Sling on your 92?

[Bill in Oregon]

How many here sometimes carry their 92 lever guns on a sling? Just curious. The little 16-inch Rossis would seem almost to disappear, leaving one's hands free while hiking and such if slung.

[AJMD429]

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I often don't 'need' a sling, but it only took a couple times when hiking or doing minor chores, and realizing I had to climb over something or move something heavy or awkward, to realize I might be better off with a sling versus setting the gun down someplace.

I like the right-side-of-buttstock and left-just-forward-of-receiver mounting facilitated by the flush Magpul stocks on AR style guns, and for leverguns have used a saddle-ring with a simple sling that has a loop and hook to slip around the barrel, for a similar effect - I guess the saddle ring was the original 'single point tactical' sling...

But mostly I just use the regular sling studs and a bottom-edge-of-buttstock, front-of-forend approach.

[Bronco]

Not a 92 but I have a marlin 1894cb that I put a cotton sling on! Like Doc. I do not use it much but there are times I do not want to lay the rife down and want to use both hands!

[Malamute]

Sling mounts are one of the first things I do to all my rifles. Im not fond of the looks of the band around the mag tube, I like to drill the fore end band or fore end cap. On the band, I tried tapping it, it worked, but you only had about 2 threads. I started inletting a knurled nut into the wood below it, its pretty bomb proof anf very clean looking.

The gun is in hand the vast majority of time in the field, but having the option of slinging it is useful. stopping the have a nature moment, like watering the sagebrush, dragging out game, working through rocky spots that using 2 hands it best, or carrying your dog our if it gets injured are just a few reasons. Laying a gun on rocky ground , leaned against a sagebrush or small tree can lead to disappointing moments. Hanging it by a small broken tree branch is handy in camp, barrel down if its raining or snowing while getting a fire going or cooking, setting up camp.

Yes, the so-called saddle ring was a single point sling concept, the original tern was sling ring, the guns were attached to a heavy shoulder strap with heavy clip to the ring.This goes back to flintlock days, winchester definitely didnt invent the idea, they copied many details of other guns, that being one, and I believe it was intended to interest military customers, but ended up being a mostly useless vestigial appendage that hung one for many years for no real good reason. A few people have used them in the originally intended purpose.the common lore is people used a leather loop through the ring to hang the gun off a saddle horn, but ive never found any historical evidence that happened at all in frontier times, let alone was common. The evidence of so many of them cut off or otherwise removed on working guns is interesting.

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[samsi]

My .44 mag 92 Trapper wears QD swivels, though 92's carry so easily that I don't leave a sling installed. The sling rides in my pack and gets mounted if I have a need to free my hands, otherwise the rifle stays nekkid.

[jeepnik]

Grew up with bolt guns with slings. So, having a sling on a long gun just seems right.

I found out that a cheap sling or one that is poorly attached is a recipe for disaster. I've found the best , for me, are detachable swivels. I don't store long guns with slings or in cases. Likewise I won't store a handgun in a holster or knife in a sheath.

I like the wide "cobra" style. They distribute the weight better. And leather is my material of preference. Though lots of folks like to adorn their leather with stamping or carvings, even going so far as "paint" these, I like little or no adornment. Basically function over art work.

One thing I found I don't like on a sling is a thumb hole. Never found it comfortable to use and if my elbow is acting up downright painful.

[LeverGunner]

I have swivels on my Winchester 92 rifle and 94 carbine. The Marlin 1894 will get them too. I must have a sling for stowing the gun when traversing hard terrain or other chores as mentioned above. I might not have the sling on the gun all the time when hunting, but I will have it with me when afield if I am more than 5 minutes from the house.

[AJMD429]

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For sling-swivel studs mounted on the forend and buttstock, I like the plain thin nylon slings mostly, without anything but one buckle to adjust length. I do have a couple Cabela's ones that have rubberized sections on the part over your shoulder so they slip less.

For the flush-mount slings like is now common with AR-style rifles, I also stick with mostly thin nylon slings, with the same one-buckle adjustment. There are a few I've experimented with where the front attachment can be swapped from the left front of the receiver to the distal forend, just for different modes of carry.

