In my quest to find a good way to sling my Rossi Model 92 .44 (SS 20"), I have run across a number of solutions, many of which are posted on ARFCOM.

Some folks sell fine leather slip-on leather butt-pads with slings. Other folks offer studs that you can screw into the wood, with a metal stud band for the tube, so you can add your own swivels and sling. Lots of way do it, but it seems that I was left with either spending $30-$50 and having to drill the stock, or spending over $100 to have a custom slip-on made.

Of the two, the Slip-on buttstock pad and leather wrap around for the barrel had the most appeal to me, especially since I couldn’t find a barrel-band studs in stainless.  So I started shopping around for a leather one.  Most were high quality custom jobs.  However, I found a little muzzle loader supply place online called October Country, that offered a leather slip-on sling system for muzzle loaders that looked nice and cost just $26.36.  

I figured what the hell and bought one, despite being a bit shocked on shipping for the thing. ($14.00!)

So…  I thought I would write a mini review and share some pictures I took of it while putting it on, and some thoughts on it as I go on.

Pic 1


Out of the box, this is a fairly plane jane piece of leatherwork.  The leather is a fairly soft type, with a mid-level-thickness, akin to the leather on a motorcycle jacket, but not as thick as a typical leather belt.  It has a nice grain on the outside, and is suede on the inside, and has a little bit of give or stretch to it, which come in handy later in the review.   It is therefore light-weight, and doesn’t add much thickness, or padding, to the stock and rifle.

Pic 2


Unfolded, you can see that the strap is pretty long, which is nice. The boot is not too big, or too small, but is just right compared to the size of the stock.  Notice how this is a “primitive” sling, where there are no metal or plastic snaps or fasteners.  Everything is leather, and held together with eyelets that slip through.  This works exceedingly well, reduces weight, and adds a lot of flexibility to how you attach the sling.  

Pic 3


To put on the buttstock slip-cover boot, just unlace the thing until it is really loose. It is easiest to start unlacing at the mouth, and work your way to the back.   Then slide the boot over the stock, making sure to pull the tongue up with it. (There is a lace through the tongue too, which helps hold it in place.)  Once you have it on, lace it up starting at the back, and work your way to the mouth. Get it nice and tight, and then tie with a simple knot.

Pic 4


The front of the strap has several holes that let you adjust it to fit a lot of barrel sizes. For my .44 20” Rossi, I needed to undue to strap and adjust it to its smallest circumference.   Since the strapping is cut to be nice and tight, you can use a screwdriver to help push through the leather eye holes.  (Be sure to do this with the strap off the rife, it is I so much easier.).  

Pic 5


Once adjusted, I slipped the strap over the end of the barrel and put it near the top of the forearm. Since it is supposed to fit snugly, I gently worked it down over the barrel and forearm until it hit the barrel band. The leather has a little give, which works out great here.  Then I cinched everything down so it is nice and tight.  It fits very snug, and the suede adds a lot of grip to the strap. Here you can also see that there is plenty of room to work the action, even with the sling taken up a bit for length.

Pic 6


A look at it on my wife's sewing rig shows how it lays. The strap is generous. I have a large build and it is perfectly comfortable for me to wear.  The give in the leather absorbs a lot of shock when walking with the rifle, so it is very comfortable.  You could add a shoulder pad if desired, but I think it works great as is.  Here you can also see that the barrel and of the strap is snug and hold firm without sliding off the stock.  Great retention, very easy to shoulder and unshoulder.


Overall, I give it a 5/5 stars.  It is affordable, even with the shipping charge, well made, yet light-weight.  Though it’s not a finely crafted piece like some leather shops offer, I think it is superb for the budget minded price and simplicity of it all.  It has a classic western or mountaineer feel too, which I like, and there is something about the smell of leather and gunpowder that just go together, so it has that going for it too.

So, there you have it. It should fit Rossi / Winchester rifles just fine.  It may work on Marlin and Henry rifles too if they have that straight 92 style stock.  

Here is the link to the product page:  http://www.octobercountry.com/universal-sling/

Very welcome!