Frankfort Rest

I'm trying to find information on a particular gun rest...if you want to call it that...that I had seen back in the mid 1980's. Back when I was a young fledgling engineer working at Picatinny Arsenal (called ARRADCOM back then and now called ARDEC), the small arms test range would use a very rigid and heavy test platform for securing small arm weapons for ballistic testing. This test platform was really a universal gun rest and if I recall correctly was called a 'Frankfort Rest' by the ballistic technicians. It had the ability to make correction for elevation and azimuth. My understanding was rest was originally developed at Frankfort Arsenal, but I cannot find any information on it.

After looking at a few commercially available gun rests out there, none appear to meet my needs. I would like to try to construct that particular 'Frankfort Rest' I had seen back then, since it would meet my needs. I'm hoping someone out there might have some information on it. Thanks for your help.

WE

I work on the SmallArms Ranges at Picatinny. It is actually called a Bond mount. Hatchers Notebook has pictures. It needs interchangable top slides for different weapon systems. We do not use it for accuracy testing of rifles, only for EPVAT (pressure testing), ammo accuracy testing with a V-block & slide and a special barrel/receiver setup, and machine gun accuracy.

Interesting. OK...a bond mount. I used to work in the future weapons branch, concept munitions, close combat armaments center. I knew Louis Behling (spelling ), who was the chief supervisor for the small arms test range during my time there.

Yes we used that mount for pressure testing, but also for velocity measurements and penetration studies. I used it when I was designing and testing the original sabot for the Cal. 50 SLAP, now the M903. I also used that mount for other small arms penetration studies, but always heard it called a Frankfort Rest.

Anyway, I don't see why you can't use it for testing the accuracy of a rifle barrels without the V-block and slide, provided you use a universal receiver for the barrel. If I recall correctly it is a very sturdy rest with the ability to lock it down. I really would like to get the drawings for it. Buy at least you gave me the name of it that I can go do more research on and joggled my memory.

Thanks

The universal receiver setup is good for pressure and velocity, but not accuracy. H-S Precision and Bill Wiseman both make a modern version of the mount. We are working on building an accuracy mount copied from the AMU. It uses a set of Thompson Slide Bearings.