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MODEL 1923 RIFLE SLING – VERY SCARCE S.M. CO
WORLD WAR TWO RIFLE SLING IN “LIKE NEW” UNISSUED
CONDITION: Adopted by the army during the
interwar years, these Model 1923 Rifle Slings were
issued with the Model 1903 Springfield Rifles and
eventually with the early issues of the M1 Garand
Rifles. It is also worth noting that the World War Two
era Ordnance Manuals called for this sling to be issued
for the Thompson Machine Guns.
This sling presents in “like new” unissued condition,
showing no evidence of ever having been issued or
mounted on a rifle. The web strapping is overall very
clean, has a consistent light green color, and shows no
wear or soiling. All of the metal fittings retain their
original dark finish. The maker’s stamp is somewhat
blurred, the result of too little ink applied to the
corrugated web surface at the time it was stamped,
however enough of the stamp is present to make out what
it is when compared to other known examples of the S.M.
Company stamp.
While researching the Model 1923 Sling on line, I came
across the photograph shown below which illustrates the
different configurations in which this sling could be
arranged for different tasks. Unfortunately, the
photograph was not attributed to the person who took the
time to provide this valuable bit of information. One
of the criticisms of this sling was that it was too
complicated for the soldiers to use, so this set of
images is indeed a useful reference to fully appreciate
the Model 1923 Sling in the context of how it was
employed.
This is an excellent example of a very scarce rifle
sling and it will display very nicely with your Interwar
or World War Two rifle. (0617) $350
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