ASSRA Forum › General › Gunsmithing Single Shot Rifles › Barrel rests
(Moderator Group: Moderator)
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Page Index Toggle Pages: [1] 2  Send TopicPrint
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Barrel rests (Read 847 times)
marlinguy
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Posts: 17670
Location: Oregon
Joined: Feb 2nd, 2009
Barrel rests
Jan 30th, 2026 at 11:04pm
Print Post  
My recent Ballard project has a Schoyen barrel with a fairly large 5/8" dovetail on the bottom that I believe was for a mechanical rest? No idea what that might have looked like, but I'd like some ideas of what one might look like so I can make one for this rifle.
Any suggestions, or pictures would be very appreciated!
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12168
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #1 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 4:05am
Print Post  
Interesting. Don't think I've never seen one dovetailed to a barrel.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlinguy
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Posts: 17670
Location: Oregon
Joined: Feb 2nd, 2009
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #2 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:51am
Print Post  
westerner wrote on Jan 31st, 2026 at 4:05am:
Interesting. Don't think I've never seen one dovetailed to a barrel.


Me either Joe, and I'm just guessing since I've never seen a dovetail this large underneath a barrel, or in this location a couple inches ahead of the forearm? 
A fine target barrel like a Schoyen in .40-50SS must have had some specific purpose for this big dovetail?
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12168
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #3 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 12:11pm
Print Post  
Seems that would be way back for a barrel rest. I wonder if it was for a barrel stop. I've seen barrel stops on European target rifles mounted there. For the type of shooting they do at New Braunfels.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlinguy
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Posts: 17670
Location: Oregon
Joined: Feb 2nd, 2009
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #4 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 12:51pm
Print Post  
westerner wrote on Jan 31st, 2026 at 12:11pm:
Seems that would be way back for a barrel rest. I wonder if it was for a barrel stop. I've seen barrel stops on European target rifles mounted there. For the type of shooting they do at New Braunfels.


Maybe so! I haven't seen a barrel stop, so I'll have to see if I can find pictures of them.
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Jonathan
Junior Member
**
Offline



Posts: 69
Location: THE GOOD PART OF NY
Joined: Sep 5th, 2025
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #5 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 2:10pm
Print Post  
Years ago I had a BSA Martini with a dove tail cut into the barrel just ahead of the forearm that took weights that slid in and locked with a thumbscrew one of which I had. Could this be similar?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bnice
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 1935
Location: Iowa
Joined: Nov 30th, 2006
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #6 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 2:22pm
Print Post  
Val, how about a picture
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlinguy
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Posts: 17670
Location: Oregon
Joined: Feb 2nd, 2009
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #7 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 3:03pm
Print Post  
bnice wrote on Jan 31st, 2026 at 2:22pm:
Val, how about a picture


My camera isn't cooperating, but here's a few low quality pics. The dovetail is almost halfway down the 30" barrel. Measures .539" wide and .20" deep.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Andover Arms
Junior Member
**
Offline



Posts: 96
Joined: Dec 24th, 2017
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #8 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 9:51am
Print Post  
This is on an old Pannepecker Muzzleloading percussion target rifle but may give you some idea of how a dovetail rest was constructed / used. Regards, Chris
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Andover Arms
Junior Member
**
Offline



Posts: 96
Joined: Dec 24th, 2017
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #9 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 9:52am
Print Post  
2nd Pic (sorry would only let me add 1 at a time for some reason)
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Andover Arms
Junior Member
**
Offline



Posts: 96
Joined: Dec 24th, 2017
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #10 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 9:52am
Print Post  
3rd and last pic, regards, Chris
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlinguy
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Posts: 17670
Location: Oregon
Joined: Feb 2nd, 2009
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #11 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 10:19am
Print Post  
Thanks Chris! 
I like the way the rest is made to be easily removable! A bit more work than making it more permanent, but a nice touch. I was thinking of a loose dovetail with a setscrew, but that's much nicer.
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Dellet
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 1234
Joined: May 19th, 2017
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #12 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:12am
Print Post  
Andover Arms wrote on Feb 2nd, 2026 at 9:51am:
This is on an old Pannepecker Muzzleloading percussion target rifle but may give you some idea of how a dovetail rest was constructed / used. Regards, Chris


I was going to suggest it was a dovetail for a bipod and ground hog shooting Smiley

Might not be too far from the truth
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Sure shot
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 1113
Location: East central Iowa
Joined: Jun 22nd, 2020
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #13 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:23am
Print Post  
Could the dovetail in the barrel have been for a sling swivel?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12168
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: Barrel rests
Reply #14 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:44am
Print Post  
Sure shot wrote on Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:23am:
Could the dovetail in the barrel have been for a sling swivel?


Here's a picture of the dovetailed sling swivel on my # 9 Ballard. Dovetail looks to be about .300.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: [1] 2 
Send TopicPrint
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
 
  « Board Index ‹ Board Top  

ASSRA Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.6.12!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2026. All Rights Reserved.

Valid RSS Valid XHTML Valid CSS Powered by Perl Source Forge

Page completed in 0.8495 seconds.