Appropriate sling for a 'rifle regiment' Snider-Enfield?

[aesopinblack]

Hello all,

I recently acquired a two band Snider-Enfield marked to a Canadian "rifle" regiment that needs a sling. I know that Rifle regiments typically had all black accouterments, but from what I've researched so far, the rifle regiments had a slightly different model with silver(?) buckles instead of just the leather ties. These 'rifles' slings seem to be impossible to find even a reproduction of (WTB ad is up in the EE in case magically someone can sell one).

Assuming I can't get my hands on the special 'Rifles' sling, does anyone know if it would have been normal in the Victorian era to just blacken a standard issue sling? Is it possible to modify a normal sling to be reasonably correct by adding a silver-ish buckle?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Incurable Collectoer]

The British Rifle sling can't be faked up by blacking a buff coloured Infantry sling because it has a thin piece of leather that passes through a "button" to secure one end and the buckle for the other. The specifications for the rifle sling can be found in Pierre Turner's book Soldier's Accouterments of the British Army 1750 - 1900. Just so you know sergeants of infantry regiments were also issued short rifles so you can put a buff coloured sling on a two band Snider and it would be correct just not a Rifle regiment gun.

 

[aesopinblack]

Thanks Incurable Collectoer - I managed to find a copy of the book, looks like this will have to be a custom bit of leatherwork once I can sketch out the detailed measurements.

 

[Incurable Collectoer]

I also had to make my own Rifles sling. It is not very difficult to make. The biggest hurdle was the buckle it was not easy to find one that looked close enough. I bought mine from Blockade Runner the Civil War reenactment supply company.