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The Rifle Sling Controversy

"To Sling or Not to Sling...(Should it Really Be a Question?)"

-By Aaron Young
 

            There is definitely more thatn on area in Civil War reenacting that is questionable.  One area that is hardly questioned , but almost always overlooked is that of the usage of the rifle sling.  It seems that this little item may have not been as common as many of us believe.  Many living historians have the idea that improving your impression is always expensive and very hard to do, but this is not the case here.
            As according to the United States Ordnance Manual of 1861, the rifle sling should be made of russet (brown) leather.  The dimensions called for the width to be1.25 inches and 46 inches in length.  The sling should include one standing  and one sliding loop, and a brass hook, which is fastened to the sling with two brass rivets of No. 15 wire.  The manual stated to make 40 gun slings, one butt hide of bag leather should be used as material.  The gun sling were to be sewn with white shoe thread, which was waxed with rousin-wax(1).
            The majority of the slings were marked with either a maker's name or inspector's markings.  When used the sling provided a means of carrying the weapon, but was hardly ever used for steadying the rifle in aiming and firing (2).  Between the time of January 1, 1861 and June 30, 1866 the United States Army bought or made 265,866 rifle slings(3).  Compare that with the number of rifles made or purchased at this time.
            On March 31, 1863 the ordanance return of Co. B, 72 Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers gave a report of their rifle and accouterment standings.  The company had 20 Springfield rifle muskets, 17 Enfield rifled muskets, four Belgian rifles, and one Australian rifled musket, which make a total of 42 longarms in the company.  The company also had a full set of accouterments for each soldier, but there was only 15 rifle slings issued in the whole company(3).
            In the state of Indiana, on April 27, 1861 three cases marked Lafayette Depot were received by the Indiana Ordnance Department. One crate was shipped with 50 altered percussion muskets, 51 bayonets, 52 scabbards, and only 10 gun slings.  In the three cases, out of a total of 151 rifles and muskets of different makes, only 26 longarms were equipped with gun slings (4).  By looking through the Indiana Ordance records one can see that these numbers do not change much throughout the entire war (4).  It seems that most of the rifles and muskets issued to Indiana troops (or any other state for that matter) did not come equipted with slings.  By thunbing through the pages of such sources as Military Images Magazine, the Image of War series, and the Time-Life Book series, one will see that the majority of the men in these photos do not have slings, on their muskets.
            All of these facts seem to suggest that the rifle sling is just another piece of equiptment seen far too often in the Living History community.  It seems that the magority of the men who actually fought in the Civil War did not have such luxuries.  One way to portray the soldiers of the Great Rebellion more accurately, the magority of reenactors as well should probably not have a sling on their musket or rifle either.  To cheaply improve your impression, this is just one more step one should definitely consider.
            Remember, we as reenactors/living historians are not portraying what every soldier did, during the Civil War.  This would be impossible, since there is only a certain percentage of us.  Therefore, to accurately portray what the majority did.  Here is where the rifle sling debate comes into play.  I am not saying that all soldiers of the Civil War did not have rifle slings, but I am saying the majority probably did not.

Sources:
1.  Ordnance Manual of the United States Army.  Philadelphia:  J.B. Lippincott & Company.  1862.
2.  Coates, Earl J. and Thomas, Dean S. An Introduction to Civil War Small Arms.  Gettysburg:  Thomas Publications.  1990
3.  Katcher, Philip.  Men at Arms Series:  American Civil War Armies (2): Union Artillery, Calvary and Infantry.
        London:  Osprey Publishing Company.  1986.
4.  Quartermaster General of Indiana Ordnance Department "Armorer's Book"  April 20, 1861- August 12, 1862.

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