Which One Piece Scope Mount is Right for Me?
Posted by Monstrum on Nov 17th 2025
Struggling to decide on which one piece scope mount to buy? With so many options to choose from, selecting the right one takes some degree of knowledge of what the different types of one piece scope mounts are designed for. This guide will break down the differences in mounting type, dimensions, and other additional features so you’ll know exactly which one is right for you.
What are One Piece Scope Mounts?
One piece scope mounts are a single monolithic mount that has two sets of rings conjoined on a single piece made of aluminum, steel, or titanium. Traditional scope rings are two separate pieces of aluminum or steel that had to be individually mounted, but because there are slight variables in manufacturing between rifle receivers, optics rails, and the rings themselves, individual scope rings almost always have to be aligned to one another through a process called lapping before a scope could be securely mounted. This is because a scope mounted to misaligned rings will have uneven stress applied to the scope’s tube. This can result in permanent damage to the optic from mounting or the stress of recoil.
One piece scope mounts solve the problem of misaligned scope rings because they are designed such that the rings are aligned to one another straight from the factory. They also gained popularity alongside the AR-15 platform.
Why Buy a One Piece Scope Mount?
One piece scope mounts were primarily designed to be a more rigid and stable scope mount than individual rings, but modern designs surged in popularity because they are also an effective solution to the problem of mounting scopes to AR platform rifles.
Ever since the AR-15 was invented, the platform presented a unique challenge to optic mounting that traditional rifles didn’t have: they have an in-line buffer and recoil spring system to the bolt carrier and barrel. This means that recoil impulse comes straight back into the shooter’s shoulder as opposed to levering upward as it does on traditional rifles, but it also means that sights and optics have to sit higher atop the rifle for a shooter to use them (this is why the AR-15 originally had carry handles and tall front sights). The AR platform also presents another challenge to mounting scopes: limited rail space.
On a modern AR-15, the only suitable surface on which to mount an optic is the upper receiver because that is usually the only surface that is trued to the rifle’s barrel. The upper receiver on modern “flat top” AR-15s and AR-10s also has very limited space on which to mount an scope because the part is relatively short. This means that traditional scope rings are not always compatible with the platform especially when paired with larger scopes. That’s where one piece scope mounts come into play.
One piece scope mounts can be made to the correct heights for an AR style rifle and they can also be offset or “cantilevered” slightly over the top of the handguard. This means that the mount itself maintains full contact with the upper, but the rings jut forward just enough to give a shooter the perfect eye box when using an LPVO or other type of scope.
Why should you buy a one piece scope mount? Because they are simple and rigid mounts that don’t have to be aligned like traditional scope rings and, if you’re mounting a scope to an AR-15 or AR-10, they can provide the perfect height and cantilevered position for a comfortable eye box.
Different Types of One Piece Scope Mounts
One piece scope mounts can be categorized based on their mounting type, the method by which they attach to a rail, and finally by height, size, and shape. The sheer variety may seem overwhelming at first, but once you understand the different types of bases and scope dimensions, the rest is usually just height and added features that make mounting and dismounting a bit faster.
One Piece Scope Mount Bases
One piece scope mounts fall into three categories of bases. There are direct mount, 3/8” dovetail, and picatinny bases.
First, direct mount scope mounts are designed to screw directly into the top of a firearm’s receiver. These are less common these days because of the popularity of picatinny rails, but they are the simplest and most traditional form of base. They also have the advantage of having one less potential point of failure as there is no rail in-between the one piece scope mount and the rifle. The downside of direct mount scope mounts is that they are a pain to dismount if you ever want to change your setup because optics screws should always be installed with thread locker. Direct mount one piece scope mounts also won’t share compatibility with anything other than the firearm they were designed to work with.
