Putting a sling on my rifle.

Most retailers that deal in gun accessories sell sling swivel studs... I believe even walmart sell them.

I found these on Amazon for example.

Or you could go the slip-on sling route but if you are using the sling to steady your shot you could see accuracy problems due to it pulling on the barrel.

Yes you can do this yourself, go to walmart and buy the swivels and drill u stock and thread em in. Gunshops don't always do repairs.

this is simple, I did it myself no problems and the only experience I have with "gunsmithing" is cleaning a rifle, so basically no experience at all. Get a set of uncle mikes from any walmart or sporting goods store/gun shop. Drill the holes yourself and you are good to go. I even did mine in synthetic stock the same way as you would with wood. Predrill and screw 'em in, attach a sling, and you are done.

For a model 60, I would go for the type that clamps on the magazine tube, with a wood screw at the rear. The forend is not very thick and birch is not very strong so I would recommend against a wood screw in the front. With the sling tension required at Appleseed, I would fear for its integrity.

You may have time to get a Garrand canvas sling from CMP. Works just dandy and inexpensive.

salty

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/74...hable-full-band-rimfire-sling-swivels-1-black

But unfortunately they only sell that setup with 1" swivels... you will have to buy some 1 1/4" swivels separately: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/77...-detachable-super-sling-swivel-set-1-1-4-blue

A GI web sling (M1 and M-14 issue) will only fit on 1 1/4" swivels because it has some metal hardware that won't fit through anything narrower. Same deal with a 1907 leather sling.

One of these types of slings is recommended for Appleseed because it will let you use the "loop sling" technique for stabilizing the rifle. You can do a "hasty sling" with any adjustable length sling, but it isn't as stable in the prone and seated positions as a good loop sling is.

A GI shooting sling is one of those things that you can get by without, but is still a good idea if you want to get the very most out of the weekend.

M1907. Leather. That's all you need to look for.

wcoats said:

ok, thanks, what is the difference from a 1" sling I can buy and a "GI web sling" I know this is probably a dumb question to someone that knows, but I don't. I do want to get the most out of my weekend. The whole reason I'm going to an appleseed weekend is to learn and getter better

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I had a 1" web sling on my rifle at the first Appleseed shoot I went to. It's mostly a sling for carrying the rifle over your shoulder, but it can be used as a "hasty" sling too. The only problem I had with it is that it's made of nylon, and would slip down my arm. I got some quick-detachable sling studs and QD 1 1/4" swivels at Dick's Sporting Goods and replaced the fixed 1" swivels that came on my rifle, then added a USGI surplus cotton web sling. They showed the proper way of using one at the Appleseed, so I've been practicing with it some in anticipation of the next shoot. Properly adjusted, it fits tight around your upper arm, and holds the rifle firmly against your shoulder.

The difference is that the GI web sling is purposefully designed as a shooting sling. It has a clip on the rear end that lets you quickly detach it from the rear swivel, and a rear buckle that lets you make an arm loop for attaching the rear end of the sling to your arm. That is how you use the "loop sling" technique. And it has a quick-adjust keeper on the front that lets you quickly adjust it to the length you need to give you good support.

The 1907 leather is also purposefully designed as a shooting sling. It is made of 2 loops... the front one is your arm loop, which you adjust to the proper length to make a loop sling out of, and the rear loop is where you adjust the sling for overall length. The arm loop has 2 keepers on it, which you slide down when you're looped up, to keep the sling from sliding down your arm.

Either one works great, but the GI web is a lot cheaper than the 1907, which makes it a lot more popular for Appleseeds.

Will the GI web sling work left-handed? I don't know why it wouldn't, unless the buckle would be on the wrong side and maybe that matters...

Cotton or nylon? (not a "silent" nylon, but the type with the same hardware as cottons) I know almost nothing about using a rifle sling, but I want to put one on my Mini-14 and learn how to use it. It came from the factory with 1.25 swivels.

Cotton or nylon both work. Its a bit of a holy war over which is better, mainly cause they're nearly identical.

Cotton 'rots', nylon 'slips', while in my limited experience, neither does either. (I've got a nylon sling and its not nearly a slippery as the haters would lead you to believe).

Ya they work left-handed (of course).

FWIW, with a hammer, you can get a 1 1/4" GI sling through 1" loops, but you have to squish the metal tongue open to pull it off, slip the sling through the loops, and then get that tongue back on and hammer it flat again.

I've shot both 1907 and GI slings quite a bit, and I find the simpler and cheaper GI slings much nicer than the leather slings, mainly because the GI style is sooo much easier to adjust than the 1907 style. A stiff leather sling doesn't help you nearly as much as you think it would cause its supporting the rifle through tension, where the nylon slings are just as valid. Yet so many people are fanboys of the leather slings I hate to even mention it.

The GI web sling works either way - you just turn the rear mount to the outside of your arm on whichever arm you sling up.

Cotton or nylon both work - cotton tends to slip less against other fabric on your arm when you are slung up, but absorbs water in the rain and can get a little stiff when it dries.

Nylon is a bit more slippery against other fabrics when you are slung up, but may be more durable over the long run.

