Weaver
Authorized Dealer • American Quality Since 1930
Weaver invented the standardized scope mount in 1930 — the original Weaver Rail that became the foundation for every cross-slot mounting system on the market today, including the modern Picatinny rail. From William R. Weaver's first one-piece bases in El Paso, Texas through WWII military scope production, the legendary K-series hunting scopes, and today's lineup of one-piece and two-piece bases, Quad Lock rings, and dedicated mounts for the Ruger 10/22 and Remington 597, Weaver is the brand that wrote the book on attaching an optic to a rifle.
About Weaver
Weaver is one of the foundational names in American optics, founded in 1930 by William Ralph Weaver in a small workshop on Water Works Road in Newport, Kentucky. Working with two helpers, Weaver ground his own lenses, machined his own steel, blued his own parts, and — most importantly for the future of the entire industry — built his own scope mounts. His first scope, the Weaver 3-30, sold complete with a mount for $19 in 1930 (about $230 in today's money) and introduced something nobody else had built before: a standardized cross-slot mounting system that any rifle, any scope, and any gunsmith could use without custom fitting. That system became the Weaver Rail — the original standardized scope mount and the pattern that the modern Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913) is directly derived from.
In 1933 Weaver loaded a truck with two helpers and moved the company from Kentucky to El Paso, Texas, the city that would define Weaver Optics for the next half century. By 1936 the El Paso shop employed 50 workers, and by 1939 it had moved again to a larger facility to keep up with demand. When the United States entered World War II, the Weaver factory closed to civilian customers and converted its entire production capacity to military scopes — including the M73 and M84 sniper scopes that equipped American riflemen from Europe through the Pacific. When the factory reopened to sportsmen in 1947, it introduced the K-series — the K2.5, K4, and eventually the K6 — which became the most widely used hunting scopes in American history. The K4 in particular is often called the most famous hunting scope ever made; for a generation of American deer hunters, "a Weaver K4 on a Winchester Model 70" was the default rifle setup.
The single most important Weaver invention is not a scope at all — it is the Weaver Rail. Before Weaver, every scope mount was a custom job: dovetail bases, drilled and tapped holes in irregular patterns, and individual fitting for each rifle and each scope. The Weaver Rail introduced a standard cross-slot recoil shoulder, a standard slot width, and a standard ring clamp — the same recoil-lug interface across every Weaver-pattern base, so any Weaver-pattern ring would fit on any Weaver-pattern base on any rifle. That open standard is the direct ancestor of the Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913), which keeps the Weaver cross-slot architecture but tightens the spec on slot spacing and dimensions for military interoperability. Weaver-pattern rings will mount on Picatinny rails, and Picatinny-spec rings will mount on Weaver bases — all because William Weaver designed the original interface in 1930.
Modern Weaver — now part of Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO), which acquired the brand in 2014 from ATK Sporting Group — focuses entirely on what made the company famous in the first place: scope mounting solutions. The current lineup covers one-piece and two-piece bases for virtually every modern bolt-action and lever-action rifle, AR-MSR Picatinny-spec mounts, dedicated rings in 1-inch, 30mm, and 34mm tube sizes, the Quad Lock four-screw ring system for heavy-recoiling magnums, See Through rings for rifles that retain iron sight access, Lever Lok throw-lever mounts for rapid scope removal, and specialty bases for .22 tip-off receivers, muzzleloaders, and pistols. Our Weaver Remington 597 Scope Mount Base and Ruger 10/22 Scope Mount are two of the most popular dedicated rimfire bases in the lineup — both built around the same Weaver-pattern interface that the company invented nearly a century ago.
As an authorized Weaver dealer, Keep Shooting carries Weaver scope mount bases, rings, and dedicated rimfire mounts shipped from our Pennsylvania warehouse with fast delivery, easy returns, and our satisfaction guarantee. Whether you are mounting a hunting scope on a bolt-action rifle, setting up a Ruger 10/22 or Remington 597 for the range, or building out a precision rifle on a Picatinny-compatible base, Weaver's bases and rings deliver the open-standard fit, the steel construction, and the heritage of the company that invented the standardized scope mount in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions — Weaver
Yes, we maintain inventory of the most popular Weaver products. Each product listing shows real-time stock status. If an item is temporarily out of stock, you can sign up for back-in-stock notifications on the product page.
Yes! All orders over $49.95 qualify for free shipping, including Weaver products. Orders typically ship within 1–2 business days.
Keep Shooting offers hassle-free returns on Weaver products. If you're not completely satisfied, contact our customer service team for a return authorization. All products must be in original, unused condition.
Yes, Keep Shooting is an authorized Weaver dealer. All products are sourced directly and include full manufacturer warranty coverage.