Ruger No. 3 side sling

[outsidebear]

I prefer a side mounted sling for use in the field. I've Posted information on how I achieved side mounting on Rossi 92's elsewhere in this Forum. Here I am sharing how I came up with a functional side sling installation for a Ruger No. 3 carbine.

Using a Forstner wood bit and a milling machine (a good drill press would work also) made the inlet hole to install a military surplus butt swivel stud into the left side of the butt stock. Take is slow and be patient and it comes out just fine.

Note: Ruger No. 3 carbines have a through hole in the butt stock to allow the stock bolt to attach the butt stock to the action. Therefore, in order to miss the through hole, an Enfield off center loop base butt swivel stud was used. This allowed the screws for the butt swivel base to be secured solidly into the wood of the stock and retain the sling centered to the side of the butt stock.

For the forearm barrel band side swivel it was a bit more complicated. I bought several barrel band swivels destined for use on a Ruger 10/22. Being that the barrel diameter of the Ruger No. 3 is larger than the 10/22 barrel, had to thin down the over-the-barrel metal loop area by half the original thickness. The side loop that comes with this barrel band is flimsy wire, it just is! Taking a surplus Swedish Model 1896 Mauser sling metal clip attachment, disassembled the thick metal loop from the spring clip - be careful, the spring steel clip portion literally explodes in all directions when you destroy it to get the loop free!

If the Swedish sling metal loop is installed by itself in the side loop hole, it will slide up n' down in sloppy fashion, not good. By drilling and tapping a hole in the center of the side loop metal, then installing an allen head set screw to take up the space where the ends of the loop leave a gap internally, this reduces the gap to about 1/16th inch - no sloppy sliding up n' down now. I could have removed the bottom sling swivel hole on the barrel band, but decided to leave it, one never knows when it might come in handy later on!

I used the Swedish Model 1896 Mauser sling on the Ruger No. 3 carbine, as shown in the pictures, it being soft, pliable and skookum! Carrying the Ruger No. 3 in the field, slung over my left shoulder, barrel down, left elbow holding the carbine in position, is most comfortable and holds it securely out of the way, not letting it flop from side to side, as most often is the case with the sling swivels installed on the bottom of the butt stock and forearm.

In all I converted 4 of the 10/22 side sling barrel bands into Ruger No. 3 side sling barrel bands. Having cerakote applied, after my filing and shaping, brought them back to a tough and serviceable finish.

[Trailboss]

Very nice work outsidebear! I really like the side sling concept.

[Ranch Dog]

Yes, very nice work!

What cartridge is you #3 chambered in. I've always wanted a #3 in 375 Win, but I want a lot of things!

[outsidebear]

Ranch Dog - comments appreciated. At present have installed similar side sling setups on 8 carbines/rifles, most of which are Rossi '92's. Once I installed side swivels on a carbine, there was no going back for me....as long as not defacing a collectible firearm. Yes, I speak from a soap box at times about the side sling carry, but until someone carries this setup in the field, out hiking, woods loafing, hunting the high country, climbing around on a woody hillside, etc., they really won't appreciate how well and comfortable it is. There 'is' a reason a few million Mauser and other makes of military rifles use the side sling...just saying.

This No. 3 is chambered in .45-70. Yes, mostly use light bullets n' light loads! My hunting load is 28.0 grs of 5744 behind a 405 gr cast bullet, which is close to an original fps load from wayyyy back when. This load makes meat quite well. Can use heavier loads, like the Marlin Guide Gun folks like to stoke theirs up to floor boarded levels, but I've not the need with this No. 3.

A No. 3 in .375 Winchester would be sweet, being a bit more user friendly with recoil. I've other No. 3's: .30-40 Krag; re-barreled-by-others to 28" octagon in .40-90 SS and .45-70 - they handle/balance like a long barreled 1886 Winchester; and a few other No. 3's. With the .45 caliber hole down the barrel it makes the No. 3 a lightweight rig that's a pleasure to carry in the field - though I've often thought of contracting it out for when a shot is needed with a really heavy load! With 300-350 gr cast bullets loaded to 1250-1400 fps it's fine.

In 1982 I had 2 No. 3's re-bored/re-chambered to .257 Roberts, using one as my primary caribou gun during the winter months when the bears went to sleep, in Alaska. The second one was gifted to a friend in Wyoming in '83, he having used it for all his antelope, deer, elk ever since.