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After finally getting the groove tube sorted for my T21, I started looking into the sling. Studying the pictures, I got more and more convinced they used two WW2 Enfield canvas rifle slings with brass fittings, like this:

Posted Image

What gave it away, was first of all the pre-knowledge that they used a lot of British WW2 stuff, and secondly the brass fittings and the raised and curved edge along the sides of the sling, as seen in this behind the scenes photo:

Posted Image

And the curved edges:

Posted Image

...Only thing I couldn´t work out, was how they linked the two slings together - until I found this:

http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ti20.htm

...Detailing how to attach an Enfield sling, like so:

Posted Image

Now take a look at this picture, pay special attention to where the sling is looped around the front end of the barrel, and how it´s attached to itself:

Posted Image

Here´s a close-up further down the sling, where you can clearly see the brass fitting of the Enfield sling, and how the C-ring on the end is clamped around the sling:

Posted Image

And here´s how I think it was done:

Posted Image

...Now all I gotta do, is find myself a nice pair of green canvas Enfield slings, and try it out for myself!

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bro I think you may have found it! when you find a site that sells them please post it for us!

After finally getting the groove tube sorted for my T21, I started looking into the sling. Studying the pictures, I got more and more convinced they used two WW2 Enfield canvas rifle slings with brass fittings, like this:

Posted Image

What gave it away, was first of all the pre-knowledge that they used a lot of British WW2 stuff, and secondly the brass fittings and the raised and curved edge along the sides of the sling, as seen in this behind the scenes photo:

Posted Image

And the curved edges:

Posted Image

...Only thing I couldn´t work out, was how they linked the two slings together - until I found this:

http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ti20.htm

...Detailing how to attach an Enfield sling, like so:

Posted Image

Now take a look at this picture, pay special attention to where the sling is looped around the front end of the barrel, and how it´s attached to itself:

Posted Image

Here´s a close-up further down the sling, where you can clearly see the brass fitting of the Enfield sling, and how the C-ring on the end is clamped around the sling:

Posted Image

And here´s how I think it was done:

Posted Image

...Now all I gotta do, is find myself a nice pair of green canvas Enfield slings, and try it out for myself!

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Thanks guys,

It´s really just a small detail you know, but I´ve been banging my head against this for a couple of months now. Finding the page where they show you how to attach the Enfield sling felt really good...I had my suspicions, but I though "Naw, that wouldn´t work", so to finally get it confirmed that you at least could do it this way, was one of those happy moments for me.

There are quite a few slings up on Ebay, but they are either too expensive (I´m looking for the cheap unissued/copies, usually around $10, not the real deal, like well kept, stamped vintage ones going for up to $30 and more), out of stock or they don´t ship overseas. Or they´re the wrong color - they have them in sand color, white and dark green, and then there´s the Canadian ones with black metal fittings instead of brass...

For you guys in Canada and the US, these are the cheapest ones I´ve found so far:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=213662

...Same store, only on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Used-Enfield-WWII-Ca...2358&sr=8-2

They don´t ship overseas, though, so my search continues. Naturally, back when I first though of this, Ebay was full of these suckers. Now I order two from www.ima-usa.com, the sandtrooper´s best friend, only to get an email saying they´re sold out. Bugger.

@Illinois: Yup, those are the ones.

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You spent a few months figuring this out?

Wow now that dedication..

Hehe...Naw, I´m just slow!

Shipping from Australia to Norway turned out to be AUD 18 for two slings. I can live with that. Unless I find something cheaper, and soon, I´m gonna order mine from the good people at Lawrence Ordnance.

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Great INVESTIGATIVE Work!!! I have been a club member of Sportsmans Guide for years, and never had a clue that these were there.

I already placed order, and they are on the way.

In STOCK..

THanks again.

Jay

TD3936

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Happy to be of service!

I´ve been feeding off of other people´s research, documented on these and other detachment boards since before I became a member of the 501st, so it feels great being able to give something back for a change - even though is just a sling...

