Bench rifle or maybe Not?

This is an 1878 Sharps Borcharrdt falling block action with many custom components from the 40s-50s like Unertl, Douglass and Fajen. Original a 219 Zipper Imp but now a 225 Win. I always assumed that it was strictly for bench rest shooting. It does that very well but I never could figure out why the sling mount with many options in the forestock. Perhaps someone with experience in the shooting sports can enlighten me. Notice the style of stocks on the 14.5 lb rifle. Was this an offhand shooting gun? Attachment 214097Attachment 214098Attachment 214099Attachment 214100
All opinions are welcome.
Thanks
Uncle Dave

Wow. Thanks for sharing. Very cool rifle and window on the past.

The multiple position swivel is for shooting with a sling, as in a proper rifle sling like the 1907 that is affixed to the upper left arm. Presumably this rifle was shot in competition prone, sitting, and offhand.

Very, very cool.

I would agree. It appears to have been built for various shooting, and not just benchrest. It's also typical of many 40's and 50's varmint rifles custom built in that period. So it may have seen multiple uses, and not just competition.
These old custom builds used to be looked down on and sold cheap. But in recent years folks have begun to acknowledge the ones that were extremely well done, and appreciate them a lot.

The 219 zipper was a popular varmint round back in the day. The 219 Donaldson wasp was a little more popular for benchrest back then. I'm suspecting this was built as a varmint rifle for prarrie dogs and or other varmints. Currious as to what it weighs also. the barrel appears to have a pronounced taper to it. More of a "light varmint / sporter shape

looks like a pennsylvania woodchuck rifle that Philip Sharpe would have used in 1935-50 period.

It weighs about 14.5 pounds. It does NOT have a sling swivel on the buttstock. It only has them on the forestock and one possibly in front of the action on the bottom. Not the norm. Any ideas on how a sling would work on this configuration?
Thanks
Uncle Dave

The sling attaches to the upper left arm and is adjusted to shooter preference by both sling and the swivel position:

http://www.gundigest.com/wp-content/...oting-Lead.jpg

http://media.midwayusa.com/productim...908/908577.jpg

http://www.odcmp.org/1006/images/SlingImg/Green.jpg

The sling is used as a cuff. with the single leg left hanging or the service rifle and on match rifles it can be removed. On the brocharts I believe the read sling was in front of the trigger guard. More popular on the rifles of this period was the stacking swivel that allowed 3 or more rifles to be hooked together to form a tripod for them to stand alone when troops were resting. With the sling tension most shooters use I'm not sure zero wouldn't be affected on this rifle.

If I remember correctly it is a Douglas barrel with a 1 1/2” OD at the breech and 3/4” at the muzzle. Attachment 214160
That really helps about the sling and I appreciate the comments and pics.