The right thermal mount holds your zero and puts the eyepiece where your eye wants it. This category covers quick detach rifle mounts, offset mounts, ring mounts, binocular bridges and helmet shoes for thermal and night vision optics.
On a rifle, pick the height that lines the eyepiece up with your cheek weld. A QD lever lets you pull the optic off without tools. If you run a small monocular on a rail, a flip to side thermal mount swings it out of the way when you go back to your day optic.
For walking in at night, the bridges and shoes (KVC universal mono/bino bridge, SKEETIRx bridge, M24 bridge, L4 G24 helmet mount, J-arm) put a monocular or binocular in front of your eyes and leave your hands free. You'll also find a locking QD mount for Pulsar Talion, Trail, Apex, Digisight and Core, and a 90 or 45 degree offset rail for DNO battery kits.
It is the hardware that attaches a thermal optic to your rifle rail, helmet or bridge. Most clamp to a Picatinny rail and are cut for one optic's base, like the RIX QDM-L01 for LEAP and TOURER. A good mount holds zero after you take it off and put it back on.
A shoe is the small plate that fits the optic and slides onto an arm or rail. A bridge holds two monoculars or a binocular in front of your eyes. A J-arm connects a monocular to a helmet mount. QD means quick detach, a lever that lets you remove the mount by hand without tools.
You will hear base, rail mount, cantilever mount, rings and adapter used for the same job. A cantilever mount pushes the optic forward for eye relief. Ring mounts, like the Infitac 30mm Ring Mount, clamp a round tube. Adapters let one optic's footprint sit on another kind of base, such as a dovetail.
Look for your exact model in the mount name first. Most mounts here are made for one optic family: the RIX STORM QD mount only fits STORM V1 and V2, and the iRayUSA PICTAIL 2 is cut for RICO MICRO. Call us at (309) 781-8421 if your optic isn't named and we will tell you what fits.