Sling swivels on a Kibler Colonial

[Scota4570]

Anyone done this kind of thing?  The rifle is too nice to uglify.  I was thinking a Yeager button on the but stock and adding a lug to the barrel for the front.  Ideas welcome. 

[smylee grouch]

Thinking of doing the same thing to my current build and that is how I had done it on a couple of others years ago

[deepcreekdale]

Seems like using a button on the butt was not as common on American rifles as it was on European built ones. Most survivors that appear to have been equipped for swivels had a hole drilled in the triggerguard. If I recall, that triggerguard has quite a bit of meat at the front of the bow. A bow on the fore end to accept the other end of a sling would not be that noticable in my opinion and most of the ones on the market are mounted with a bolt so you can remove it. It is not a particularly light gun, a sling would be a nice option. But, if it is your rifle, do what you want, and the heck with what anybody else thinks.

[smart dog]

Hi Scot,
The Edward Marshall rifle, which is certainly a colonial era piece, has a hole for the forward swivel and a hole in the flat bottom behind the trigger guard.  Perhaps that hole was for a button but I think they also made screw studs with swivels.  Placement of the forward swivel is important because the swivel should rest against a ramrod pipe so it does not block the ramrod channel.  You also need a lug dovetailed into the barrel because there is no meat to the wood in the fore stock.  Having written all that, do you really need or intend to use a sling?  I think some folks think its a good feature until they actually carry a long rifle with 42" barrel on their backs.  It gets in the way very easily and catches on stuff very badly.

dave 

[B.Habermehl]

The front lug is should be more like a block as wide as the bottom barrel flat. Mine have the ends angled at 30 degrees to be dovetailed into the barrel. The hole for the sling loop screw should tightly fitted and a reasonably generous clearance hole drilled in the forestock. This is to prevent any torquing of the sling loop against the forend. The dovetail can be a neat slip fit with the block and soldered. Keeping the dovetail in the barrel as shallow as possible. I’ve allways used a button in the bottom of the butstock. Easily made from a stove bolt. Drill a cross hole in the square part of the shank for a Allen wrench to tighten it into the stock. I took a nasty fall on ice onto my rifle while slung on my back with no damage to the stock except for additional patina useing this setup. BJH

[Scota4570]

I assembled and carved the rifle for a friend.  He will use it.  He is one of the guys with way to much energy.  He really does walk for miles and mile in the hills on a regular basis.  Out West here,  the trails are much more open than I imagine you folks have back East. Snagging on branches and such is less of a problem.  When you do a 10 mile day a sling is a welcome thing. 

I was expecting to add a lug to the barrel.  I suppose I should add escutcheons for the cross bolts.  Were the escutcheons round buttons that were inletted?  Round is easy.  If they were other shapes that is harder.  The bails would be made from scratch. 

Anyone have pictures of how they did it?   

[smart dog]

Hi,
Scot I know your country very well and would not change my comments at all.

dave

[smart dog]

Hi,
These swivels are made by hand. 



Use 3/32" or 1/8" mild steel rod.  Cut to proper length using a bendable wire model.  Add 1/2" to each end and bend those ends over to form the loops for the screw.  Pinch them tight at the bottoms and then weld the joints.  Peen the welds flat.  Drill a hole on one side for the screw and drill and tap the other side.  I use drill bits held in a vise as round forms to bend the rod to shape.  You can bend it a lot when annealed but for tight bends, do it red hot.  I takes me about 30 minutes to weld and bend a swivel.

dave 

[Daryl]

The button?

[sqrldog]

I prefer to have a sling on a rifle that I carry in the field as a hunting rifle. Long walks to stands or walking back to the vehicle after hunting is much easier with the weight of the rifle carried on my shoulder and back instead of hanging on the end of my arms. When you start into thickets or tough underbrush it is easy to unsling the rifle and hand carry it. If it has a sling you can use it as you need or want to. If it has no sling then you're  carrying it in your hands. Having a sling in my opinion just makes the rifle more versatile. The double rifle I hunted with for 15 yrs weighs 11 1/2 lbs. There were times when I was dragging my butt to the truck after hunting all day that I really pleased that it had a sling. Tim

[sz]

aag-443_1 by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
Like others here, I dovetail a heavy lug in the barrel and then pass the sporting pin or screw through both wood and metal so it's quite strong. The swivel falls on the thimble so it can't block the rod channel.

[LilysDad]

Perhaps you could use a sling attached with laced-on leather cuffs until you decide if you really like it???

[Robby]

When I'm hunting and my arm starts getting too long i put it on my shoulder shifting the balance point occasionally for comfort. Sometimes it is nice to be able to free up both hands and a sling is handy but not necessary, I always have some cordage to make an improvised sling. I do make sling swivels for some of my hunting guns though.
Robby

[oldtravler61]

  I would make one out of good leather. Put on if ya need it. 
They are handy when dragging a deer out by yourself.

[alacran]

I do not like slings on rifles, specially on muzzleloaders. I hunt out west and have walked as much as 12 miles in one day chasing elk.
I like to have my rifle at the ready and it is not ready if it is slung. Also climbing on rocks in steep terrain the rifle helps balance you.
Out west you are not dragging out a deer, you are packing it out.
The worst is seeing a fowler with a sling. Yikes.