In the context of firearms, a sling is a type of strap or harness designed to allow a shooter to conveniently carry a firearm (usually a long gun such as a rifle, carbine, shotgun, submachine gun or GPMG) on their body, and/or to aid in greater hit probability by allowing the firearm to be better braced and stabilized during aiming. Various types of slings offer their own advantages and disadvantages, and can generally be divided into several categories.
There are several mounting standards for attaching a sling to a rifle, of which some well known are sling swivel studs, QD/ Flush Cup or snap hooks (i.e. HK-type snap hook or Magpul Paraclip).
Sling mounts also come in different widths for different webbings. The webbing on American slings are typically 1, 11⁄4 or 11⁄2 inch (25.4, 31.75 or 38.1 mm) wide, while European slings typically are 20 or 30 mm (0.79 or 1.18 in) wide.[ citation needed ]
A sling swivel stud, sometimes called an "Uncle Mike type swivel" after one of the manufacturers, is one type of sling mounting interface. [5] Sling swivels can be mounted to a long gun in various ways, for instance with wood or machine screws attached to the stock, [6] a barrel band, or by using adapters to other mounting standards such as Picatinny or M-LOK.
Sling swivel studs can vary in dimensions. The widest round part of the stud typically measures around 8.9 mm (0.350 inches), the spacing between the flats measure around 7.6 mm (0.3 inches) and the hole for mounting a sling adapter measures around 3.7 mm (0.145 inches).[ citation needed ]
Quick detach sling mounts (QD), also called flush cup sling mounts, is another type of sling mounting interface. "QD sling swivel" usually refers to the part attached to the sling, while "flush cup" refer to the corresponding socket on the firearm.
The system consists of a push button swivel attached to the sling (approximate diameter 9.4 mm, a little under 3⁄8 inches) which is placed into a mounting socket on the firearm (approximate diameter 9.6 mm, a little over 3⁄8 inches). The swivel is kept in place by a four ball detents connected to the push button, which presses against the walls of the socket. The sling swivel can quickly be taken on and off by pushing the QD button, which retracts the ball detents. The flush cup sockets can be either rotating or non rotating.
Flush cups can be mounted to a long gun in various ways, for instance by drilling a hole in the stock and screwing in flush cup socket, or by using an adapter to other mounting standards such as Picatinny or M-LOK.
A variation of the single point sling is used in precision target rifle shooting from the prone position. The sling is not intended as a carrying aid, but is used to steady the rifle. For a right-handed shooter, the sling attaches to the top of the left arm, and clips onto the forend of the rifle. The left arm is wrapped under the sling. The sling with upper and lower arm form three sides of a triangle that provide a steady support for the rifle.
A carrying harness usually refers to a type of sling made primarily for carrying the rifle, and not doubling as a shooting support. For example in biathlon, the carrying harness is often a separate item from the shooting sling, with both being attached to the biathlon rifle. [7] [8] The carrying harness is designed to let the biathlete carry the rifle with minimal hindrance, and in such a way increase performance in the ski track. Special carrying harnesses have also been designed for anti-tank rifles, [9] since such rifles often are too heavy for carrying with a normal rifle sling.
Various other forms of weapon slings and harnesses have existed, or experimented with for military trials. An example is the affusto d'assalto (assault carriage) that was devised by the 139° e 140° Reggimento Fanteria Brigata "Bari" in 1917 and used on the Villar Perosa aircraft submachine gun. [10] The same concept was later used on the Brixia M1923 machine gun but using the sling in conjunction with a bipod. [11]
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries.
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon. Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, surgerys, and guided missiles can be considered acts of shooting. When using a firearm, the act of shooting is often called firing as it involves initiating a combustion (deflagration) of chemical propellants.
The scout rifle is a conceptual class of general-purpose rifles defined and promoted by Jeff Cooper in the early 1980s that bears similarities in the design and functionality of guide guns, mountain rifles, and other rifle archetypes, but with more emphasis being placed on comfortable portability and practical accuracy, rather than firepower and long range shooting.
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke, or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The most common type are man-portable, shoulder-fired weapons issued to individuals, although larger crew-served launchers are issued at higher levels of organization by military forces.
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces low. While compatible with many weapons, the M203 was originally designed and produced by the United States military for the M16 rifle and its carbine variant, the M4. The launcher can also be mounted onto a C7, a Canadian version of the M16 rifle; this requires the prior removal of the bottom handguard.
