Schlegel Manufacturing Co

[painter777]

While reading about the WWII efforts put out by the city of Rochester I came across something I didn't know about SMCo. Originally they were contracted to make the weaved belts for the belt fed .30 and .50 Cals. It wasn't until finishing this (these) contracts that they then started making Carbine slings. The article I'll link below leads you to believe that with the problems they had with the double weaved belts it wasn't until the summer of 1943 that they started the belts. Then after making 6 million machine gun belts they moved on to make the C tip slings.

Since I don't recall seeing a SMCo 43 dated carbine sling........ Do you think they didn't start making then until early 44 ?
And if there are 43 dated SMCo slings, they must surely be few.... Maybe even Rare for 1943 ?

Thoughts ?

This link is a good read that includes quite a few of our Carbine makers and suppliers.

In this link, head for the top of page 6:
http://www.libraryweb.org/~rochhist/v66_2004/v66i1.pdf

The looms that made automobile upholstery in peacetime at
the Schlegel Manufacturing Co. on North Goodman Street had to
be completely torn down and redesigned to make machine gun belts.
For months, the company hit “snag after snag in adjusting the machines”
to weave the webbing to the required double thickness.
The company finally succeeded – only to discover that the Army
had changed its specifications and now required a new type of belt!
“That took more tearing down and rebuilding.” Finally, by the summer
of 1943, Schlegel was ready to begin full production. It eventually
produced six million machinegun belts for .30 and .50 caliber
bullets, then switched to production of gun slings

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[wtmr]

[/B][/QUOTE]
The 43 dated smc slings are khaki colored.

[painter777]

I may have some then if khaki, but IIRC the ink is smudged so no way to read the date. I recently gathered up and boxed up my slings. Way more slings than I'll ever own carbines for, but can't help buying them when getting a good price. I bulk purchased from a museum in Texas about 6-7 years ago....... should have stopped then, but didn't.
Lots of color shades.

Hope your doing well M R ,
I plan to email you per a Stan Pro with some questions, when time allows.

Cheers,
Charlie-Painter777

[painter777]

Does this SMCo sling look like it's dated 43?
Would you call it Khaki ?

Pictured borrowed from here:
New to M1 Carbine - Need some help - The Carbine Collector's Club

[wtmr]

yes and yes

[USGI]

Don't forget the "Marked Carbine Sling" threads in the "stickies" for pictures of 1943 and even 1942 (questionable) S.M.Co slings. - Bob