And I´m not even totally convinced I´m right. Although I think the pictures are pretty convincing, I need to get the slings and try it out for myself.

Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated!

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And I´m not even totally convinced I´m right. Although I think the pictures are pretty convincing, I need to get the slings and try it out for myself.

...it seems like most people agree you are correct... Great find btw...

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@Caomhanach: Quite surprisingly, it does. I was expecting at least some dissent...We´ll see, once somebody actually gets a couple of Enfield slings and attempts to recreate the look, if it´s doable and looks right. But thanks again!

What I really like about this mod, is that it´s actually quite easy and fairly cheap. For you guys in the US, and everybody else with easier access to the Enfield straps than I have, it shouldn´t costs you more than about $25-$30. Also, you don´t really need any skills to do it, and I bet it won´t take any longer then about 5 minutes to complete. I, on the other hand, spent weeks trying to find the right kind of straps and buckles, going to pet shops and clothing stores, searching for something with which to recreate what I saw in the pictures, blowing off a lot more than $30 on canvas and nylon straps, studs and buckles and brass paint. So in this case, the (hopefully) screen accurate choice is actually the reasonably cheap and easy way to go.

Now you can just buy the two slings, wrap´em round you gun, and viola.

@TD-252: Thanks bud! Gotta shape up, now that I have a TM coming you know!

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Naturally, a couple of days after I order two slings from Australia at AUS $19 a piece, plus AUS $18 shipping, these pop up on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Enfield-Rifle-Slings-3...p3286.m20.l1116

...At USD $9.95 a piece, plus USD $13.90 shipping. To Norway, that is. Inside US is probably a lot cheaper.

He´s got 20 of them, so get´em while they´re hot!

EDIT: Actually, it looks like he´s got two auctions going with 20 slings in each, making it 40 slings total right now. Yup.

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Hey,

I recieved two of the slings from Sportsmans guide, and they look great. One question. Are these light brown, or olive drab green?

Looking at the screen caps, it appears the lower sling is much more olive drab, and the top is a little more washed out and brown. Any comments or other views.

I am wondering what to do with these before installing them, and now am not sure whether to do anything...

I could bleach maybe, and then use tea to color, but then again, the pics are ehhhh??? Still look a little olive drab?? Let me know what anyone else sees.

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Well spotted - the one sling fastened around the muzzle do look more light brown than olive in some of the pictures. The exception would be the behind-the-scenes one, where it clearly looks green. On the rest of the pictures, it looks like they used one light brown, one olive green.

Chasing after these slings, I found that they come in a variety of colors; olive green, light brown/sand, dark green and (painted) white. The olive green and light brown seem to be the ones referred to as "British", while the dark green is often described as either issued for jungle warfare or Canadian. The Canadian ones, however, doesn´t have the brass fittings, but steel ones painted black. The white ones are for parade purposes.

I´d say it´s most likely that the prop department just dug their hand into a bucket of Enfield straps, grabbed a couple and slapped them on...The interesting part is seeing that there might have been two T-21s made; one with an all olive green strap, one with the olive green/light brown combo. Anyway, I think both should be accepted as screen accurate.

While I´m waiting for my own slings to arrive: How does it look? Is it possible to arrange them the way I suggested? And do they appear to be the right length?

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Posted Image

I think you found the right one buddy, whit the Enfield-rifle/sling here.

But on in ANH it looks like the have dot the slings together, and sew it together around the barrel.

Hhhmm what to do...

Cheers bro :) .

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I think you found the right one buddy, whit the Enfield-rifle/sling here.

But on in ANH it looks like the have dot the slings together, and sew it together around the barrel.

Hhhmm what to do...

Cheers bro :) .

May be try to think as prop maker and put here some sling to look same? :)
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Well spotted - the one sling fastened around the muzzle do look more light brown than olive in some of the pictures. The exception would be the behind-the-scenes one, where it clearly looks green. On the rest of the pictures, it looks like they used one light brown, one olive green.