The wall gun or wall piece was a type of smoothbore firearm used in the 16th through 18th centuries by defending forces to break the advance of enemy troops. Essentially, it was a scaled-up version of the army's standard infantry musket, operating under the same principles, but with a bore of up to one-inch (25.4 mm) calibre. These weapons filled a gap in firepower between the musket and the lightest artillery pieces, such as the swivel gun. This sort of weapon may also be found described as a rampart gun, hackbut or amusette, a name originally given to early medieval hand cannon.
The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, stock and forearm materials. Model numbers included in the 500 series are the 500, 505, 510, 535, and 590. The Revelation 310 and the New Haven 600 were also variations of the 500 series produced by Mossberg under different names. By 2021, 11,000,000 M500s had been produced, making it the most-produced shotgun of all time.
The M40 rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. It has had four variants: the M40, M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The changeover to the A1 model was completed in the 1970s, the A3 in the 2000s, and the A5 in 2009.
The 1913 rail, also known as the Picatinny rail is an American rail integration system designed by Richard Swan that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It forms part of the NATO standard STANAG 2324 rail. It was originally used for mounting of scopes atop the receivers of larger caliber rifles.
The Stoner 63 is a 5.56×45mm NATO modular weapon system. Using a variety of modular components, it can be configured as an assault rifle, carbine, top-fed light machine gun, belt-fed squad automatic weapon, or as a vehicle mounted weapon. Also known as the M63, XM22, XM23, XM207 or the Mk 23 Mod 0 machine gun, it was designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. Cadillac Gage was the primary manufacturer of the Stoner 63 during its history. The Stoner 63 saw very limited combat use by United States forces during the Vietnam War. A few were also sold to law enforcement agencies.
The Ruger 10/22 is a series of semi-automatic rifles produced by American firearm manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., chambered for the .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge. It uses a patented 10-round rotary magazine, though higher capacity box magazines are also available. The standard carbine version of the Ruger 10/22 has been in production continuously since 1964, making it one of the most successful rimfire rifle designs in history, with numerous third party manufacturers making parts and accessories for upgrading and customization. The 10/22's aftermarket is so prolific that a complete 10/22 can be built without using any Ruger-made components.
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix bi- and Greek root pod, meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are often attached to a belt or waistband, but they may be attached to other locations of the body. Holsters vary in the degree to which they secure or protect the firearm. Some holsters for law enforcement officers have a strap over the top of the holster to make the handgun less likely to fall out of the holster or harder for another person to grab the gun. Some holsters have a flap over the top to protect the gun from the elements.
A rail integration system is a generic term for a standardized system for attaching accessories to firearms. Rail systems are straight mounting brackets on the gun's receiver, handguard, or fore-end stock to allow sliding or variable-position attachments. An advantage of the multiple rail slots is the moveable positions to adjust for optimal placement of each item for a user's preferences, along with the ability to switch different items at different placements due to varying eye reliefs on gun sights.
The Sako TRG is a bolt-action sniper rifle line designed and manufactured by Finnish firearms manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. It is the successor to the SAKO TR-6 target rifle, and thus the letter G within the rifle's name is meant to represent number 7.
The CZ 452 also known as BRNO Model Two .22 Rifle is a series of magazine-fed bolt-action rimfire repeating rifles manufactured by the Czech firearms manufacturer Česká Zbrojovka Uherský Brod and imported into the United States by CZ-USA. Most versions of the 452 rifle series were discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the CZ 455, although CZ continues to offer the CZ 452 American in a left-hand model, with the bolt handle and ejection port located on the left side of the rifle.
The Ching sling is a tactical rifle sling created by Eric S. H. Ching and popularized by Jeff Cooper. The purpose of the sling is to stabilize the rifle as a shooting aid with a minimal amount of adjustment.
A weapon mount is an assembly or mechanism used to hold a weapon onto a platform in order for it to function at maximum capacity. Weapon mounts can be broken down into two categories: static mounts and non-static mounts.
A dovetail rail or dovetail mount can refer to several types of sliding rail system found on firearms, primarily for mounting telescopic sights. Colloquially, the term dovetail rail usually refer to any straight mounting bracket with an inverted trapezoid (dovetail) cross-section running parallel to the bore for mounting a scope or diopter sight to a rifle. These are sometimes also called "tip-off" mounts, and allow the user to easily take on or off the sight. Dovetail mount can also refer to a dovetail track running perpendicular to the bore.
A Biathlon rifle is a specialized rifle designed for use in a biathlon event. Specialist biathlon rifles are ultra lightweight, and usually equipped with straight-pull actions, integrated magazine carriers, and ergonomic stock designs suitable for both prone and standing positions.