Synthetic stock side sling mod

[Guest excatm76]

I've been thinking about how to put a butstock side sling mount on my mini. I thought about using a flsuh cup but didn't want any hardware hanging off the stock to bang my face into. I was also concearned that there was not enough material to mount a flush cup to. So this is what I came up with.

I used the slide off of a USGI type silent sling on the out side of the stock. I cut some steel flat stock to make a bracket that actually holds the sling on the inside of the stock. I routed the stock so that the sling slide sits flush and the only thing stocking above the surface is the 4 mounting screw heads, wich are less than 1/8" tall. It still need some paint and a little marine tex to fill in around the sides of the slide, but I'm happy with the result.

Step by step how to:

Once you have the outline. cut out go ahead an remove all the material in the middle to the depth of the sling slide.

Trace out the sling slide on the stock.

Check the location of the slide with the inside of the stock body to make sure you will not hit anything.

Route out the stock to the depth of the sling slide. I used a dremel with a high speed cutting bit and the cutting guide and clamped a speed square to the stock as a straight edge guide. I couldn;t use the square on the vertical cuts since I couldn't find one of my quick grip clamps, so I free handed thoose.

Once you have the outline. cut out go ahead an remove all the material in the middle to the depth of the sling slide. Clean up the edges with a sharp knife. Then bend your sling slide to match the contour of the stock. Mark the slots in the sling slide on the routed out portion of stock and cut them all the way through.

Next I laid out the slots for the sling slide in a piece of flat stock. Cut the slots out of the flat stock by drilling out the top and bottom and connecting the lines with a dremmel. This part will be inside the stock body so it dosen't have to be pretty, just make sure there are no sharp edges or burs to cut of fray your sling. I made it bigger than the sling slide so it would transfer any pressure put on the sling to the un cut portons of the stock. I went as wide as tall as would fit between the plastic cross mebers of the stock and about an incheither side of the routed area.

I then had to cut the backer plate/bracket to match the countour of the stock since it would not fit otherwise. I also went ahead an painted it so it would not rust.

Drill the sling slide and backer plate out for hardware, then fit the slide to the stock and drill the stock so your bolts will line of on all 3. It's helpfull to mark the top of the slide so all holes stay lined up. Then mix up some epoxy, bedding or metal putty. Place that inside the stock where the backer plate will go to fill in the void from the curved stock to the flat plate and in the routed area of the stock to fill any voids there. This gives the added bonus of helping to glue everything together. Then put the parts in place and bolt together. this can be a PITA as you are using very small nuts and trying to get your fingers pretty far into a small space. It is easier to start all 4 bolt before snugging any up.

At this point I realized my loc-tite was missing so I used some more putty and pushed it over the nuts and bolts to keep everything tight. The I cut a spray paint can cap. I wanted to use the curved shape of the cap to guide the sling back out of the otherside of the glide when installing slings. The cap piece basically severed as a form and I filled the stock in with foam to guide the sling and mechanically help hold the backer in place. This step cold be skipped but I'd rather have an easier time installing the sling. The backer plate being held on with metal putty and screws wasn't going anywhere anyway especially since all force exerted on it would pull it againsyt the stock body, not push it in.

Lastly clean eveything up and reassebmle your rifle.

[fastbs]

hmmm i like your idea. what did you do for the other end?

[mikegideon]

hmmm i like your idea. what did you do for the other end?

The mini comes with a swivel on the other end

[fastbs]

ahh. i'm looking at doing something similair to a marlin 17 hmr. i put flush cups in a fiber glass stock but like you i think there is a beter way on a synthetic.

[Guest excatm76]

On the other end I'm currently using a Blue force gear univeral wire loop wrapped around the gas block. But I think I'm going to install a Mesa Tactical adapter mount sling loop adapter Mesa Tactical Adapter Mount Sling Loop Steel Matte - MidwayUSA to the forearm and back it the same way. That should make the rifle lay even flatter.