Is this a Patchett sling?

[Brit plumber]

This came attached to a Bren I picked up a few months ago, I never gave it much attention as I've see Sterling slings on Brens before. And I was a little silly in fitting it to a winch and using it to lift and move one of my 1940 Royal Enfields.

It was only during a lift a realised it had 2 clips instead of one and I notice it had a 'ME Co1944 ^' date. So, does this make it a Patchett sling? Its definitely not a STEN sling which has been re-stitched or had the clips cut in the loop to install them on the sling.

Attachment 55763

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[Peter Laidler]

Never seen one like that but it could be one developed/designed for the Mk5 Sten gun where instead of having a normal rifle sling loop on the wood butt, some had as an alternative, just a wire triangular sling loop as part of the butt bracket. That way it took a TWO hooked sling instead of the usual.

Just saying that it COULD be. The down side is that two costly and strategcally important and rather complicated brass hooks would go against the grain for a £5:17/- Sten gun accessory. Mind you, so does a No7 bayonet really I suppose! The standard issue slings for Mk5's were the bog standard slings.

The first Patchetts didn't have slings and the first issues ones came with Sten slings too

Over to the Webbing experts..................

[browningautorifle]

Is it possible that the second hook was sewn into place? Modified? What does the stitching look like at the sewn end?

[Brit plumber]

Thanks Peter, I've no idea about this one either.

All the stitching matches for the whole sling so I doubt it's been restitched. I noticed that these clips were also used on the Vickers Berthier sling so it's possible that this sling maybe off something like else like a bag or load carry device.

[Peter Laidler]

In the station Armoury at RAF xxxxxx I saw a load of those old grey/blue RAF colour Sten slings that had been modified to take the brass hook and as such, were used on their L2 Sterling guns.

The strange thing was that their L2 guns came from RAF Ordnance with L1A1 bayonets and Trev Axxxxx, the bomb jockey/Armourer Sgt thought that there should be an adaptor to fit them onto the L2 guns. It was a great little wheeze because when we told him that there wasn't an adaptor thinggy he discovered that there was no simple facility to return/exchange the wrong bayonets for new No5's so Sgt Roger xxxx just wrote them all off, against the No5 part number.

Result. 17 new L1A1 bayonets in Armourers shop plus 3 'gifted' to Trev Axxxxx and they got 20 new No5 bayonets to boot. Everyone a winner!

[Brit plumber]

Weren't the Canadian C1s designed to have a L1 bayonet (Or is that C1 bayonet?).

[Peter Laidler]

Yep........ The C1 gun was a very nifty fabricated design sanctioned by Sterling. Sterling insisted that every part that was identical to the UK L2A3, such as pistol grips, butts etc, had to be purchased from Sterling and that they couldn't make outside commercial sales. And Canada never broke that contract.

David Howroyd told me that Sterling could make their 'Rolls-Royce' finish Sterling guns as cheap if not cheaper that the Canadian fabricated gun. I'm not sure that would stand up to any degree of close scrutiny or production cost analysis. But with setting up costs etc etc over return I suppose.....

Any Canadians got a good quality picture of a C1 SMG

[browningautorifle]

The SMG C1 had a parkerized finish, which of course was just entirely different from the finish of the Sterling. The bolt was a one piece thing, more like a Sten bolt. The bayonet was the C1...small ring and square mortise slot. The sling had a open end ring and a simple snap, like a dog leash. Simple two position rear sight like the early M1 Carbine. Yes, they were a nice handy little carbine.

[Vincent]

Any Canadians got a good quality picture of a C1 SMG

I have searched and searched. Can't find any good quality pictures of the Canadian C1 or the Spanish C2 SMG (Subfusil CETME C2).

[browningautorifle]

Fear not troops, here you go.