late enfield sling or...........

[skiprat]

I picked up a deactivated no4 mk1 fitted with a very clean web sling.. looking closer the sling is marked

XLI 1971 1005 99 3065 its length is 45 inch.

By 1971 had we not started using the green nylon sling on the L1A1 SLR ?
been stamped XL could it be experimental? but why? we had this type of sling for some time?

Information

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[Thunderbox]

XLI is probably the contractor code; IIRC much of the kit in the 70s/80s had a company name followed by year followed by contract code - e.g. "remploy 1982 xyz123".

1971 is very late for a buff P'37 web sling; had no idea they were making p'37 web that late - even P'44 was long gone and P'58/P'71 was in production.

My Regiment was re-issued P'37 web slings along with the first issue of SA80 due to shortages of the SA80 sling - the nylon P'71 slings had been withdrawn along with the L1A1s and ancillaries.

[gsimmons]

Technically they're not P37 slings. They are sling, rifle, web G.S. Mk I or sling,rifle,olive drab. They were not named to a particular pattern '08,37 etc. They've been used since 1901 or so.

[Son]

Ok, now slings are not my strong point, but wasn't the 45" sling for the Bren.... which were still in use in 7.62 at that stage (IIRC... happily defer to people, who for instance might have written a book about the Bren....)

[Mk VII]

No, the 54" one is for the Bren (and it didn't come in until the end of WW2, anyway)
You can slings like this with dates all through the '70s and usually a NSN on it.