Homemade rifle rest...

[Rembrandt]

Previous attempt to build a pistol rest led me to try something for rifles. Rummaging through our scrap pile at work found some potential and decided to give it a try. We work with a lot T-slot aluminum extrusions in all shapes and sizes as well as 80-20. The leather rests had been on another two piece rest which was not seeing much use.

Criteria was to have the forward and rear rests slide horizontally and the front rest move vertically. One consideration was getting it up high enough that an AR-15 30 round magazine would clear. Front and back feet can be fitted with (pointed) adjustment bolts or removed and stored on the ends.

Have tried it with several different rifles, may be a few changes that need to be made in terms of height ratio between the front and rear. The ability to slide front and rear together allows it to be used for a pistol rest as well. Still a work in progress, let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas.

 

[taliv]

impressive!

now make the entire thing slide back and forth with a spring or piston so that you can measure recoil

 

[film495]

pretty cool handiwork

 

[Olon]

That's pretty slick. Well done!

 

[CptnAwesome]

Awesome rest you made there, nice work. Looks like it will work really well.

You obviously have experience working with those materials.

 

[BigBL87]

Conceptually, seems to be a much nicer take on the idea behind the Caldwell Matrix rest.



That's what I have currently. Obviously not the finest adjustments (yours is likely much better in that regard) but it really is great for its versatility.

 

[Skylerbone]

It looks like a giant Incra Jig, very well done. I know it’s t-slot but I think it would be perfect with a side crank wheel and rack and pinion for the front height adjustment. I have an old DeWalt 610 router that pairs r&p with a micrometer dial, the adjustment being held with a wingnut through the split case.

I wish I had the skill and creativity to build such nice equipment.


In case I’m talking gibberish, Incra Fence and DW610.

 

[792mauser]

Pretty sweet setup
I like it.
I agree with the spring recoil setup. That would have been nice when I had to sight in my martini Henry carbine

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That is some fine craftsmanship and design Sir.

 

[sparkyv]

Nice project.

 

[doubleh]

Nice rest. If it were mine I would have used a single, in the middle, rear adjustment screw instead of the double screw setup but that's a personal preference, not a criticism of your rig.

 

[Speedo66]

Wow! When you said scrap pile in the first sentence I was expecting something that might look like Fred Sandford had made it.

Your stuff looks like a fine engineering firm had their hand in it.

Well done!

 

[Rembrandt]

Appreciate the feedback, as I read the comments was trying to envision how to incorporate those features with the existing materials. To use an automotive analogy, the engine design comes first then the exterior gets what's left over......form follows function. To get those features integrated would be ideal to set the criteria parameters and work it out on a CAD program. Then the parts and pieces could be CNC'd to fit perfectly with no wasted space. Afraid my crude approach is more like fitting Tinker-Toys together to see what parts might fit to get something resembling a rest. Reminded of the old saying..."One mans junk is another man's treasure".....very blessed to have access to interesting materials for the price of scrap.

now make the entire thing slide back and forth with a spring or piston so that you can measure recoil

Not familiar with that process, is it measured by ft lbs or something else? Suppose one could figure a way to add a load cell or compression sensor.

It looks like a giant Incra Jig..... I know it’s t-slot but I think it would be perfect with a side crank wheel and rack and pinion for the front height adjustment.

I've seen some elaborate rests used by benchrest shooters with those micrometer adjustments. Using a combination of gear belts, worm gears, and ball screws it could be done. Sadly we threw out a bunch of those items.

...If it were mine I would have used a single, in the middle, rear adjustment screw instead of the double screw setup but that's a personal preference.

I agree a single rear adjustment (tri-cycle type) mounting point would be less complicated to adjust for elevation. Could still add that in....if I drilled and tap a threaded hole in the center of the base.

Thanks for the input, these are not necessarily my ideas....I just borrow them from others and re-arrange them a bit.