Hammerli 208/215 rear dot sight mount

Kevin Wilkins in Germany makes a very nice and precision fitting dot sight mount for 208/215.  I recently got one, along with a Vortex Venom 3MOA dot, and this is a mini-review.

According to the intertube most 208/215 owners mount dots with a Knapp / LG type mount.  I'm not crazy about this design because it is bulky, the dot is high above the bore, and it looks like a work-around. Presumably some shooters like the extra mass, but the mass is located toward the rear of the gun and high.  Wilkins mount only adds the small weight of the dot itself, and any desired mass addition can be done by adding weights where needed (end of barrel, etc). 

Kevin's design is different and elegant: A machined replica of the Hammerli rear iron sight mount, only instead of sight blades it has a flat surface on top with locating pins that mate with either a Docter/Noblex footprint plate or a similar plate for Shield:

https://wilkins-knives.com/portfolio-item/hammerli-mounts/

Here it is on my 208:

https://i.postimg.cc/zBf9GJfQ/wilkins1.jpg

The dot sight assembly is held in place with the same single screw that holds the iron sight assembly.  So switching from dot/iron is a quick one screw on/off operation:

https://i.postimg.cc/hGckN8Rc/wilkins2.jpg

Kevin is very helpful, and shipping from Germany was efficient (faster than Optics Planet shipped the dot!).  He provides detailed instructions on how to assemble the mount, and the only fiddling required is to shorten the M3 screws (depending on your dot) that fasten the dot to the Docter adapter plate so they do not project beyond the plate surface.

A possible downside for some is that there don't seem to be any tube-type dots that mate with currently made adapter plates for the Wilkins mount.  I have a tube on my SW 41 (Sightron, pic rails, scope tube mounts), and though using the Vortex Venom dot is different, I learned to shoot equally well (cough) after a few minutes with the open style Venom dot*.

Overall very happy with the Wilkins dot mount and wanted to share with other Hammerlyites out there.

*Not reviewing the Vortex Venom here, but one complaint is the faintest setting is still too bright for the indoor range where I shoot.

I heartily second the recommendation for the Wilkins rear mount. I recently bought 3 of them from Kevin. Service and communication was great. Mount fit perfect and work great on my guns.

FWIW, I've been trying to get some BME mounts for several years now with no luck. The Wilkins mounts are much higher quality than the one BME mount that I do have.

New to target pistol shooting here.  I believe I have a 215. 

Is there anything wrong / I should know before I have the gun drilled and tapped for a rear optic mount?  I am not concerned about resale value.  

Thought I would ask the experts here in addition to the gunsmith who offered to do the work.  

Thank you!

Alternatively if you are ok with a reflex sight you could consider a Wilkins mount.  No frame mod needed and very quick to put the iron back.

https://wilkins-knives.com/red-dot-mounts/

Or this if you prefer a tube dot

https://www.redfeatheroutfitters.com/208-215-scope-mount-hammerli.html

Thank you JH!

I have a tube dot Ultra Dot 2 already. Unless there is any “problem” with tapping and drilling, I will probably just do it.

Really appreciate the info though. Thanks!

I just mounted Kevin's rear-sight red dot mount to my Hammerli 215.  It is terrific!  It only adds the weight of the actual red dot to the firearm and is at the rear, so the fine Hammerli balance remains the same.  I had been using a "Larry's" optic mount but much prefer Kevin's.