Bipod on a No. 5 0r No 4

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Plan "C" from the Australian School of Bush Mechanics:

If you don't want to damage your timber, what about the "Parker-Hale" (and clones) type bipods that clip onto a "spigot" attached to the fore-end? If you have never seen the Parker-Hale, it looks for all the world like a "baby" Bren Mk1 bipod and can be fitted or removed more easily than a Harris.

Attach the "spigot" to a suitably-profiled "block" of aluminium or even good hardwood.

Now, this is the "Bush Mechanic" bit. Get a couple of stainless steel automotive hose-clamps that will reach around your rifle woodwork and the "interface" block and wind them up.

A bit of packing", fibre-board" or any reasonably firm material, between the hose-clamps and the furniture should prevent marring the timber.

The cute part of this is that you can slide your suitably-padded mounting block fore and aft to find the best location for it (and your nice bipod).

This method should work for any "service" rifle with top handguards.

It might also work if, instead of a bipod, you want to attach a flat-bottomed "bag slider" to replicate the function of the wide, flat-bottomed fore-ends on some bench-rest rifles. Of no value shooting offhand, of course.