Mount Up!: Reptilia’s AUS Scope Mounts 

There are many great one-piece premium scope mounts on the market, and Reptilia’s AUS scope mounts are arguably a product line that might capture the attention of sophisticated tactical rifle shooters.

Reptilia AUS mounts are relatively lightweight, minimalist, and designed for maximum rigidity. AUS mounts reflect this both in their functional shape and the manner in which they employ different types of Torx mounting hardware. Reptilia even offers an ultra-short version of the AUS to accommodate specialty LPVOs (think Vortex AMG).  

Reptilia AUS Scope Mount Overview 

AUS mounts are machined from 7075-T6 aluminum. They’re Type III, Class 2 hardcoat anodized, too. Like virtually all other tactical mounts, these clamp over M1913 Picatinny scope bases. Reptilia offers AUS scope mounts with three different ring diameters that accommodate the most common tactical riflescope and LPVO main tube diameters: 30 mm, 34 mm, and 35 mm–Leupold Mark 5HD shooters take note! 

Because AUS mounts are intended to be paired with flat-top AR-pattern carbine rifles (or similar weapons), Reptilia manufactures these mounts with industry-standard heights of 1.54 inches and 1.93 inches. Beyond the 1.54 and 1.93 mount heights, AUS mounts are available with a 1.70-inch height, which represents a happy medium between 1.54 and 1.93 inches. 

Part of the AUS’s minimalist design includes the omission of the typical ½ inch hex nut that clamps to the base, something that’s seen on many optics. ½ hex nuts work wonderfully and provide more than adequate clamping strength between the scope base and the bottom of the mount. Their only downside is that the exposed nuts tend to somewhat protrude and may be liable to snag or drag on gear.

Reptilia’s slick solution is to eschew the nut-and-clamp array and instead use Torx T-20 screws under spring tension with slick clamps made from nitrided steel. Torqued to the correct value of 45-inch pounds, the pair of these low-profile clamps does a fine job at securing the mount and optic to the weapon. Torx T-15 screws secure optics to the rings.  

Hands-On Experience So Far

To date, I’ve actually mounted two different LPVOs to two different Reptilia AUS mounts. The first was a Kahles K16i to an all-black 1.54-inch tall AUS 30mm mount; I did this for a friend. Most recently, I mated EOTech’s newest VUDU 1-10 daylight-bright LPVO to a flat dark earth anodized 34mm 1.54-inch AUS mount. 

While mounting either the Kahles or the EOTech to their respective Reptilia AUS mounts, I couldn’t help but notice the mounts’ fit and finish. The very high quality of Reptilia’s anodizing was apparent on both occasions. I also had zero issues in securing these LPVOs to their respective rings. Reptilia even includes a handy extended-length Torx T-15 bit, which is extremely handy to keep on hand. Most scope ring screws are T-15 after all. 

Originally, I was waiting on the new IWI Zion-25 Z25AST16308 16-inch .308 Winchester carbine to get here for review. I’m planning on sticking the Reptilia AUS and EOTech VUDU on top of that. Alas, that rifle isn’t here yet. In the meantime, I’ve found other relevant rifles that could benefit this mount-and-optic combo.

Mounting The AUS To A Scout Rifle

I recently reviewed the Savage 110 Magpul Scout-Rifle for a different publication and made the decision to add the EOTech LPVO cradled in the Reptilia AUS mount. Since I’m due to review this daylight-bright EOTech VUDU 1-10 itself, the diversity of experience by mounting it on different types of rifles is a good thing.

Scout rifles historically used long eye relief scopes. Their mission is to be handy and able to engage targets in front of the muzzle and out to 500 yards. So, mounting a cutting-edge 1-10 LPVO with a relevant reticle should also conform to the original spirit of the scout rifle.   

So far, I’ve shot a little over 100 rounds of 6.5mm Creedmoor through the Savage 110 Magpul Scout Rifle. Once mounted and installed, scope mounts are passive pieces of kit. This is why it’s important for the end-user to torque everything properly. And it’s also why attention to detail and QC standards matter during the manufacturing process. I don’t have any complaints about the Reptilia AUS mount doing its actual thing so far.

Due to the relationship between the extended Picatinny scope base that Savage includes on the 110 Magpul Scout and the Magpul Hunter stock it’s bedded to, the 1.54-inch AUS mount works perfectly. I did have to remove the rifle’s peep sight so it wouldn’t clash with the rear-end of the VUDU while also ensuring the eye-relief was correct. (Perhaps a taller mount would have cleared the top of the rear-sight assembly.)

Keep in mind that in the spirit of scout-rifle tradition, the Savage 110 Magpul Scout is “optics-ready” for a long-eye relief scope and includes the requisite front-and-rear iron sights.

_{To Be Continued In Part 2}