1903/1905 dated leather sling

[Hal O'Peridol]

Got this on a commercial Savage .22 rifle.

Rock Island Arsenal made both straps. It is not a M1907 sling, wondering if it is a M1903 or M1905.

Seems awful long for a Krag. Issue sling for early M1903 Springfield rifle?

[Hal O'Peridol]

Last couple of pics

[rayg]

Well now there are two of these slings we're aware of. I posted the one I have last December here and were there was a discussion on it. http://www.jouster.com/forums/showth...highlight=rayg Some how none of the photos are the ones I posted. Have no idea what happened, so I'll repost the photos here.
The sling has 16 double holes on the short end and 32 on the long end whereas the regular 07 slings have only 16 on both ends. I also checked my TD and Krag slings and they only have 16-18 double holes total.
There is also an inspectors stamp on the sling.
It's been mentioned that may have been made from earlier slings but the only problem I see with using and/or combining other slings to make it is the long length has 32 sets of holes in it. No other earlier sling I can think of has that many holes. The TD/Krag slings have only 18-19 sets of holes total, musket slings less also. It seems that the sling maybe was originally designed that way with that number of holes or why else would they add that many more holes? In fact not sure why they would need that many holes. Ray
I checked the Krag/TD slings and there would be enough length of the sling with out holes in it already to re-use for the long length. But why not just punch the normal amount of holes if there were none already in it. Why that many holes unless it was intentional. Another thought, but probably way remote, but maybe it's a scrap piece that was used in setting up the punches and as nothing was discarded they just used it. It's the extra amount of the holes that create the question as no other obsolete slings have that many or that pattern of holes. I still lean a bit to a Trials sling. Especially with the RI stamp and date on each end to indicate Arsenal approval/done.
Ray

1903 Rock Island3-19.JPG1903 Rock Island3-20.JPG1903 Rock Island3-22.jpg1903 Rock Island3-25.jpg1903 Rock Island3-26.jpg

[Hal O'Peridol]

Long strap is 48 inches long with 35 pairs of holes, plus the extra two holes.

Short strap is 24 inches long with 16 pairs of holes.

The sling is obviously USGI, arsenal stamped and inspector marked. The length of the long strap and odd number and spacing of holes does not correspond with any other US sling that I know about.

Tried to google/duckduckgo the M1905 sling, but there really is little info out there.

I was hoping Rick the Librarian would chime in.

[PhillipM]

PM or call Richard Turner.

[Hal O'Peridol]

PM or call Richard Turner.

Did so this past Friday, 8/7/15.

[rayg]

Ok I re-measured my sling just to be sure I measured right before and the long length is 48" with 32 pr holes and the short length is 24" with 16 pr of holes. both of the posted slings, his and mine, are close to being the same pattern so more then one was made. It's possible this sling might be a trials or transition version designed for the rod bayonet and converted 1905-06 dated Springfield's. Probably a bit of influence or suggestions by target shooters w/the arsenal's back then by using two hooks for better rifle/sling hold for shooting not one hook like the earlier Krag slings had. Also the overall length of my sling is 2" shorter then the standard 07 sling, Ray

[Hal O'Peridol]

Let's toss this into the mix. From a 1927 gun and parts catalog, probably Bannerman's but cannot state for sure.

[Hal O'Peridol]

Got a reply from Richard Turner. Combo of a M1903 short strap and a M1905 long strap. So essentially it's a bubba sling!

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

Got a reply from Richard Turner. Combo of a M1903 short strap and a M1905 long strap. So essentially it's a bubba sling!

Your sling is correct and was one of the early M1907 Slings, since the Ordnance Department mandated that the existing usable M1903 and M1905 Slings in inventory be cannibalized and used for construction of the new model M1907 Sling in order to save cost. From what I understand, the U.S. Army had tens of thousands of the earlier slings in inventory which was still in serviceable condition and could be modified for making the new M1907 Sling. Your sling in its current condition would be quite valuable to someone who needed it for their collection. I believe your sling modification to have been made at Rock Island Arsenal, most likely a first year production. Rock Island cannibalized many musket slings, spliced the straps together in order to make some of the first M1887 Slings for the M1873 Springfield Rifle.

Back then, leather was an even more valuable commodity and was re-purposed when practicable. This was also what happened to many M1885 McClellan Cavalry Saddles. The tree and hardware was salvaged and they were rebuilt into the M1904 and M1912 Cavalry Saddles in order to save cost.

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This is what I posted over on the CMP Forums Accessories Page:

Hal O'Peridol:

Your sling is made up from two different slings, short strap is made up from the M1903 Sling and the long strap is made up from a M1905 Sling. The two large holes with slits on the tail of the long strap were the button holes for the brass sling stud.

Each of these earlier slings had a hook at one end and a brass button stud at the other. Each sling had 20 pair of holes in the body of the sling and was outfitted with a pair of keepers. The M1903 Sling was 52" long and the M1905 Sling was 48" long. The difference in each, other than length, was the number of holes at the button end. The M1903 had three pair while the M1905 had two pair of holes. There was an M1906 Sling as well. It was made up the same as the M1905; however, it omitted the two pair of holes at the button end of the sling and was considered an experimental sling. The M1907 Sling was finally the culmination of these various type slings and served the need not only as a carry strap, but also as a shooting aid.

If you don't have Colonel Brophy's Book on the Springfield, here is a link to Page 435 covering the various slings and descriptions. There are some discrepancies, such as referring to the 66.5 inch sling as the M1903 Sling when it is actually the M1887 Sling, which was used on both the M1873 Springfield (Trapdoor) as well as the Krag. https://books.google.com/books?id=vb...button&f=false


This one of our M1903 Sling Reproductions with blackened brass as per the original. Notice the three pair of holes at the button end of the strap. On the M1905 Sling, there were only two pair of holes.
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