbie with his first Saiga, but a good project for some of us Saigaholics. This is not a "drop-in" part. Once the rear trunnion tab work is done, you need to level the unit using the barrel as reference. I then drilled indents into the rear sight block to hold the front of the mount. The mount pivots up easily; There is a channel that runs down the middle of the mount that allows you to use iron sights with the mount in place. However, if you have optics installed you will not be able to use the iron sights. Another problem of note while looking at different scopes; You can not use a scope over 11" long with this mount, unless you take the scope off to lift the mount. This will be disappointing to those who want to use long varmint type optics. Also, if weight is a factor for your build, the Beryl mount is about 5 times heavier than the standard side rail mount. Once everything is installed and locked in, the mount is very solid - I could not get movement out of it no matter what I did. It also sits very low and perfectly lined up with the bore centerline, which is a huge advantage over side rail mounts and makes scope-work more precise. I have different optics on order (took off the Zeiss, too big for what I want). I wanted a more compact scope with an illuminated ballistic recticle. Ill post some groups when its on. For a DMR type rifle, this is a great mount. If I just wanted a low power scope or red-dot optic, the standard side rail mount is a lighter, easier, and more economical choice. It does look cool though, and lets you lay your folder down flat on the left side of the receiver. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acercanto 6 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 My condolences about the PG. I cringe every time I see that bastardization. The rail looks awesome though! Thanks for the report! Acer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deadeye 325 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks for the detailed report and pic's. I think I am going to have to get one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acr 0 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 There is a channel that runs down the middle of the mount that allows you to use iron sights with the mount in place. However, if you have optics installed you will not be able to use the iron sights. With this mount and an EoTech/Magnifier I have complete use of my irons. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mstranglr 9 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 There is a channel that runs down the middle of the mount that allows you to use iron sights with the mount in place. However, if you have optics installed you will not be able to use the iron sights. With this mount and an EoTech/Magnifier I have complete use of my irons. Did you have the new style DPH Beryl mount? There have been a few versions. Also I have seen at least 4 other versions of this mount. That is good that you were able to use irons and the Eotech with your mount, but my Saiga would not do both. Just reporting the facts. On the right is sight picture, left is sight picture with Leupold QRW ring installed on rail. Mount sure does make the rifle look better, and it handles better without anything mounted to the side of the receiver. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acr 0 Posted January 23, 2009 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 Yes, I have the newest DPH style rail along with the older one that uses the rear sight base and replaces the rear sight. Actually I have two of these rails; one on a Romanian G kit I build and another on a Romanian Par I converted to semi auto and made a Beryl clone out of. They both allow the use of irons with an EoTech and an Aimpoint with any of several mounts I have. I guess it must be the rings you have or perhaps the rear sight is different??? Do you have the rear sight at its lowest setting? If I moved mine up much for an elevation change it wouldn't work either. I have a .308 Siaga, but I have not mounted one of these rails to it yet. I am planning on using a different mount on it that is being worked on by a guy named Rafga on AR15.com. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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