Is this a proper sling for my 1903A3? What is it?

[Richard Turner]

Your sling is an M1887 Sling for the 1873 Springfield Rifle (66.5" inch), also used on the Krags. There were two versions, the M1887 is one piece of leather; however, prior to the M1887, the same sling was made utilizing two salvaged musket slings that were skived and spliced in the middle of the strap with three rows of stitching, if my memory serves me correct, the spliced sling is the M1874. If your sling has the splice in the middle, it would have been made prior to 1887. Some of the frogs on the very early slings have very narrow claws or prongs, less than half the width than you normally encounter on the later slings. Rock Island Arsenal began making the frog pictured on your sling around 1876. This particular frog, after being stamped (some were also cast), was coined, meaning that it was ran through an additional forming die that imparted the chamfered (beveled edge) on the face of the hook.

In judging the sling pictured, if it has no breaks, tears, or serious cracks, it should command $200 or more to a collector.

There was also a M1903 Sling that was similar (52" inch) hook and button pattern, also used on the Krags and early M1903 Springfields. Another variant was the M1905 Experimental Sling (48" inch) hook and button pattern, which was used on the M1903 Springfield prior to the M1907 Sling. The hole patterns on all three differ from one another; however, all that I have encountered have 20 pair of holes on all three versions. Then in 1907, the M1907 Sling was adopted.

Regards,

Richard