Legal To Import A Tsmg Kerr Sling?

[Blakeley]

It might seem like a dumb question, but I want to be VERY careful in matters such as these. How about ammo pouches, cleaning kits and like accessories?

 

 

 

Thank you!

[collector1973]

Yes. I purchased a nice TSMG sling from Marstar in Canada recently. I paid the equivalent of 12.00 US dollars, and that included shipping! Check them out they have some neat stuff, just wish we could have our M1A1's back, they sell them for 500.00 a piece! Ouch!

[Sgt]

I've wondered about that question myself. I'd love to purchase a lot of accessories, but have stayed away from the foreign market, simply because I felt uncomfortable with the import laws. Things like slings, cleaning kits, don't seem to be gun parts, but I wished I knew for sure.

[Deputy 89C6]

I could be wrong, but as the Kerr sling was patented before the Thompson, and was used on Enfield rifles before it was used on tommy's I don't think it would be considered exclusively a Thompson accessory.

 

Steve

[The Moor]

Deputy 89C6,

You are correct that the Kerr sling is not an exclusive Thompson accessory. Also, the way that I understand it, the Kerr sling was a commerical item and was not only used on the military rifles but was also used on commerical rifles/firearms as well.

This leads me to think that the Kerr sling was purchased by Auto Ordnance and listed in their catalogs in the 1920s and possibly into the 1930s as the "web sling" accessory. Some of the early pictures of Model 1928 Navys appear to have the Kerr sling attached.

Roger Cox's book makes mention of a "bannana yellow web sling with black metal fittings" but this sounds more like the M3 WWII issue sling than the Kerr sling. The M3 sling would not have been around in the 1920s or 1930s.

Or Auto Ordnance may have had some slings especially made for the Thompson by some company other than Kerr. I have never seen a web sling that can definitely be associated with a Auto Ordnance catalog purchase from the 1920s or 1930s. Maybe someone else here has seen one and can shed some light on this.