Ground mount

A ground mount is a portable weapon support component used on the ground.
Monopod
A monopod has one leg and while it doesn't provide stability along the Coordinate axis of motion, it does provide a small amount of leverage. Monopods have the advantage of being light and compact although when used in fireing mode it can only be used with small firearms.
Bipod
A bipod has two legs and provides stability along the side to side Coordinate axis of motion and provides a medium amount of leverage.
On firearms, bipods are commonly used on rifles to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. They are also seen on other long-barreled weapons, especially light machine guns or squad automatic weapons. Machine guns are capable of firing long continuous bursts of fire, but at the cost of increased recoil (which decreases accuracy), and increased weight (machine guns are heavier in order to absorb the stresses of prolonged fully-automatic fire). The bipod permits the operator to rest the weapon on the ground, a low wall, or other object, reducing operator fatigue and permitting increased accuracy.
Rifle or machine gun bipods can be of fixed or adjustable length. The better ones can be tilted and also have their tilting point close to the bore central axis, allowing the weapon to tilt a little left and right, allowing a quick horizontal sight picture on uneven ground and keeping the operator close to the ground. Bipods are for the most part folded away forward, not back towards the shooter.
Tripod
A tripod has three legs and provides stability along the side-to-side and up-and-down Coordinate axis of motion and provides a large amount of leverage. Tripods have the disadvantage of being heavy and bulky although when used in fireing mode it can be used with large firearms.
On firearms, tripods are commonly used on machine guns to provide a forward rest and to reduce motion from recoil. Machine guns are capable of firing long continuous bursts of fire, but at the cost of increased recoil (which decreases accuracy), and increased weight (machine guns are heavier in order to absorb the stresses of prolonged fully-automatic fire). The tripod permits the operator to rest the weapon on the ground and thus the gun feels lighter to the shooter and accuracy is increased.
Another form of tripod is the tripod gun handle. The tripod gun handle provides a forward vertical pistol grip plus a slide out pivotal tripod. It is attached to the gun by a Picatinny rail. When needed the legs of the tripod can be deployed by the press of a button and these fold out. When moving these can simply be pushed back up into the vertical grip. Its patent number is 6487807.
Shooting sticks
Shooting sticks are support devices used by field shooters, like hunters and snipers.
On firearms, shooting sticks are commonly used on rifles to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. Shooting sticks permit the operator to rest the weapon on the ground, a low wall, or other object, reducing operator fatigue and permitting increased accuracy.
Shooting sticks can be of fixed or adjustable length and can be home made products by their operators or factory products.

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