So I have several wonderful 1930s German guns, one of which I am taking hunting with me in a special wilderness area next week. The 16 over 7x57R is perfect for nabbing a grouse for lunch while looking for a buck or a bear. I have a leather sling strap made for this gun by a friend of the previous owner, and I cannot figure it out. One end has a loop with a Chicago screw for the sling swivel. Easy enough.
The other end has a wooden peg and two keeper straps. This end mystifies me. How is it supposed to go on the gun...any help is much appreciated. Thank you!
PA
pamtnman,
Your description sounds like you might have one of the "quick shortening" slings( my personal favorite). If so the end with the "Chicago screw" goes on the butt stock swivel and the one with the "wooden peg" and two keepers( one of which should be fastened to the sling at the "peg") should go through the barrel swivel. It should be arranged so the main part of the sling is on the outside and the short end at the "Chicago screw) folds under( toward the stock). You have to "thread" the sling through the barrel swivel, the loose keeper, then the keeper fastened at the "peg" and then the end is passed through the butt stock swivel and fastened with the "Chicago screw"( all mine have a simple "button" instead). BTW if the loose keeper becomes misplaced, it won't hurt anything. Of course this whole thing depends on the sling actually being a "Quick shortening" one. Sharps 4590 suggestion to post a photo would clear that up. This type sling functions only as a carrying strap, fully extended until you get to the stand or stalking; then it is quickly shortened to get it out of the way.
Mike
Thank you, guys. I have been photo-challenged on this site. Not being able to just upload from my laptop has been the issue. I would if I could!
As Der Ami correctly said, it is a quick shortening strap, and Gary Fatherree at accuriser rode in to my rescue early this morning. Despite trying in my own pathetic fumble-fingered way, I was unable to install it the way Der Ami suggests, and the only way it would work was the way Gary described.
Please understand, I am about the least competent hands-on mechanical guy you will ever meet. My mind just does not work this way. Statistics, economics, charts, graphs, data...that stuff speaks to me. Real-life mechanical things inspire me like my dog used to run from the vacuum cleaner.
pamtnman,
In the first place, I am mostly left handed and a lot of people have problems with my directions. Also, Gary knows what he is doing.
Mike
It is a so called "Kurzzieher" with a "Holzknebel", very typical German and used, as Mike described. This is one:
Gewehrriemen Gunwolf
The ones I have are much simpler, and are only 3/4" wide, but work exactly the same.
Mike
Gunwolf, thanks, that is similar to what was made for me by my friend. Mike, the one my friend made is also 3/4" and fits exactly in the old German sling swivels. He knows what he is doing, it turns out. I still want to get the screw-end at the butt stock, so the thicker and better anchoring end is over my shoulder. So I will keep pawing at this like a zombie until I succeed or keep it the way it is. Thanks again for all your help, chaps.
Ha!! Ain't that slick as a whistle!!