abosely
.275 member
Reged: 23/03/07
Posts: 57
Loc: Big Island Hawaii US
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Did the British use a web and leather sling with the raw hide thongs?
To be used on the 1920s or so guns that have the large eye on the barrel band and butt stock to tie the thong to.
It's a web sling and at the ends is leather sewn to the web and made into a cone then the thong slides
thru the cone to tie to the barrel band eye and the one on the butt of the stock.
Like the one Jeff's Outfitters sells but a web sling instead of leather.
I thought I had seen references to it but can't find any pictures of or information on them any where.
If they did, does anyone have pictures of one or a place to buy them?
I'll post this in the double rifle fourm also.
Allen
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zimhunter
.333 member
Reged: 05/02/04
Posts: 388
Loc: Southern Arizona
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I have always understood that the rings on the barrel and stock were to be used with the hooks that some older slings had.
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JTOMLINSON
.300 member
Reged: 16/02/05
Posts: 188
Loc: York, England
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Allen
You are correct that some rifles did utilise loop eyes for use with thong ends on either canvas web or leather slings, the thongs were often pigskin and were knotted on the loop so as to prevent a noisy set up. The system works well until the thong ends become wet at which point trying to untie them can be a hassle. The hooks were also used in the same loops, these were favoured also by target shooters who once they got into the prone position required for long range target shooting could hook the rifle onto the sling of their shooting jackets. For use in hunting either would work although of the 2 methons the thong ends was the quietest.
Paul Roberts at J Roberts and Sons (www.jroberts-gunmakers.co.uk) offers a modern made version made on the same pattern as that used by Rigbys (he owned the Rigby name until the late 1990's when it was sold to Red River rifle works in California) the cost for the thong ended version is £35 GB pounds (app $70 US) they are well made and can be shipped mail order, if you visit his websiter and click onto accessories there is a picture of the sling with a description of the styles offered.
jonathan
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9.3x57
.450 member
Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5561
Loc: United States
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I am NOT trying to cause a ruckus, but just giving my opinion.
I am a leatherworker and have a lot of experience with vegetable- and chromium-tanned leathers as well as rawhide. To each his own, but there is no way I would trust the weight of an expensive gun to a single thong for any length of time if used hard in various weathers, especially where wet, cold, hot and dry cycles will play their typical mayhem with the integrity of natural material.
There are many stronger ways of attaching a sling to a gun to keep it quiet, if quiet is the goal.
The constant need to inspect and replace such slings would not be worth the hassle to me, and I guess it wasn't to the original fellows either since these things essentially reside in the realm of historically-interesting but esoteric and obsolete gun accouterments.
I carry a gun every day in all weathers and I know the affect such have on a normal sling with stout means of attachment. Those thong-slings are really neat and interesting but personally, I might keep one as a display but wouldn't use one on a regular basis, not for my purposes anyway. For a fellow who spends a few weeks a year packing a gun, maybe they'd be fine but I want my rigging hell-for-stout, and these things don't appear to be.
Just my $.02, and worth what it cost you.
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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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