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M79 grenade launcher help wanted.


the whisky drinker
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the whisky drinker

Hi guy's,

Looking for information on the correct sling that the M79 used.

I was always under the impression that it was issued with both types of M1 sling, cotton and nylon.

However I have read recently that it may have had its own sling, slightly wider than the M1.

Does anyone have any info on this?

TIA

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Rakkasan187

TIA,

 

I am not able to get to my copy of FM 23-31 "40 mm Grenade Launcher M79" April 1965. Since I am doing the stay at home lockdown..

 

I was unaware of any other sling other than the general purpose small arms sling.. But I am sure from unit to unit they made modifications..

 

Fast forward to the 80's.. the M203 gunners in my unit (6th Bn. 502nd Infantry) Berlin Brigade used the wider padded black M60 machine gun slings when they carried their M203 in the field.

 

Leigh

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the whisky drinker

Thanks Leigh,

I was looking to buy a NIW sling that I thought was an M1 nylon for use on an AR15/M16a1. It is dated Oct 1965. The FSC number is 1055-00-714-5320, but I'm lead the believe that with an FSC of 1055 this is maybe for an M20 RL or M79 GL?

Apparently for small arms it should be 1005?

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Here is an image from my copy of FM 23-31 dated May 1972 of the M79 with the sling shown. It sure looks like an M1 web sling being shown in the image. I checked the web sling on my M1 Garand and it looks like an exact match to the sling being shown with all the same hardware.

 

Bob

post-299-0-92000300-1586869849_thumb.jpg

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the whisky drinker

Thanks Bob,

From what I understand the two slings are almost identical apart from their width, I believe that the one supposedly supplied with the M79 is 2.5" wide as opposed to 2" for the Garand/ M14 and later M16's.

Nick

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Nick, I just measured my military issue slings on my M1 Garand and AR15 and they are both 1 1/4” wide and they fit both swivels perfectly. I looked at 2.5 inches on the ruler and I would be amazed if the M79 sling was that wide. Ask the question of an expert about how wide are the sling swivels on a M79 and you will have your width answer. Pattern details of sling may be more difficult though.

 

Bob

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the whisky drinker

Nick, I just measured my military issue slings on my M1 Garand and AR15 and they are both 1 1/4 wide and they fit both swivels perfectly. I looked at 2.5 inches on the ruler and I would be amazed if the M79 sling was that wide. Ask the question of an expert about how wide are the sling swivels on a M79 and you will have your width answer. Pattern details of sling may be more difficult though.

 

Bob

Sorry my mistake Bob, 1 1/4" for the M1 and 1 1/2" for the supposedly M79.

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Nick, thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, my FM 23-31 does not give any additional clues about the sling.

 

Bob

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An M79 technical manual with the list of parts and stock numbers should solve the problem. One from the early 1960s would be best.

 

I dont have access to any right now so cant help. But I dont remember reading or hearing about a different sling. I think the idea was that one sling can be used for all.

 

Something to keep in mind is that the M60 machine gun had the sling swivels on the bottom like a rifle for about the first 10 years after adoption (the time when the M79 was introduced). It also appears to have been the standard rifle sling. So checking an early M60 TM would be interesting as well.

 

Sorry for bad picture but I had to take one from the internet.

post-5102-0-46346100-1586885391_thumb.jpeg

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In the -24 manual, it lists the sling as the standard rifle sling at the time, those brownish colored nylon ones for the M-14. FSN 1005-654-4058. At a later time, it was switched to FSN 1005-167-4336 which was the newer style black sling for the M-16, "Sling, Silent"

 

 

Again that is from :

TM 9-1010-205-24

ORGANIZATIONAL, DIRECT SUPPORT AND GENERAL SUPPORT
MAINTENANCE MANUAL
INCLUDING REPAIR PARTS AND SPECIAL TOOLS LIST
FOR
40-MM GRENADE LAUNCHER M79

 

 

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the whisky drinker

Thank you to everyone for their invaluable knowledge, but the quandary that I now face is, what is/was the sling used for?

Pulled these photos from the seller of the sling, apologies for the quality, had to do a screen shot.

NIck

post-159869-0-20052000-1586889016_thumb.jpg

post-159869-0-26781900-1586889028_thumb.jpg

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That doesn't seem to make sense to me showing its packed in 1965, but appears to list a weird NSN which wouldn't have existed pre 1974. Unless its some kind of part number and not a NSN

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The best I can tell that sling is for a 3.5 inch M20 rocket launcher. I cannot find that specific stock number referenced anywhere but closest numbers (1055-00-714-xxx) I can find seem to be parts for the M20, with numbers created in 1963. I am just doing simple google searches though.... having the period appropriate technical manuals would answer a lot.

 

However, this would make sense. If you search M20s they use a similar looking sling to the rifles. The one you have appears to be one variant made at the end of its service life.

 

Federal Supply Class 1055 is for Launchers, Rocket and Pyrotechnic

1010 is for Guns, 30mm up to 75mm

1005 is for Guns, through 30mm

 

I found part of a TM online for the M79 and its major parts are all 1010, which would make sense.

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the whisky drinker

DiGilio, excellent work and thank you.

I have just been on the NSN centre website and concur that it does look like it may well be for the M20, although after scrolling through the extensive list of part numbers I too could not find it.

Nick

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That doesn't seem to make sense to me showing its packed in 1965, but appears to list a weird NSN which wouldn't have existed pre 1974. Unless its some kind of part number and not a NSN

I think it has probably been re-labeled after the switch from FSN to NSN. 1965 date would have been carried over as the manufacture date.

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After more searching I found rocket launcher slings from the Korean War being sold on wardogmilitaria.com (https://wardogmilitaria.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=61_0_44&products_id=10388).

 

That sling was produced pre-FSN number days but notice the 7145320 number on the 1965 mystery sling is also on the Korean War era rocket launcher sling.

 

I think its clear now the 1965 sling was produced for rocket launchers, which by 1965 would of pretty much meant the M20.

post-5102-0-38779800-1586900767_thumb.jpeg

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johnsonlmg41

Can't say for sure if this is the correct sling, but I will say it works and fits? Could be backwards for all I know? If it's wrong and backwards hopefully someone will point me in the right direction? IIRC I put this on, and the launcher certainly did not come in this way, however everything on it is USGI (the sling may be a repro.....I don't know for sure?)

post-18419-0-13802400-1587301212_thumb.jpg

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