Can someone tell me about this unusual 1903 rifle sling!

[RayG]

Can someone tell me about this unusual 1903 rifle sling!
It's the same length and configuration as the standard M1907 sling having two brass double hooks but it's stamped in two places on each end, "Rock Island Arsenal" 1905.
I had it for a couple of years and I remember the guy I bought it from said it was dated 1907 but I only glanced at it taking his word and had put it on one of my early 1903's were it sat since buying it and only looked closer at it the other day and saw the date. Ray

Is it an experimental/trials sling, early made 07 sling or what? I can't find anything on it? The brass fasteners look to be earlier Krag/TD style having slight bevels on the sides and the pins ground flush. I seem to remember seeing another early sling dated 1905 but it had only one fastener. Possibly they were early 1903 RB rifle slings before they went to two fasteners or else they were later Krag slings. Ray

[RayG]

Just counted the holes and the sling has 16 double holes on the short end and 24 on the long end whereas the regular 07 slings have only 16 on both ends. I also checked my TD and Krag slings and they only have 16-18 double holes total.
There is also an inspectors stamp on the sling. Ray

[RayG]

As there are no obsolete slings with that same number and pattern of holes as this sling and even if you used the sections of older slings, like from the Krag/TD slings which have a length with no holes that could be used why were'nt the same number and the pattern of holes that the specs call for in the 1907 sling added?
Also when I had first measured the sling length while it was on the rifle it was kind of difficult to do to get a good reading. But seeing it side by side with the regular 07 sling I see the length is not the same as a regular 1907 sling and appears to be about "2" shorter and it has the 24 holes in the longer section as opposed to only 16 on the 07 sling and a different pattern of holes. Because of the extra amount and the pattern of the holes and their location and the fact that the sling is shorter then the 1907 sling, and especially with the Rock Island Arsenal and the date stamped on each end of the sling to indicate Arsenal approval instead of just stamped only once like normally on slings.
Basically it's the extra amount of the holes and their pattern that stand out and create the biggest question as again no other obsolete slings have that many or that pattern of holes and especially important is the RI stamp and date on each end to indicate Arsenal approval/done. Because of all those factors I feel it is a prototype/trials sling that eventually developed into the 1907 pattern sling. Ray

Here's some photos to show the different pattern of the holes, Ray