Chasing after these slings, I found that they come in a variety of colors; olive green, light brown/sand, dark green and (painted) white. The olive green and light brown seem to be the ones referred to as "British", while the dark green is often described as either issued for jungle warfare or Canadian. The Canadian ones, however, doesn´t have the brass fittings, but steel ones painted black. The white ones are for parade purposes.

I´d say it´s most likely that the prop department just dug their hand into a bucket of Enfield straps, grabbed a couple and slapped them on...The interesting part is seeing that there might have been two T-21s made; one with an all olive green strap, one with the olive green/light brown combo. Anyway, I think both should be accepted as screen accurate.

While I´m waiting for my own slings to arrive: How does it look? Is it possible to arrange them the way I suggested? And do they appear to be the right length?

As for looks, they are great.

They also came one darker olive, and one lighter. Almost like one had been washed or something. The one is a little olive/brown color.

I am putting them together with the lighter of the two on top, and the darker on bottom.

I will post pics hopefully tommorrow.

TD 252

I think after looking at the pics closely, it does appear to be a rivet,button, or snap of some sorts,at the barrel end, but also looks like a couple of pieces crimped around the sling also which would be the brass parts of these slings.

Jay

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As for looks, they are great.

They also came one darker olive, and one lighter. Almost like one had been washed or something. The one is a little olive/brown color.

I am putting them together with the lighter of the two on top, and the darker on bottom.

I will post pics hopefully tommorrow.

TD 252

I think after looking at the pics closely, it does appear to be a rivet,button, or snap of some sorts,at the barrel end, but also looks like a couple of pieces crimped around the sling also which would be the brass parts of these slings.

Jay

Copy that bro, love to see your version of it.

The sling, will look and work out fine.

i might do it too, but it will also be nice to copy it 100%.

Whit the dots/sewing, light and darker strap etc as seen in the shot...

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I think I wanna try fixing them together with just the C-ring first, as in this picture:

Posted Image

...The way the strap sort of sags, where it´s wrapped around the muzzle, suggests to me this was the way they did it. It would be a lot easier for the prop makers to do it this way too, rather than sowing them up, or adding snaps or rivets. But I´ll have to try it out first, to see how it looks. I think my slings are due to arrive some time this week, hopefully in time for the Clone Wars premiere next weekend!

If you wanted to do one sling olive green, one brown, I guess you could bleach one of them really carefully, just to get some of the green color out of it, and then dye it with tea or coffee, or something like that?

Looking forward to seeing your pics, Trooper1!

@TD-252: If you wanna buy a couple of these, check out the last Ebay link I posted:

Ebay Enfield Slings

...Cheapest source for these straps I´ve found yet. They showed up after I´ve bought mine, naturally, for a lot more...They look to be brand new replicas, though, so they won´t have the natural weathering from wear and tear like the used, vintage slings will have.

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I think I wanna try fixing them together with just the C-ring first, as in this picture:

Posted Image

...The way the strap sort of sags, where it´s wrapped around the muzzle, suggests to me this was the way they did it. It would be a lot easier for the prop makers to do it this way too, rather than sowing them up, or adding snaps or rivets. But I´ll have to try it out first, to see how it looks. I think my slings are due to arrive some time this week, hopefully in time for the Clone Wars premiere next weekend!

If you wanted to do one sling olive green, one brown, I guess you could bleach one of them really carefully, just to get some of the green color out of it, and then dye it with tea or coffee, or something like that?

Looking forward to seeing your pics, Trooper1!

@TD-252: If you wanna buy a couple of these, check out the last Ebay link I posted:

Ebay Enfield Slings

...Cheapest source for these straps I´ve found yet. They showed up after I´ve bought mine, naturally, for a lot more...They look to be brand new replicas, though, so they won´t have the natural weathering from wear and tear like the used, vintage slings will have.

Thanks for the link bro (but looks like its over).

The same gun shop i buy my last canvas strap, might have the Enfield.

I might try him.

If you have another link to them, please pm them.

Thanks buddy, i can´t wait to see you T-21 whit the slings on etc...

Cheers :) .

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