Vintage Parker Hale Target Sling

[mk1rceme]

Looking for someone to point me in the right direction for information on these old target slings....here is my issue:

I found this sling in a bulk lot of webbing I bought last year. Lucky find, but it seems like all I can find online is what looks like a wider version than mine. At least it looks that way. Some online sources say these are 2 inch wide slings. Mine is 1.5 inches. I'm thinking it is just variation, but can only find the wider slings in photos, and the two I've seen sell online looked wider too. Does anyone know how many years, and when these were made?

Thanks for any help

online photos...these show the wider sling.

And mine...

 

[CerealBlast]

sorry, unrelated topic.....where can i find that peep sight? my 303 is the same as pictured but no peep. the rest of the assembly is there though.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

The predominant target shooting disciplines that built the UK's NRA, the DCRA and the other commonwealth shooting associations was military issue or strictly true to original .303 rifles and government supplied ball ammunition. The US' version of the NRA started after American competitors had their axes handed to them several times by Brits and Canadians. It has become something else over the years. Men and boys (hardly any girls it seems) were expected as part of their national patriotic duty to be able to load, aim and fire controlled shots at great distances. Queen Victoria herself was the first advocate of target shooting, and Bisley was founded. Every other city of any consequence had a garrison and all of them had rifle ranges. It was just the national thing for personal military preparedness and good citizenship! Although large citizen armies could be trained to run, jump and throw, for most recruits shooting was an unknown. By having cadet corps and clubs introduce shooting as a socially acceptable activity, the hope was to win big wars faster.

Now, moving on to your question. There are two sling loops under a No1 SMLE. The No.4 has a single "King Screw" in front of the magazine. By attaching a sling at each end, the shooter can make an arm loop and support the rifle much better. The issue sling can be snugged short, but it isn't as handy. The service rifle itself could not be modified, but whatever the shooter hangs off it was allowed. From which grew a vertically integrated trade for slings, sights, eye pieces, spotting scopes, rifle rests, boxes, score books, hats, ground sheets, etc all to aid in holding the Inner ring or better. Your slings are just part of that merchandise.

Service Rifle A was as issued, absolutely no visible modifications. Service Rifle B allowed better sights. The question about that "peep sight" fits that category. It is correctly an adjustable aperture sight. A peep sight would be something on a cheap .22 which needed a hammer to make adjustments. I learned how to read vernier scales by shooting with Central Sights from Australia, and Parker Hale or AJ Parker sights.

 

[tiriaq]

sorry, unrelated topic.....where can i find that peep sight? my 303 is the same as pictured but no peep. the rest of the assembly is there though.

You have a Parker Hale sight, but do not have the aperture? Try an ad in the EE. British apertures do not have the same threads as US ones of the period.

 

[55recce]

try looking on ebay under Parker Hale. There are usually some there but often not cheap.

 

[7ECA]

Looks like all PH did was make a bastardized sling out of various webbing components. It looks like a Patt. 37 rifle sling, with the buckle from a utility strap and then two loops to hold the leather bits.

Might just be as easy to grab some webbing and see what you can cobble together - assuming they are particularly rare.

The larger version looks to me to be made out of Patt. 08 webbing.

 

[maynard]

What you are looking for is called a 2 point sling. Not too commonly used here in Canada but the Aussie love them and a few Brits use them too.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Looks like all PH did was make a bastardized sling out of various webbing components. It looks like a Patt. 37 rifle sling, with the buckle from a utility strap and then two loops to hold the leather bits.

Might just be as easy to grab some webbing and see what you can cobble together - assuming they are particularly rare.

The larger version looks to me to be made out of Patt. 08 webbing.

Bastardized or not, most of the old time shooters did what they could with what they had. Spending lots of money when doing it themselves made no sense.

 

[7ECA]

If they've purchased a PH sling, that would be spending money - if they've gone and made themselves a sling out of surplussed webbing good for them.

Either way, it's an interesting use of webbing bits and pieces, and there are certainly tons of those bloody utility straps around (I've seen more than a few bundles for sale, Patt. 37 that is).