Hi all,
This is a project that took a while to design and gather materials for (some need to be imported from the US), but the simplicity of use and assembly make it worthwhile in my opinion.
I won't be making any for sale so please don't ask, however, I am sharing the design on here so please have a go and make one if you think it might work for you.
First, some background on the design. I was looking at rifle slings and felt that the market lacked a 'proper' rifle sling; most are just nylon straps with foam or rubber pads that don't work and are often improperly made in China, they don't offer the rifle any additional support and are not very secure. The search began for the 'ideal' sling for a stalking rifle (weight being 7-9 lbs with scope in a stock, not a chassis rifle!)
Colonel Townsend Whelen, was a great advocate of rifle marksmanship, he designed the 'Whelen Sling' to give hunters the advantages offered by the 1907 military pattern rifle sling whilst cutting down on bulk. Slide taken from 'Handbook on Small Bore Rifle Shooting', available on Google books for a pittance (£4) when compared to how much information is in it.
The famous American hunting author and columnist Jack O' Connor was a great advocate of this sling and its use. See this article which gives some more detail on its design and use.
I contacted @Muir to see if he had any more info on this sling, he confirmed that it was seen on period hunting and varminting rifles but has since faded into obscurity.
I decided to rework the design to further reduce the weight and bulk, cutting out the leather lacing and additional loop whilst retaining the features that I wanted (fixed arm loop for cuff, one piece sling) and adding some (ability to release quickly on cross shoulder carry, use as a hasty sling, and thumb loop for stability when slung over one shoulder which is my preferred method of carry).
Here are the specs (contact me if you need help getting materials and I will send you the links) :
1 inch wide continuous strip of high quality leather, buy a 'belt blank' of around 56" length and cut it down to suit. Most include a small extra strip for a keeper, which will be required.
American brass M1907 pattern sling hook (known as a 'frog'), only one is required but they usually come in pairs. Buy high quality new old stock if you can through US eBay.
Copper rivets for leather work.
Chicago screws.
Hole punch for leather work.
1 inch sling swivels (high quality screw lock type, GrovTec or US made Butler Creek, do not buy cheap made in china ones unless you want to risk the rifle hitting the ground!)
See these photos for details, an essential step is making sure the frog is fitted correctly to the end of the sling, and that the hook facing back towards the rifle (not outwards). It is important that the frog is high quality, as on cheap ones the brass hooks are too weak and flexible, and the points will be sharp. When done correctly this does not dig into you. Make sure that the smooth side of leather is facing outwards so your cuff will have the rough side in for extra traction. Once the correct cuff length is determined through trial and error (you might need to punch a few more holes) the loop is secured with two Chicago screws.
Essentially, there is an 'ideal' length (at least for me) where the sling's closed arm loop is long enough to be used as a 'cuff sling' for all unsupported positions (prone, sitting, kneeling) and standing with it used as a 'hasty sling'. The frog must be unhooked to use the sling's arm cuff, but the length is still sufficient for the frog to be hooked back onto the bottom sling swivel (on the butt of the stock). This results in a tight cross shoulder carry, but the frog can be unhooked from the bottom swivel to detach the sling for use. Additionally, the correct length gives you a nice single shoulder carry with the end of closed cuff loop acting as a thumb hole that can be used to steady the sling.
When using the cuff sling, put a half twist in to the left (for right handers) so it contours round the arm when used properly (look up rifle cuff sling for more detail). The keeper is used to tighten the cuff in place and prevent slipping.
If you are worried about it being uncomfortable, it isn't. The fixed arm loop effectively forms a double layer of leather over your shoulder, and the thumb loop helps to hold it steady with the barrel vertical. This is a much better design than all the other slings that I have seen, in my opinion.
Cheers.
This is a project that took a while to design and gather materials for (some need to be imported from the US), but the simplicity of use and assembly make it worthwhile in my opinion.
I won't be making any for sale so please don't ask, however, I am sharing the design on here so please have a go and make one if you think it might work for you.
First, some background on the design. I was looking at rifle slings and felt that the market lacked a 'proper' rifle sling; most are just nylon straps with foam or rubber pads that don't work and are often improperly made in China, they don't offer the rifle any additional support and are not very secure. The search began for the 'ideal' sling for a stalking rifle (weight being 7-9 lbs with scope in a stock, not a chassis rifle!)
Colonel Townsend Whelen, was a great advocate of rifle marksmanship, he designed the 'Whelen Sling' to give hunters the advantages offered by the 1907 military pattern rifle sling whilst cutting down on bulk. Slide taken from 'Handbook on Small Bore Rifle Shooting', available on Google books for a pittance (£4) when compared to how much information is in it.
The famous American hunting author and columnist Jack O' Connor was a great advocate of this sling and its use. See this article which gives some more detail on its design and use.
I contacted @Muir to see if he had any more info on this sling, he confirmed that it was seen on period hunting and varminting rifles but has since faded into obscurity.
I decided to rework the design to further reduce the weight and bulk, cutting out the leather lacing and additional loop whilst retaining the features that I wanted (fixed arm loop for cuff, one piece sling) and adding some (ability to release quickly on cross shoulder carry, use as a hasty sling, and thumb loop for stability when slung over one shoulder which is my preferred method of carry).
Here are the specs (contact me if you need help getting materials and I will send you the links) :
1 inch wide continuous strip of high quality leather, buy a 'belt blank' of around 56" length and cut it down to suit. Most include a small extra strip for a keeper, which will be required.
American brass M1907 pattern sling hook (known as a 'frog'), only one is required but they usually come in pairs. Buy high quality new old stock if you can through US eBay.
Copper rivets for leather work.
Chicago screws.
Hole punch for leather work.
1 inch sling swivels (high quality screw lock type, GrovTec or US made Butler Creek, do not buy cheap made in china ones unless you want to risk the rifle hitting the ground!)
See these photos for details, an essential step is making sure the frog is fitted correctly to the end of the sling, and that the hook facing back towards the rifle (not outwards). It is important that the frog is high quality, as on cheap ones the brass hooks are too weak and flexible, and the points will be sharp. When done correctly this does not dig into you. Make sure that the smooth side of leather is facing outwards so your cuff will have the rough side in for extra traction. Once the correct cuff length is determined through trial and error (you might need to punch a few more holes) the loop is secured with two Chicago screws.
Essentially, there is an 'ideal' length (at least for me) where the sling's closed arm loop is long enough to be used as a 'cuff sling' for all unsupported positions (prone, sitting, kneeling) and standing with it used as a 'hasty sling'. The frog must be unhooked to use the sling's arm cuff, but the length is still sufficient for the frog to be hooked back onto the bottom sling swivel (on the butt of the stock). This results in a tight cross shoulder carry, but the frog can be unhooked from the bottom swivel to detach the sling for use. Additionally, the correct length gives you a nice single shoulder carry with the end of closed cuff loop acting as a thumb hole that can be used to steady the sling.
When using the cuff sling, put a half twist in to the left (for right handers) so it contours round the arm when used properly (look up rifle cuff sling for more detail). The keeper is used to tighten the cuff in place and prevent slipping.
If you are worried about it being uncomfortable, it isn't. The fixed arm loop effectively forms a double layer of leather over your shoulder, and the thumb loop helps to hold it steady with the barrel vertical. This is a much better design than all the other slings that I have seen, in my opinion.
Cheers.
