M1923 Sling Back in Production - in an original, WWII US Factory!

[Col. Colt]

The big difference between the M1923 sling and the M1 (simple web sling) is that the M1923 makes an excellent shooting sling - just like the leather M1907 - providing solid support as a shooting platform when "slung up" properly, and greater accuracy potential. The M1 could not be used as a shooting sling in combat - you have to take it off the rifle and reverse the clip to use it that way, and it is still a poor substitute for either the M1923 or the M1907, overall - much less versatile. The M1923 was designed to replace the M1907 - lighter, cheaper and without the problems that come with leather that decays pretty easily - cracking, stretching when wet, etc. CC

[browningautorifle]

Which one is WW2 period correct?

Simple, look through pictures of men carrying weapons in Europe and the Pacific and you decide...

The M1923 was designed to replace the M1907

No matter how much you wish it were, the M1923 didn't see any substantial use...at all.

[Col. Colt]

I am aware it was not wildly popular in US Service, but it was apparently supplied pretty extensively on M1s and M1903s Lend Leased to England, New Zealand and Australia. I have read and heard of them being found often on repatriated Lend Lease '03s and M1s. Due to this, and the fact they keep turning up, some brand new, would lead me to believe they were made in the thousands - but how many I don't know. And how they became an item in the Thompson catalog I have no idea...

My enthusiasm for the M1923 sling is based on what I see as it's merits as a shooting sling, not on it's historical use. I have worked with three originals occasionally over the last seven or eight years and I think it was a very good but poorly understood item that, had it been properly described in manuals and troops given proper instruction when it was issued, would have been a lot more popular and would have rendered the lesser M1 sling unnecessary - except perhaps for cost issues. And the fact that they were still spending the money to be Mildew Resistant Treating them while still in inventory at least as late as 1951 (and commonly seen so marked today) means they stayed in the US Ordnance system at least up to Korea.

In it's current incarnation I see it as a good product that has merit for people who actually shoot their classic US .mil rifles. And being all US Made and available at a pretty reasonable price, I felt someone should at least mention it's availability. CC

It would be interesting to know how many were made - I'm sure there are records somewhere. CC

[ssgross]

The M1 could not be used as a shooting sling in combat - you have to take it off the rifle and reverse the clip to use it that way

Having used this sling on my m16A2 while deployed, I can say that on patrol we always wrapped our non-trigger hand(arm?) tightly in what we called a "hasty sling", exactly as we used it in the off-hand shooting position during USMC rifle qualification, and kept rifle at the ready. The sling was equally effective in aiding a stable shooting platform either on the firing line or out on patrol. We never messed with the clip, except to ensure it was the smooth side against the forearm. I don't recall needing to change it for that, just unhook from the bottom and make half a twist outboard. We used a piece of tape to mark our preferred shooting sling length, and only touched it if slack was needed to shoulder carry for longer periods. This sling could be and was used effectively in combat.

Having used a 1907 now with my milsurps, I can offer no argument that it is superior on the firing line in every respect. Once my 1923 comes in the mail, I will likely agree with all the positive statements above, however I have no firsthand experience with it out on patrol to make a worthy comparison as a combat sling there.

I'll be sure to wander around my yard with my M1 at the ready as an experiment, but I doubt the neighbors will understand the experiment without calling the cops.