Next, there are one piece scope mounts with bases designed to fit 3/8” dovetail. 3/8” dovetail is a smaller mounting footprint usually reserved for rimfire calibers, airsoft guns, or air rifles. This is because it is a simpler and less expensive mounting footprint to produce than picatinny, though it is also less secure and therefore best suited for calibers with light recoil. 3/8” dovetail mounts stay in place purely by clamping force and in some cases, there may also relief cut for a set screw brace against the force of recoil.
Finally, there are one piece scope mounts with bases for picatinny rails. By far the most common optics mounting type and for good reason, picatinny rails are standardized meaning you can take an optic off of a picatinny rail on one rifle and mount it right to another rifle as long as it also has a picatinny base. Picatinny rails have slots through which lugs on an optic’s mount can brace against the force of recoil. If you remove an optic from a picatinny rail and then put it back on, it can return to zero depending on the quality of the mount and provided you mount the optic on the exact same rail segment you removed it from.
One Piece Scope Mount Attachment Types
One piece scope mounts can also be categorized by the method by which they attach to an optics rail. While most are designed to attach with screws that provide an even and consistent clamping force, others are designed for quick release without the use of tools.
Conventional one piece scope mounts will usually have three or four screws that, when rotated, pull or release one side of the mount’s base into its mounting surface. This is widely considered to be the most secure and stable attachment type because it applies even pressure throughout the length of the mount’s base and it also has the advantage of being the lightest and most streamlined attachment type of one piece scope mount.
One piece scope mounts that attach with screws also have one important drawback: they cannot be attached or detached without the use of a tool. This potentially makes them a liability because if for any reason your optic were to fail in the field, it would be difficult and slow to remove if you had to resort to back up iron sights. While the need to detach an optic in the middle of a gunfight is probably one of the least likely tactical scenarios imaginable for the average civilian shooter, needing a tool to remove your scope can be a pain point for competitive shooters or anyone doesn’t want to have to lug yet another tool around in their range bag. It is for this exact reason that quick release scope mounts came to be.
Quick release (aka quick detach or QD for short) one piece scope mounts are designed for one purpose: to be attached or detached quickly without the need for a tool. Most quick release one piece scope mounts have two adjustable levers that thread half of the mount’s base closer together or further apart for gross adjustment. After being properly adjusted (final tension should be firm with no movement), the levers can be thrown against the mount to cam the base securely into place. Some quick release one piece scope mounts also have a locking mechanism to ensure the levers do not inadvertently flip open, but in most cases, properly tensioned quick release bases won’t open up on their own without something pulling up on the lever. After being properly tensioned when they are initially mounted, quick detach one piece scope mounts should almost never need to be readjusted unless you frequently remove them or switch the mount to a different rifle.
While the upshot to quick release one piece scope mounts is fast and easy removal of your optic without the need for a tool, they also have three drawbacks to consider when compared to traditional screw mounted bases. First, quick detach scope mounts are bulkier and heavier—they have to be because of their additional hardware. The difference isn’t much, but for those who try to keep weight to a minimum, every ounce counts. Second, quick release mounts have a slightly less secure hold than conventional mounts because they have less surface area with which to grab the optic rail and they apply uneven pressure from one side. For all practical purposes, this is a non-issue because the difference is negligible, but for long-range precision shooting, the difference may be enough to outweigh the convenience of quick removal. The third and final drawback of quick release scope mounts is that they can potentially become snagged or accidentally released under field conditions if the lever gets caught on something like webbing or a plate carrier. Bear in mind that a right handed shooter will carry a rifle with a quick release mount with levers against their body. This means that while running or bending with a slung rifle, those levers can be inadvertently caught and pulled open under just the right circumstances. This is an unlikely scenario that is mitigated by locking levers like our Hypergrip Quick Release Cantilever Scope Mount has, but an important consideration nonetheless.
One Piece Scope Mount Heights
Like all other scope rings, one piece scope mounts vary by how tall their rings stand above the base. With AR-15s, scope mounts are typically 1.5 to 1.93 inches tall depending on personal preference, clearance of top-mounted attachments like a laser aiming module or LAM, and whether you anticipate shooting more from a standing or prone position—standing shooters will prefer a taller height whereas prone shooters will prefer a lower height.
