Blue canvas sling

[automaticlee]

What was the blue sling for? I don't have any book's on Enfield's yet. Are there any good book's on .22 trainer's ? I'm wondering what the BNP stamp mean's on my BSA trainer? Please enlighten me.

Information

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[Baal]

Blue slings were used by the RAF & RCAF.

[Bindi2]

BNP is one of the proof marks all commercial British rifles must have before sale. Blue slings use includes RAAF

[Amatikulu]

BNP = Birmingham Nitro Proof

It's been in use since 1954 in Britain and is the definitive nitro proof for the barrel and action.

[Peter Laidler]

The blue slings are interesting in an., er, interesting way because all Air Force webbing was originally this bluey grey colour. Quite why, nobody really seems to know. But it was! Then in the early /mid 70's Sir Derek Rayner got his teeth into the Forces and told them that all this nonsense was going to stop. ALL webbing and field uniforms would be the same. He also stopped the ridiculous situation where the Army purchased khaki cars, vans and lorries, the RAF that blue/grey and the Navy, well, Navy blue! Thereafter, all cars, busses vans etc etc that would never go into battle were just commercial colours.

Anyway, there's a bit of history!

[Beerhunter]

BNP = Birmingham Nitro Proof

It's been in use since 1954 in Britain and is the definitive nitro proof for the barrel and action.

It's actually one of two. The Gunmakers Company (London) also Proof guns. ( An 'armed' arm holding a seax over NP.)

[Mk VII]

Large quantities of this blue-grey Air Force webbing (mostly post-war) are still on the market and there's not much demand for it. The RAF started procuring its own special webbing set from the Mills company in the '20s although only people on guard could have had much use for it. This lot, seen landing in Greece in 1940, have mostly got it.

Production of this special set stopped around 1942 and the standard Army stuff was procured thereafter. Some items of the old stuff, such as the belt, continued to be served out into the 1950s.

[gew8805]

You have a "SLING, rifle, web, R.A.F. Pattern 1925". In 1925, the Air Ministry decided to adopt it's own pattern of Mills web gear, the blue-gray Pattern 1925. For reliable information see the excellent "Karkee Web" web site at:

Karkee Web

The Pattern 1925 is located at:

Pattern 1925 Web Equipment

[Peter Laidler]

You wouldn't believe it now would you? The RAF in blue/grey webbing and blue grey vehicles, the Navy in Navy blue vehicles and white webbing over navy uniforms.......... What sort of uniform was that? And then we got pattern 58 khaki and everyone breathed a blanco free sigh of relief. Except in Malaya where we'd had blanco free wash-and-go pattern 44 since...., well, 1944

[automaticlee]

Many thanks gentlemen, very educational. I just saw a book on Id'ing trainer's on the WTS board. Just what i was lookin for. Gotta love the internet!