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Barrel rests (Read 834 times)

marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Barrel rests Jan 30^th, 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!

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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12168 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: Barrel rests Reply #1 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 4:05am	Print Post
	Interesting. Don't think I've never seen one dovetailed to a barrel.

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #2 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 11:51am	Print Post
	westerner wrote on Jan 31^st, 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?

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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12168 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: Barrel rests Reply #3 - Jan 31^st, 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.

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #4 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 12:51pm	Print Post
	westerner wrote on Jan 31^st, 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.

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Jonathan Junior Member Offline Posts: 69 Location: THE GOOD PART OF NY Joined: Sep 5^th, 2025	Re: Barrel rests Reply #5 - Jan 31^st, 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?


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


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #7 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 3:03pm	Print Post
	bnice wrote on Jan 31^st, 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)

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Andover Arms Junior Member Offline Posts: 96 Joined: Dec 24^th, 2017	Re: Barrel rests Reply #8 - Feb 2^nd, 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


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


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Andover Arms Junior Member Offline Posts: 96 Joined: Dec 24^th, 2017	Re: Barrel rests Reply #10 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 9:52am	Print Post
	3rd and last pic, regards, Chris


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #11 - Feb 2^nd, 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.

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Dellet Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 1234 Joined: May 19^th, 2017	Re: Barrel rests Reply #12 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 11:12am	Print Post
	Andover Arms wrote on Feb 2^nd, 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 Might not be too far from the truth


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


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12168 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: Barrel rests Reply #14 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 11:44am	Print Post
	Sure shot wrote on Feb 2^nd, 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.

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #15 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 1:55pm	Print Post
	westerner wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 11:44am: Sure shot wrote on Feb 2^nd, 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. I thought about it possibly being for a sling swivel, and considered maybe D&T the filler block to just mount a sling swivel there, but nothing on the buttstock. Just so it wasn't just a blank there. Since I got the barrel along with a bunch of Ballard parts I bought I only know it was threaded for a Ballard, butt not much else. Appreciate the ideas guys! Thanks a bunch!

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Andover Arms Junior Member Offline Posts: 96 Joined: Dec 24^th, 2017	Re: Barrel rests Reply #16 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 3:13pm	Print Post
	I have seen a few altered Single Shots that had a dovetail cut under the barrel's forearms and a block added for the forearm screw (think similar to a Win 1885 mainspring block). My thought was always that it was done to better support the wood because of larger heavy barrels and palm rests. The forearms had to be inletted for the "block". But from the sounds of yours, the dovetail is too far forward for that to be the case (unless it originally had a really long forearm). Regards, Chris


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #17 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:51pm	Print Post
	Andover Arms wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 3:13pm: I have seen a few altered Single Shots that had a dovetail cut under the barrel's forearms and a block added for the forearm screw (think similar to a Win 1885 mainspring block). My thought was always that it was done to better support the wood because of larger heavy barrels and palm rests. The forearms had to be inletted for the "block". But from the sounds of yours, the dovetail is too far forward for that to be the case (unless it originally had a really long forearm). Regards, Chris This barrel also has another dovetail under the forearm for a forearm screw. But oddly that also has a filler fitted to the shape of the barrel like the one ahead of the forearm has. It may have had something else previously, and someone might have been planning to try to make both dovetails blend in.

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #18 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:57pm	Print Post
	Sure shot wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 11:23am: Could the dovetail in the barrel have been for a sling swivel? I liked your guess the best for now, so dug through my supply of old sling swivels and found a matching pair. The front one I found had a 3/16" round stud to somehow mount it, so I drilled a hole in the filler and then beveled the back side. Cut the pin slightly long and peened it on the back after beveling the hole so the metal had somewhere to go. Mounted the 2nd on the buttstock, and just need to find an old timey sling for it now. (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)

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Sure shot Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1113 Location: East central Iowa Joined: Jun 22^nd, 2020	Re: Barrel rests Reply #19 - Feb 3^rd, 2026 at 4:18am	Print Post
	Looks good!


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Dellet Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 1234 Joined: May 19^th, 2017	Re: Barrel rests Reply #20 - Feb 3^rd, 2026 at 5:56am	Print Post
	marlinguy wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:51pm: Andover Arms wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 3:13pm: I have seen a few altered Single Shots that had a dovetail cut under the barrel's forearms and a block added for the forearm screw (think similar to a Win 1885 mainspring block). My thought was always that it was done to better support the wood because of larger heavy barrels and palm rests. The forearms had to be inletted for the "block". But from the sounds of yours, the dovetail is too far forward for that to be the case (unless it originally had a really long forearm). Regards, Chris This barrel also has another dovetail under the forearm for a forearm screw. But oddly that also has a filler fitted to the shape of the barrel like the one ahead of the forearm has. It may have had something else previously, and someone might have been planning to try to make both dovetails blend in. What is the distance between the dovetails? Is it possible that they were scope mounts and the barrel set back turned upside down?


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #21 - Feb 3^rd, 2026 at 2:54pm	Print Post
	Dellet wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2026 at 5:56am: marlinguy wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:51pm: This barrel also has another dovetail under the forearm for a forearm screw. But oddly that also has a filler fitted to the shape of the barrel like the one ahead of the forearm has. It may have had something else previously, and someone might have been planning to try to make both dovetails blend in. What is the distance between the dovetails? Is it possible that they were scope mounts and the barrel set back turned upside down? No, not possible. Schoyen barrels had his typical rollstamp on the top between scope mounting holes, so if it was turned over the rollstamp would be under the forearm. As would the front sight dovetail. Both are still on the top. And I can't imagine any scope that would have .539" wide dovetail mounts either. I'm sure the rear dovetail was for a block the forearm screw screwed into. The front who knows for sure, but the sling swivel works for me for now.

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gnoahhh Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1022 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Barrel rests Reply #22 - Feb 4^th, 2026 at 5:44pm	Print Post
	WWJD? (What would Jack do?) "Here, just loop this hunk of binder twine between those swivels and call it good." "It'll get you from the trunk of your car to the firing line."


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17670 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Barrel rests Reply #23 - Feb 5^th, 2026 at 10:50am	Print Post
	gnoahhh wrote on Feb 4^th, 2026 at 5:44pm: WWJD? (What would Jack do?) "Here, just loop this hunk of binder twine between those swivels and call it good." "It'll get you from the trunk of your car to the firing line." With the 15 lb. weight of this Ballard I'd be afraid to have that twine cutting into my shoulder, even for a short walk!

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