The 'single point sling' idea might make sense if I were in a cavalry or out doing something as an 'operator', where I'd be attending to the gun but sometimes might have to let go suddenly, so want it attached to me. But unless one keeps one hand on the gun, they bounce all over when active. However, I've found that if the 'single point' is enough towards the rear of the firearm, you CAN modify the sling/gun so that there is a second point of attachment, whether it's a chunk of velcro strap cross-wise on the sling, or a fancy adapter or buckle and attachment point, and then the concept is kind of nice, at least in some situations. You can carry the gun in two-point sling mode, but then if you really did need to kick into Rambo-mode, you could unhook the front and go all commando on your enemy.

My oddest sling that I really like is an all-rubber one with plastic and aluminum buckles and swivels. I keep it on my Ruger 77/44, which with a NEGS aperture sight being the only rustable metal on the whole works, performs well as a 'rain and snow gun'.

[2ndovc]

I don't have any on my '92s or '73s, but just about every other long gun I have has a sling or at least swivels.
My LTDIII didn't come with any swivels or studs and I didn't want to alter it. I found this on online somewhere, but I can't remember where and there's no markings on it. It works perfectly for the stubby .45-70 though when I take it hunting.

[jeepnik]

One of my favorite leather Smiths make butt cuff slings. I like the look but haven't gotten around to getting one yet.

I do have an old "shotgun sling". It's basically a sling with a large adjustable loop on one end for the buttstock and a smaller loop on the other for the barrel. Never used on shotguns but I kept it in the same bags as my AR-7

When I replaced that with "The Perfect Jeep Gun", it got proper swivels and sling.

[Carlsen Highway]

Everything I do is backpack hunting, so all the guns get slings. I often will not have them on though, and will carry the little .44 in the hand until I have to climb something, or cross a river or carry meat out. Then I put the sling on. (I dont like it catching on things) But they are essential.

I remember swimming across a river with my pack tied in a tarp so it was like a float, that hand holding the rifle sling as well as holding onto the pack (.44 carbine dangling underwater) and doing some kind of side stroke for 240 metres. (Sounded like a good idea at the time. To be honest I thought it was 80 metres when I thought of it and when I got to the river I found it was a bit further...got a bit hypothermic after that) I love that little carbine.

In the photo you can see the forward sling eye is clamped to the mag tube halfway up: I actually prefer them as far forad as it goes right up against the forward barrel band at the front sight. (but I cant undo this one now, so it stays.)

[LeverGunner]

Everything I do is backpack hunting, so all the guns get slings. I often will not have them on though, and will carry the little .44 in the hand until I have to climb something, or cross a river or carry meat out. Then I put the sling on. (I dont like it catching on things) But they are essential.

I remember swimming across a river with my pack tied in a tarp so it was like a float, that hand holding the rifle sling as well as holding onto the pack (.44 carbine dangling underwater) and doing some kind of side stroke for 240 metres. (Sounded like a good idea at the time. To be honest I thought it was 80 metres when I thought of it and when I got to the river I found it was a bit further...got a bit hypothermic after that) I love that little carbine.

In the photo you can see the forward sling eye is clamped to the mag tube halfway up: I actually prefer them as far forad as it goes right up against the forward barrel band at the front sight. (but I cant undo this one now, so it stays.)

Thanks for sharing. Nice carbine. What caliber? What make?

Love your signature.

[Carlsen Highway]

It's a little Rossi 92 in .44/40. I think it was made about in 2000 or so. No cross bolt safety or anything like that.

I got it from a CAS shooter who had got it new, but it had never worked for him so he never used it. It would not feed properly and never had. I had a look at it and it was plain that it needed a little shim behind the guide rail on one side. So I put a tiny bit of coke-can aluminium in there, and it runs like a Rolls Royce! That was years ago.
I stripped and refinished the stock, ands its actually prettily figured wood under the drab varnish the Brazilians had put on it. I tru-oiled it and it was very handsome for a long time, but now she is beaten up and well used!

