Austrian sling?? FAL??

[mnmkeller]

At a loss ..looks like Austrian unit markings and stolla Wien stamped. Matches nothing I can find and looks like one part of a 2 part set. Leather is wide similar to French mas.

[Frank LE]

Indeed this is an Austrian Sling.
HBA means HEERES BEKLEIDUNGS ANSTALT 1959 (Army uniform central depot)
A very, very early sling!
The FAL was accepted into Austrian service in 1958 as the StG 58.

Great piece!!

Regards from Austria!

[Sapper740]

Regards from Austria!

My curiosity has been piqued. How did an Austrian become a fan of Hobart?

[mnmkeller]

I'm still a bit confused as I found one online marked as an M95 but that wouldn't fit the stamp.

Still not confirmed despite the clear Austrian markings.

[mnmkeller]

This may the first solid lead....translates thru google as a First Republic m95.

Österreich 1. Republik Gewehrriemen zum Steyr Mannlicher M. 95

[Frank LE]

M95 slings are a bit shorter, they were used in the Austrian Gendarmerie until the 1960s and were marked similar to the Armys StG 58 slings (same colour).
The Gendarmerie markings were GBA (Gendarmerie Bekleidungs Amt) and the Army markings HBA.

Your sling marked HBA is therefore an Austrian Army sling. The HBA (Heeres Bekleidungs Anstalt) is still existing under this name in the Austrian Armed Forces. It is located outside Vienna in Brunn am Gebirge.
In the Austrian Army leather goods are still marked in this way.

Regards from Vienna!

[mnmkeller]

Many thanks!! The short length and relative youth of the sling made me suspicious of some crazed repro but thanks to our Austrian friend I am sure if what it is.

I have no m95 so this will likely be put up for sale when I all the slings in the blob id's.

[Frank LE]

The short type was also used on the MP 40 submachine gun in the Austrian Armed Forces until mid of the 1980s.

[mnmkeller]

That I can see...hard to picture this as a rifle sling.