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Posted: 8/25/2012 10:36:06 AM EDT
| What year did the nylon retro M1 type sling appear? |
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From Bill Ricca:
U.S.G.I. Slings 1) 1962-1977?Colt supplied 601 type slings, were supplied w/601's & probably 602's & were eventually "absorbed" by military supply simply as M1 slings 2) 1963-1977? Standard military contract M1 slings in cotton weave NSN 1005-654-4058 3) 1967-? BAR sling, same as M1 but longer, first shows up in 1967 XM177 manual & later as a "special issue" for the M16 rifle NSN 1005-714-9749 4) 1969-1977? Nylon "seatbelt" type M1 slings, supplied concurrently w/the M1 cotton on the same NSN 1005-654-4058 5) 1977-1984? " silent sling" type in a synthetic but "cotton appearing" style supplied by (at least intially) Colt then other military sub-contractors). NSN 1005-00-167-4336 |
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Quoted:
Would be nice to have an accesories guide to M16 Rifles that was detialed and accurate! Best bet would be to buddy buddy up with Bill Ricca. He could prolly tell you about each and every single individual part used to make up a sling. ETA,,the RBR sling section is just based on slings I personally own and is kinda general. >http://pullig.dyndns.org/retroblackrifle/ModGde/Aces/Slings.html |
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M1, thanks for your previous effort on the RBR site. The reason for asking for further detailed info regarding measurements, etc., is to get it locked in before many more repops show up. The WW2 reenactors are using some slings that look pretty good. Add some wear and tear and it ends up tossed in a box with authentic period pieces.... Every succeeding generation gets tougher to tell the real period pieces. It looks like most of the 'Nam reenactors are using real surplus. But there will come a day when the supply dries up and someone will start making new (insert item name). A few years back I had to bust a dealer's bubble who was selling an authentic Rev War musket sling. He was absolutely certain it was real and worth the $500 he was asking until I opened the stitching enough to show my initials and the year I made it (late 70's). I made it for a collector to display on his Bess. Gun sold and facts about the repop sling forgotten or conveniently omitted. Such is life. |
The real slings should have an anchor on the clip. Repros won't. Looks like this.
And possibly this although I believe current Govt contract production is MRT marked also. Most the govt markings are long gone. Surplus stores are usually best source of surplus slings. 
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Quoted:
The real slings should have an anchor on the clip. Repros won't. Looks like this. http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab223/cndenmark/DSCN0788.jpg And possibly this although I believe current Govt contract production is MRT marked also. Most the govt markings are long gone. Surplus stores are usually best source of surplus slings. http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab223/cndenmark/DSCN0787.jpg The anchor mark is just one of the MANY subcontractors who supplied parts to the military.I forget their name,but it was discussed here in retro once before. That same anchor shows up on WW2 M1 helmet liner chin straps as well.That company specilized in "buckles." Found it,,and thank you to Richard-ar15 for supplying this info in an old thread: The anchor stamp is the mark of the North & Judd Manufacturing Co. of New Britain and New Haven, CT. They go back to the Indian Wars period, making spurs and curry combs for the US Cavalry, and they made many types of sling and other gear fittings and fasteners up until the 1960s. |
| Rob you're tuned in. All the seatbelts I've owned had the anchor and a lot of the cotton garand slings. Most my M-14 nylon have not although they came in caged govt bags and I'm all out now but don't remember seeing it on my black Colt SP-1 slings. I also remember the original post but had forgotten buckle mfg. Same with most all AR parts few have heard of the actual contractors Colt used. Is funny how Mattel always comes up! |
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Quoted:
4) 1969-1977? Nylon "seatbelt" type M1 slings, supplied concurrently w/the M1 cotton on the same NSN 1005-654-4058 I bought two of these from Moore Militaria a few years ago, brown nylon "seatbelt" NOS NIW 1969 $25.000 each.: 
I called him back to order two more and he said, "Sorry bud, I'm sold out!" ...still is... Don't see any anchor, Let me check one of my old "crappy" ones . 
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Don't see any anchor, Let me check one of my old "crappy" ones
Interesting and also a coincidence that North and Judd also manufactured the buckles for many automotive seatbelts in the 60's. Wondering if the M-16 seatbelt sling was an offshoot of this manufacturing. Regardless we have one govt contractor that produced the buckles for military slings for well over 100 years and also produced buckles for automotive seatbelts in the 60's. Garand, M-14 and M-16 use the same buckles. All of which ended up using the nylon, that we call a seatbelt weave. You see the same code as on Beel's example 1005-654-4058 for all three rifles. The original company was swallowed up by the 90's but they still supply metal buckles today and they are no longer produced in the USA. They are now manufactured overseas. Betting the tooling is still in Conn. either in the museum or collectiing dust. Rob any markings on that early SP-1 sling? OP, as stated many of what you call repops are actually still manufactured/packaged by the same govt contractors of yesterday, today. Most any of the actual slings that saw much service use have been long trashed. As stated you can still find them in surplus stores and from surplus vendors. Lots of authentic early slings usually on e-bay. |
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I bought a NIW sling from eBay last year that has no stampings on it, just the stock and contract numbers on the wrapper. Seems odd for GI stuff that no subcontractor would put their mark on some part of it. The company information, "VANPAK PROD. INC. G-281 JULY 69 MIL-B-117D TYPE 1 CLASS C STYLE 1", only refers to the paper wrapper. 
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