I have done all kinds of experimentation with .44-40 loads with this one, (and a Uberti '73 I had as well. My father had a 24 inch barrelled rifle in .44-40 till he had a stroke and gave up shooting) I load black powder with cast bullets and jacketed with smokeles, as well as duplex loads I have researched or concocted. I have fired more .44-40 cartridges in my life than any other centrefire, by a large margin I am sure.

With my eyes being 54 years old, I am using a Williams receiver sight with it now.

(Out of interest, I have discovered that the Rossi 92 pedigree, as made in Brazil since the 1970's, is really based on the El Tigre carbines from Spain, themselves a copy of the Winchester 92 carbine. El Tigre carbines were flooded into Brazil and became an institution for carrying in the bush there and Rossi decided to keep making them when the Spanish and Winchester versions started getting old. Years later the CAS popularity was a major boost for export sales.
(This is why the original ones were called "Puma" and had a tigers head on the receiver. ("Puma" an obvious association with the earlier "El Tigre" carbine) They used to also have the front sight on the forward barrel band like El Tigre carbines.)

[Bill in Oregon]

Carlsen, always wonderful to hear from our resident .44-40 whisperer!
I remember seeing the El Tigre and Puma leverguns in the Gun Digests of 50 years ago -- and wanting one. But in those long-ago days I thought useful lever guns for hunting started at .30-30, or at least .25-35 so my first was a Marlin 336. Now I know better.

[LeverGunner]

It's a little Rossi 92 in .44/40. I think it was made about in 2000 or so. No cross bolt safety or anything like that.

I got it from a CAS shooter who had got it new, but it had never worked for him so he never used it. It would not feed properly and never had. I had a look at it and it was plain that it needed a little shim behind the guide rail on one side. So I put a tiny bit of coke-can aluminium in there, and it runs like a Rolls Royce! That was years ago.
I stripped and refinished the stock, ands its actually prettily figured wood under the drab varnish the Brazilians had put on it. I tru-oiled it and it was very handsome for a long time, but now she is beaten up and well used!

I have done all kinds of experimentation with .44-40 loads with this one, (and a Uberti '73 I had as well. My father had a 24 inch barrelled rifle in .44-40 till he had a stroke and gave up shooting) I load black powder with cast bullets and jacketed with smokeles, as well as duplex loads I have researched or concocted. I have fired more .44-40 cartridges in my life than any other centrefire, by a large margin I am sure.

With my eyes being 54 years old, I am using a Williams receiver sight with it now.

(Out of interest, I have discovered that the Rossi 92 pedigree, as made in Brazil since the 1970's, is really based on the El Tigre carbines from Spain, themselves a copy of the Winchester 92 carbine. El Tigre carbines were flooded into Brazil and became an institution for carrying in the bush there and Rossi decided to keep making them when the Spanish and Winchester versions started getting old. Years later the CAS popularity was a major boost for export sales.
(This is why the original ones were called "Puma" and had a tigers head on the receiver. ("Puma" an obvious association with the earlier "El Tigre" carbine) They used to also have the front sight on the forward barrel band like El Tigre carbines.)

Thank you for sharing about your Rossi, and for sharing that history. I didn't know that.

[OldWin]

I obviously don't drill holes in any of my old original Winchesters, but I do like having a sling on my working rifles. If it's repro or a project gun, I always add swivel studs. As for the sling, I like the old 1.25" cotton canvas M1/M14 slings. They are quiet, light, quick to adjust, and the wet doesn't hurt them. Best of all, they stay in place on a wool coat.

[Bill in Oregon]

Excellent reasoning on the canvas GI slings, OldWin.

[OldWin]

Excellent reasoning on the canvas GI slings, OldWin.

Thank you sir!
The reproduction versions are cheap and of good quality. That's what I normally use.

[mickbr]

Always meant to sling my Rossi 92's, have owned 5 and never got around to it for any of them. The last Rossi I have left now in 44mag may or may not get slung eventually.