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Hello all,
Hopefully this might be of some help, and/or might lead to further discussion and more definite conclusions, or ???
Before embarking on this little task I did a fairly decent search here. Anyway...
I recently procured a very nice defarbed repop “P1853 Enfield” so I decided to purchase a few items to compliment my new acquisition. When it came to deciding on a sling I found myself in a bit of a quandary - Which sling would be the most generally correct for my impression? – a Federal infantryman (usually from NYS). I noticed from a recent thread http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...=Enfield+sling ,and from my own search on the web, that at present there are at least two vendors selling what appear to be decent representations of English issued slings which might be proper for this particular firearm.
One offers it in “waxed” blackened leather with a “square” brass buckle, and a “friction” type (without buckle). The other vendor offers it in black bridle, russet, white buff, and w/ special order “waxed” leather; with a choice of either a D-shaped buckle or a square buckle.
What to do, what to do. So I decided to check on the photographic evidence. I concentrated my search on Federal soldiers who possess what can positively be identified as a three-band Enfield-type rifled musket. My criteria for identification: If the sling is clearly showing a buckle, then I will say it is a British issue sling. If it has a hook it is a U.S. issue rifle sling. If neither can be seen, then it is unidentifiable. I’m sure there are flaws in this, but I was only looking for a general idea of what types of slings are most commonly seen on Enfield rifled-muskets among Union soldiers in period images. I realize there is always the “It really depends on……time, place, unit, what was issued, source of weapon, soldier’s preference, photographer’s prop, other foreign slings, etc, etc…and all the other variables one can consider. I also realize the result is going to be based on a very small sample of images.
I decided my guide for identification during this this search would be:
1)Sling is present but unidentifiable
2)Sling has a buckle so therefore probably British.
3)Sling has a hook so probably U.S. issue
4)Rifle has no sling
My search on the LOC site only produced one useful image (though I’m sure there are more which I failed to locate). This image is a “Portrait of Pvt. George A. Striker, New York Regiment, USA” . This young man is definitely holding a British Enfield w/ a US issue sling.
For what it's worth a search at the CW Soldiers and Sailors site resulted in two George Strykers from New York; one w/ Co A 104th NY Inf., the other w/ Co F 141st NY Inf.
A quick search through my book shelf produced the following:
In Brassey’s History of Uniforms – American Civil War: Union Army by Robin Smith I found only one useful image on page 43. The soldier is seated holding his Enfield rifle which has no sling.
In The Image of War 1861-1865: Volume 1 - Shadows of the Storm, pg. 159 there is a group of soldiers of the 23rd New York Infantry. There are 6 identifiable “Enfields”, all have slings. Of these at least 2 appear to have adjustment hooks as per US issue slings.
Echoes of Glory: Arms and Equipment of the Union. Page 198 shows a “Federal Infantryman in Full Marching Order”. Someone posted a very clear (& enlarged) image of this chap here on the A-C - my hardcopy is dated 1/15/06. In the image he is clearly holding an “Enfield” (w/ cone protector) w/ a US issue rifle sling.
An Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy by Miller and Pohanka. On page 150 is a group image of a section of Co. H 44th Indiana Volunteers. At least 10 Enfields can be ID’d in the front rank (mixed w/ some Springfields). None of the weapons have slings. On pg. 240 there is another group photo showing part of Co. C, 110th Pennsylvania Infantry in winter camp (photo by AJ Russell). & Enfields can be positively identified; all have slings, only one has what appears to be an adjustment hook like that of a US issue sling.
Billy Yank: The Uniform of the Union Army, 1861-1865 by McAfee & Langellier.
Pg 21. Shows an excellent image of a Federal infantryman holding what is clearly an Enfield rifle-musket – you can even see the contrast between the blued bayonet socket and the polished blade, and what appears to be a brass/cork tompion in the muzzle. The sling is unidentifiable as far as buckle or adjustment hook, but it appears to be similar in color to the rest of his US issued traps - black.
Pg. 46 Shows a group of seven soldiers of the 10th Mass. Vol. Infantry. Six are armed with Enfields, all appear to have slings but d/t to the quality of the image it is difficult to tell which type.
Pg. 55. A possible member of the 150th Penn. Volunteers (Bucktail) holding an Enfield which has a sling but the subject has pulled the sling to the side with his hand while grasping the weapon therefore it is impossible to identify the type of sling.
Pg. 67. A member of the 44th Mass. Volunteer Infantry wearing British accoutrements snake buckle bet et al), holding an Enfield w/ a English issue buckled sling.
Pg. 68. A member of the 108th USCT holding an Enfield with a US issue rifle sling.
From the above evidence it appears that the most generically "authentic" sling for a P1853 Enfield would be either a U.S. issue sling, or no sling at all, w/ very few British issue slings.
Has anyone else gone through this before? I would think very likely.
Thoughts???? Comments? Criticisms?
