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Original Kerr Slings


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Anybody else see the Northridge ad that just came out in Shotgun News? They advertise original GI Kerr slings for the Thompson SMG, not repros, for $49. They claim rare until now but have limited quantities. Have any of you out there purchased one from them and is the condition unissued as also claimed? Seems like a deal if it lives up to the ad, right?
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I did a search on their site for the Kerr sling. Nothing came up. If you find a link to the sling, please list here. Thanks
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Northridge is not only great to deal with, but most stuff is better condition than advertised, less expensive than most others, AND if you go by their place in California and let them know you want to stop by, they'll let you in and you can select your stuff. Lots of neat stuff on display.....I'd guarantee you won't leave empty handed!!! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

john

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QUOTE (john @ Sep 23 2004, 06:00 PM)
Northridge is not only great to deal with, but most stuff is better condition than advertised, less expensive than most others, AND if you go by their place in California and let them know you want to stop by, they'll let you in and you can select your stuff. Lots of neat stuff on display.....I'd guarantee you won't leave empty handed!!! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif

john

i've delt with them several times, EVERY time i've been pleased, the only draw back is their shipping times. on average from the time i order till recieved, 4weeks http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/dry.gif .

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  • 2 weeks later...

i received mine the other day, it looks real good to me, but i don't know what i'm looking at either http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif

 

the one thing i did notice, rather quickly is that it's missing the **smell** http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif .

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Hi Brian,

If it is an original 1917 Kerr sling, all of the hardware, even the rivets, should be brass. Use a magnet to test them. All of the endpiece hardware, except the reverser sleeve on the longer sling piece, should be marked "NOBUCKL", will be marked "PAT'D 7-21-14" in large &/or small print, and will also be marked "REG U S PAT. OFF". Color of the web material is khaki-brown. Look at p193 in "American Thunder".

Carey

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it's neither brass nor marked http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/dry.gif , but it does look good on the gun http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif
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Brian,

If hardware is not brass and is not marked, you probably have an M3 sling. The color should be mustard-yellow if it was made during WW2 or OD green if post-war. Hardware will probably be blued steel and it is slightly shorter than the 1917 Kerr "NOBUCKL" sling.

Carey

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I talked to the salesman and I specifically asked him if these were Kerr NoBuckl slings, (those being the metal parts stamped by the Kerr mfg. Co) and he said yes. I ordered a few. Now it appears they are NOT the Kerr slings after what you have just said. They better not be passing off those newly made reproductions as original M3 slings either, someone mentioned lack of musty smell which sounds very suspicious...Has anyone else received some of these slings? http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/dry.gif

 

MIke Hammer

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Mine showed up the other day. It is mustard yellow with blued steel fittings. By Frank's book it appears to be the WWII revised sling M3 for the Thompson. Mine has an old smell but is beautiful, definetly not a new reproduction item. Very happy http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif
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I got one of these after seeing this thread. As some of the others have said, it is an M3 not a Kerr sling. I'm kinda disappointed. It has no markings on it whatsoever but appears to be in new condition. I can't tell whether it's a repro or the real thing.

 

Sam

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Sam,

 

The M3 slings didn't have any markings on them. I'm sure it is a real sling in new condition. They are still around, just because it is in new condition doesn't mean it is a reproduction. That would be the correct sling for a WWII submachine gun, what's to be disappointed about?

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QUOTE (PhilOhio @ Oct 13 2004, 10:41 AM)
I have an unused M3 sling, bought from Numrich in 1969, when nobody even thought about making repros of Thompson stuff because there was no demand, and the world was still awash in it.  It has no marks, so I thought it must still be a repro.  Guess not.

PhilOhio,

 

I have a couple of NOS M3 type slings that were repacked by the U.S. Navy in cardboard boxes with cosmoline paper on the outside. They are dated as being repacked in the early 1950's. They are mustard yellow, blued metal fittings with absolutely no markings and no musty smell. These were made in abundance during WWII and new examples are still around, although hard to find. The ones I have and some others I sold over the last few years came from a military shop in Belguim of all places. A pilot friend of mine found them over there and brought a few back several years ago. I don't believe any reproductions of these slings were made at any time in the past and I have only recently heard of reproductions being made by one the Japanese paint ball type gun manufacturers and that is only fairly recently.

 

Too many gun show rumors abound about reproduction items lately. Genuine WWII slings are fairly easy to spot, in my opinion, if you have seen enough of them. Northridge usually advertises their items as new production or reproductions. I'm fairly certain these are original.

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'Jive

 

Thanks for weighing in . . . I figured that this sling was more than likely an original. I just wasn't sure. My disappointment stems from the fact that:

(1) I read an ad advertising like new "Kerr" slings for sale

(2) I call and verify that they are indeed Kerr slings

(3) I order one of these "Kerr" slings but an M3 shows up instead.

 

I really didn't have any desire to buy a M3 but I will probably just add it to the ever-growing pile of gun-related paraphernalia. It certainly is in about as good condition as one could possibly expect and who knows, one of these days it might even be worth what I paid for it! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

Not trying to vent my frustrations here--just thought I'd chime in with my experience for the benefit of others who might be considering ordering one of these slings.

 

Sam

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O.K. fellas, I just got my 3 slings in the mail and I am highly disappointed. What they are, (and I am absolutely certain) are modern reproductions of the M3 sling, exactly the same ones being offered for half the price at Bayonet Inc! I know because I got some from them too! I already have old original examples of both the Kerr and M3 slings, and if you compare them it's very obvious that these are repros. 1) The canvas is approximately 1/16" too narrow, is of a different weave, and has smell of recent mfg.and no sign of canvas age at all. The metal is NOT blued as it should be, but is painted a dull flat black and not painted very well at that. To list these as 'Original Kerr" slings is a gross missrepresentation of the product they are selling, they are getting mine back, and I am advising them to accurately list them for what they are. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif

 

Mike Hammer

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Mike Hammer,

 

I'll defer to your examination of the real article from Northridge. My comments were based on observations of real Kerr and M3 slings and, admittedly, I did not examine a current Northridge example. If you have original examples to compare it to, then it should be fairly easy to discern the difference. No, they shouldn'e be painted black, the M3 slings I have had (used, beat-up or new) all had blued fittings.

 

I stand corrected on the Northridge advertisement.

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