Traditional rifles with a stock that drops downward are usually best served by the lowest height scope mount possible that will fit your rifle while still allowing the objective lens of your scope to clear the barrel. This is because having a low height over bore minimizes the amount of elevation correction you’ll have to make after the scope has been zeroed. The only use cases where shooters of non-AR type rifles might want a taller scope base are for personal preference or if they want a scope base they can see their iron sights through, though this applies mainly to two piece scope rings rather than one piece.
One Piece Scope Mount Ring Diameters
The final distinguishing characteristic of one piece scope mounts is the diameter of their rings. Scope rings are designed to clamp around scope tubes (the thinnest part of a scope’s body between the adjustment knobs and both the objective lens and eye piece).
Scope rings come in one of three standard sizes that all rifle scope tubes are made to: 1”, 30mm, or 34mm. Larger diameter scope tubes correspond to higher magnification scopes, so if you’re looking for a scope mount for a 3-9x rimfire scope, you probably want a one piece scope mount with a set of 1” rings. You can always find information on a scope’s tube diameter under their specifications so you know which size scope rings to buy.
Additional Features on Some One Piece Scope Mounts
One piece scope mounts can also include a number of other additional features that, while not essential to the primary purpose of mounting a scope, can provide additional quality of life improvements for the shooter. These include secondary optics rails, pistol red dot sight mounts, and bubble levels.
Secondary optics rails are segments of picatinny rail sometimes called a “diving board” usually attached to the top of one of the scope rings on a one piece scope mount. These can be used to attach a red dot sight or any other picatinny compatible attachment. Check out our Deadlock Series Scope Mount with Picatinny Diving Board to see how this works.
Some one-piece scope mounts also have a built-in red dot sight mount or the ability to attach one to it. These red dot sight mounts are usually either atop the front scope ring (“piggy back”) or offset at a roughly 45 degree angle. Red dot sight mounts allow you to add a smaller secondary sighting system (either a pistol red dot or smaller closed emitter red dot sight) as either a backup or close range sighting alternative to your rifle’s scope. If you’re buying a mount to use with a pistol red dot sight, be sure to double check that the mount you’re considering has the correct mounting footprint to your pistol red dot. For an example on what these look like, see our Sidewinder 30mm Scope Mount.
The third and final additional feature included on some one piece scope mounts are bubble levels. Just like the bubble level you might find in a tool box, these are designed to indicate a rifle’s cant or offset from a perfectly vertical firing position. This is mostly useful for initial zeroing and shooting at extended ranges because a slight offset usually isn’t enough to cause a shooter to miss at close ranges, but at further distances, a slight tilt even just by a few degrees can cause them to miss because a slight tilt changes your optic’s zero in relation to the barrel. A bubble level allows you to perfect your rifle’s initial zero and tweak your angle slightly to ensure you’re always firing from a consistent vertically aligned position. Check out our Next Level Series Offset Scope Mount with integrated bubble level to see what this looks like.
Additional features like red dot sight mounts or bubble levels are not critical to the primary use of one piece scope mounts, but they can greatly improve quality of life for the shooter.
Conclusion
One piece scope mounts are a simple and effective way to mount telescopic sights. Unlike individual scope rings, one piece mounts do not have to be aligned to one another, and they have the advantage of giving AR-15 shooters a cantilevered position on which to mount their scopes.
Because they have a large surface area to attach to an optics rail, one piece scope mounts can provide a very stable base even with less space to work with as on an AR-15 upper receiver. One piece scope mounts are sold with either direct mount, screw mount, or quick release levers, each of which have their pros and cons. Lastly, one piece scope mounts are sold in a wide range of heights and with the three standard ring diameters.
If you’re looking for a one piece scope mount to finish your next build, check out our full collection of scope mounts to find the perfect fit.