The Sackett Mechanical Hip Rest.



The Feb 7 article is in volume #29. Not found it yet.

Shooting and Fishing (American Rifleman), vol 30, No. 4, May 9, 1901, page 69

SHOOTING AND FISHING of Feb. 7 contained a cut of and a short article referring to my mechanical hip rest, over the signature of I. C. After some delay I have concluded to give this idea to brother riflemen, and if it assists any to maintain a strictly offhand position it will have served its purpose. In fitting my rifle for this device I removed the forearm and slotted the barrel in the proper place. Into this slot I placed a beveled block of soft steel about five-sixteenths of an inch in thickness which had previously been drilled and tapped to take a five-sixteenths inch threaded rod. I then cut away the underside of forearm to accommodate the steel block and bored a hole exactly under the hole in said block.

This hole through the forearm I lined with a piece of heavy brass tubing which will exactly take a five-sixteenths rod. This completes the base to which I attach the hip rest. If a rifle is fitted for a Palm rest the above is unnecessary, as one can fit a hip rest to the palm rest connection.

For the hip rest I took a piece of five-sixteenths rod, threaded at one end to fit tapped hole in block under forearm, cut same about one and one-fourth inches in length, and made a slot in this end one eighth of an inch wide and about a half inch deep.

I then drilled a small hole through this end of the rod, crosswise to the slot and through the center of same, into which I fitted a screw. Into said slot I fitted the flattened end of the rod or arm of the rest. This arm I made about one-fourth of an inch in diameter and in three sections, jointed together.

At the lower end, by means of a nut, I attached a thin saucer shaped metal about two and a half inches in diameter; a small shallow bell will answer the purpose. Through the lower edge of this saucer I drilled five or six small holes, and after filling the concave with soft wadding I attached a disk of heavy felt to the bottom of this saucer by means of lacing through said holes, allowing the disk to project to protect the rifle, thus forming a pad to rest on the hip.

Attach the five-sixteenths rod, through hole in forearm, to the rifle and one has my mechanical hip rest complete and ready for work. This rest, constructed as above, is easily and quickly attached or detached without tools, weighs about one-half pound and when full nickel plated is not unsightly. I have made some rests with a U shape spring steel attachment at the upper end of the arm. This U should be lined with soft leather and so formed as to just spring on the barrel or forearm as desired. This construction is inexpensive and attachable to more than One rifle. It may be adjusted in length by sliding the U attachment toward or from the body.

I have briefly described my mechanical hip rest as above, but I do not wish to be understood as advocating its use except when necessary to compete with palm rests of similar devices.

I notice with pleasure the interest manifested in my hip rest idea by G. E. Morris and W. W. Yeager and I cannot withhold the thought that evidently Mr. Yeager does not need a mechanical hip rest or any other device to assist him to make high scores, but does it strictly offhand. Pardon me if I suggest to SHOOTING AND FISHING that in recording high scores as records, the strictly offhand riflemen be put in a class by themselves.

I wish to express myself as favoring a modern shouldered shell for smokeless powder; also ask, if we are to have a rifle match at Buffalo this summer, during the Pan-American Exposition.

Fredonia, N.Y. F. L. SACKETT.