After learning the correct loop sling technique at an Appleseed, I can not believe how much steadier the sitting/prone positions are. I can shoot more accurately with a loop sling prone than I can with a bipod prone and the butt of the stock just shoulder supported.

The GI slings are something like $10-15 or less most places. Using one is really simple too - they are one of those things that takes 4 paragraphs and 3 diagrams to explain online, but would take about 60 seconds of conversation if you were standing next to me with a sling in your hand.

It's a simple process. You need the appropriate sized drill and countersink.

First, tape the stock where you intend to install the swivel bases (to prevent splitting and splintering when you drill.)

Next, take two strips of paper that exactly encircle the stock at the two installation points. Fold this paper in half to find the exact center, then use that as a gauge to mark the spots to drill.

Drill carefully -- I like to use a drill press and set up a fixture with 2X4s and clamps to hold the stock tightly and keep it perfectly vertical.

For the forend swivel, you need to countersink the inner end of the hole for the nut.

For the rear swivel, I like to squirt a little Elmer's Glue into the hole when the swivel screw is screwed in, and carefully wipe off any excess.

FWIW, with a hammer, you can get a 1 1/4" GI sling through 1" loops, but you have to squish the metal tongue open to pull it off, slip the sling through the loops, and then get that tongue back on and hammer it flat again.

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I didn't really follow that, but I don't have one here to look at. I figured if I really have 1" swivels and I just measured them wrong I can grind/file the tongue part of the hook narrower until it fits.

Instead of all that hammering to remove and re-install the tab on a GI sling to get it to fit through 1" swivels, you can just cut the end of the strap off at a 45 degree angle and singe the end with a lighter to keep it from fraying, if it is a nylon sling. I don't imagine that method would work as well with cotton, though.

As for the metal clip that goes on the rear swivel, you can get by without it if you have your sling attached with a QD swivel. It's quieter without it anyway. Either that or you can narrow the clip down with a dremel or something as described above.

Oh! You were talking about the tab at the muzzle-end of the strap.

Singeing the end of a cotton strap won't stop it from fraying. It will work with rayon or nylon or polyester (etc)

Here is a summery of what you need.

1. Go buy a set of sling studs. The kind that look like wood screws. You drill an appropriate size hole and then screw them it. If you have wood glue or the white Elmers glue, add a dab into each hole. It will help the studs from coming loose.

2. Buy a set of 1.25" swivels

3. Buy a GI Web sling. I have both a cotton and nylon one. The nylon one slips, so I use the cotton one. Replace the hooks on the sling with the sling swivels.

If you can't find the web sling before your shoot, contact the shoot boss and ask him. Most bring slings to loan and/or sell at the shoots.

Appleseed teaches the use of the web/loop sling. You can get by without a loop sling but it makes a big difference in shooting accurately so why not try it?

have fun at your shoot and good luck.

henschman said:

Instead of all that hammering to remove and re-install the tab on a GI sling to get it to fit through 1" swivels, you can just cut the end of the strap off at a 45 degree angle and singe the end with a lighter to keep it from fraying, if it is a nylon sling. I don't imagine that method would work as well with cotton, though.

As for the metal clip that goes on the rear swivel, you can get by without it if you have your sling attached with a QD swivel. It's quieter without it anyway. Either that or you can narrow the clip down with a dremel or something as described above.

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You could just do what I do I guess - I keep the sling in my jacket pocket until I need it. I use a QD swivel on the front loop of the sling. When it is time to shoot, I pull out the sling, loop up on my arm, adjust for length and get into position with the rifle. Insert just the pin of the QD swivel into the front swivel post on the rifle - the sling tension will hold it in place. After shooting, just remove the swivel from the front post. I just keep the sling looped up and hanging loose on my arm between firing strings.

This is not going to work for a hasty sling of course, but I just shoot with a loop for the offhand position. Just easier to bring the sling to the rifle than to bring the attached sling to your arm. It is going to take some practice if you do not want to look like a monkey humping a football while you loop up into an attached sling, especially in a prone position.

For a model 60, I would go for the type that clamps on the magazine tube, with a wood screw at the rear. The forend is not very thick and birch is not very strong so I would recommend against a wood screw in the front. With the sling tension required at Appleseed, I would fear for its integrity.

Click to expand...

I haven't stripped a Marlin 60 and looked at one, but generally rimfire mag tubes are very thin walled steel; too much tension on one of those and you might bend it.

Putting a sling to be used as a tensioned component on a sporting .22 is not going to be easy at all. I would say that you would be better off without it as any way you mount it is going to put stresses on the fore end/barrel that will likely cause more accuracy upset than anything else even if you do not damage the fore end or mag tube.

I picked up this canvas sling made by fox today at the army navy surplus store for 12 bucks:
https://www.gijoesmilitarysurplus.c...roduct_info&cPath=1230_1362&products_id=12293

The cool thing is that it looks "old school" with the olive drab canvas. But even cooler is the shotgun shell "keepers" each perfectly and snugly fit 4 x .223 rounds, 2 one way and 2 the other. With 20 of these keepers, you can carry 80 rounds of ammo on your sling. Since I am using it on my mini, it is great!