Custom Leather Rifle Slings for the .45-70, Henry & Lever Guns

You can carry a rifle on a thin nylon strap, and plenty of people do. But after a few hours in the field with a .45-70 Marlin guide gun or a Henry Big Boy, a narrow strap digs into your shoulder and the rifle never sits where you want it. A proper leather rifle sling spreads the weight, grips your shoulder instead of sliding off it, and — built right — quiets the gun so you're not announcing yourself with hardware noise.

Two things separate a sling that carries well from one that just connects the gun to your body:

• Width. A 2.5"-wide sling distributes the weight of a heavy lever gun across more of your shoulder. That's the difference between comfortable all-day carry and a sore trapezius by noon.
• Lining / grip. A suede or rough-out backing grips your shoulder so the rifle doesn't slide forward every time you bend or climb. Smooth nylon does the opposite.

We build our slings from heavy full-grain Hermann Oak leather, with solid hardware and machine stitching, so the sling holds the weight of the gun and the hardware doesn't pull through the leather over time.

One of the most-requested options is a row of cartridge loops sewn into the sling, so you carry spare rounds on the rifle itself. We size those loops to your caliber — .45-70 Government, .30-06, .30-30, .44 Mag/.45 Colt, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, .223/.300 Blackout, and others — in the correct loop size so the rounds ride secure but pull free clean. A Henry rifle sling with ammo loops is a popular build for exactly this reason.

Our slings fit standard 1" detachable sling swivels (available separately) and most rifles with factory or aftermarket swivel studs. For lever guns without studs — a lot of Henrys ship that way — we also make no-drill sling adapters so you can mount a sling without modifying the rifle. Tell us your rifle and how you carry, and we'll recommend the sling width, the lining, and the mounting that fits.

Every sling is cut, stitched, and finished by hand in our Lone Oak shop. We've been doing leatherwork for 35+ years, and the gear that leaves here is meant to be used hard and handed down — not replaced every couple of seasons. See the rifle sling lineup.