Hopefully this might be of some help, and/or might lead to further discussion and more definite conclusions, or ???
Before embarking on this little task I did a fairly decent search here. Anyway...
I recently procured a very nice defarbed repop “P1853 Enfield” so I decided to purchase a few items to compliment my new acquisition. When it came to deciding on a sling I found myself in a bit of a quandary - Which sling would be the most generally correct for my impression? – a Federal infantryman (usually from NYS). I noticed from a recent thread http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...=Enfield+sling ,and from my own search on the web, that at present there are at least two vendors selling what appear to be decent representations of English issued slings which might be proper for this particular firearm.
One offers it in “waxed” blackened leather with a “square” brass buckle, and a “friction” type (without buckle). The other vendor offers it in black bridle, russet, white buff, and w/ special order “waxed” leather; with a choice of either a D-shaped buckle or a square buckle.
What to do, what to do. So I decided to check on the photographic evidence. I concentrated my search on Federal soldiers who possess what can positively be identified as a three-band Enfield-type rifled musket. My criteria for identification: If the sling is clearly showing a buckle, then I will say it is a British issue sling. If it has a hook it is a U.S. issue rifle sling. If neither can be seen, then it is unidentifiable. I’m sure there are flaws in this, but I was only looking for a general idea of what types of slings are most commonly seen on Enfield rifled-muskets among Union soldiers in period images. I realize there is always the “It really depends on……time, place, unit, what was issued, source of weapon, soldier’s preference, photographer’s prop, other foreign slings, etc, etc…and all the other variables one can consider. I also realize the result is going to be based on a very small sample of images.
I decided my guide for identification during this this search would be:
1)Sling is present but unidentifiable
2)Sling has a buckle so therefore probably British.
3)Sling has a hook so probably U.S. issue
4)Rifle has no sling
My search on the LOC site only produced one useful image (though I’m sure there are more which I failed to locate). This image is a “Portrait of Pvt. George A. Striker, New York Regiment, USA” . This young man is definitely holding a British Enfield w/ a US issue sling.
For what it's worth a search at the CW Soldiers and Sailors site resulted in two George Strykers from New York; one w/ Co A 104th NY Inf., the other w/ Co F 141st NY Inf.
A quick search through my book shelf produced the following:
In Brassey’s History of Uniforms – American Civil War: Union Army by Robin Smith I found only one useful image on page 43. The soldier is seated holding his Enfield rifle which has no sling.
In The Image of War 1861-1865: Volume 1 - Shadows of the Storm, pg. 159 there is a group of soldiers of the 23rd New York Infantry. There are 6 identifiable “Enfields”, all have slings. Of these at least 2 appear to have adjustment hooks as per US issue slings.
Echoes of Glory: Arms and Equipment of the Union. Page 198 shows a “Federal Infantryman in Full Marching Order”. Someone posted a very clear (& enlarged) image of this chap here on the A-C - my hardcopy is dated 1/15/06. In the image he is clearly holding an “Enfield” (w/ cone protector) w/ a US issue rifle sling.
An Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy by Miller and Pohanka. On page 150 is a group image of a section of Co. H 44th Indiana Volunteers. At least 10 Enfields can be ID’d in the front rank (mixed w/ some Springfields). None of the weapons have slings. On pg. 240 there is another group photo showing part of Co. C, 110th Pennsylvania Infantry in winter camp (photo by AJ Russell). & Enfields can be positively identified; all have slings, only one has what appears to be an adjustment hook like that of a US issue sling.
Billy Yank: The Uniform of the Union Army, 1861-1865 by McAfee & Langellier.
Pg 21. Shows an excellent image of a Federal infantryman holding what is clearly an Enfield rifle-musket – you can even see the contrast between the blued bayonet socket and the polished blade, and what appears to be a brass/cork tompion in the muzzle. The sling is unidentifiable as far as buckle or adjustment hook, but it appears to be similar in color to the rest of his US issued traps - black.
Pg. 46 Shows a group of seven soldiers of the 10th Mass. Vol. Infantry. Six are armed with Enfields, all appear to have slings but d/t to the quality of the image it is difficult to tell which type.
Pg. 55. A possible member of the 150th Penn. Volunteers (Bucktail) holding an Enfield which has a sling but the subject has pulled the sling to the side with his hand while grasping the weapon therefore it is impossible to identify the type of sling.
Pg. 67. A member of the 44th Mass. Volunteer Infantry wearing British accoutrements snake buckle bet et al), holding an Enfield w/ a English issue buckled sling.
Pg. 68. A member of the 108th USCT holding an Enfield with a US issue rifle sling.
From the above evidence it appears that the most generically "authentic" sling for a P1853 Enfield would be either a U.S. issue sling, or no sling at all, w/ very few British issue slings.
Has anyone else gone through this before? I would think very likely.
Thoughts???? Comments? Criticisms?
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