SLINGSHOTS - Basic Information

When you need to weaponize a child in fiction, you give him a slingshot.

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SLINGSHOT

A slingshot—also called a shanghai, a catapult (in British English),Urdu: غلیل and a beanshooter(in the Southern U.S.)—is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The forked Y-shaped frame has two rubber strips attached to the uprights, leading back to a pocket for holding the projectile.

It is normally shot by holding the frame in the dominant hand, extended at arms length. The pocket is then gripped between thumb and forefinger of the non-dominant hand, pulled back to near the cheek, aimed and the pocket released to shoot the projectile toward the target.

Home-made slingshots were popular children's toys for much of the 20th century because the low projectile velocity was generally considered to be safe. However, it is possible to construct a slingshot with sufficient power to cause serious bodily harm.

Contents
1 Construction and use
2 Hunting
3 Fishing
4 Sport
5 Military use

Construction and use
Slingshot made with rubberA basic slingshot can be made simply with a rubber band, stretched by one's fingers, and a small projectile such as folded paper or a pebble. Although the simple forked stick and rubber models are still made by children and adults, there are now a range of commercial models, some sophisticated and powerful. There are many professional catapult makers in the UK, and many people collect them. Custom catapults are made from various materials: buffalo horn, deer antler, exotic hardwoods, etc. Most slingshots are made from wood.

Custom-made catapults are sometimes made in the style of the famous MILBRO catapult of the 1950s.

Many powerful commercial slingshots now have a wrist-brace, and some models have stabilizers, rotating prongs, sighting mechanisms, and other sophisticated improvements. While these are not necessary they usually improve accuracy, and the power and lifespan of the bands.

The elastic material is critical. The best widely-available materials are dipped latex rubber, surgical tubing, and latex sheeting, which last about 6 months before they need to be replaced. They can be attached to the frame and packet by stretching them over a metal rod of the correct diameter. Some slingshots are constructed of metal tubing. Many types of rubber are used, but there are three main varieties: square, tube, and flatbands. Among the makes of flatband material are linatex, theraband and latex. These materials were designed for various medical and industrial uses and have been adapted for catapult use. Usually, the flat band material is tapered from 3/4" to 1/2", and about 5" long.

HuntingA slingshot can be powerful enough to hunt game such as small rodents and birds at ranges up to 25 meters.[citation needed] A typical heavy pull band slingshot should be used with 9 mm (3/8") to 12 mm (1/2") steel balls. Using lighter ammunition doesn't increase the speed of the projectile significantly.

FishingFishing slingshots are sometimes used by anglers to project ground-bait into areas which they otherwise would not be able to reach. A well-constructed high-powered slingshot can be very useful when it comes to survival; one can use it to hunt rabbits and hares, and can modify the slingshot to shoot arrows to hunt larger games. and also as a berley launcher.

SportSlingshots may also be used in recreational paintball games as backup weapon (Slingshot paintball). Even though the average velocity and range of a slingshot are usually less than that of a paintball gun, some paintball playing fields may not allow them.

Military useSlingshots have been used as a military weapon, but primarily by guerrilla forces due to the primitive resources and technology required to construct one. Such guerrilla groups included the Irish Republican Army; prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein released a propaganda video demonstrating slingshots as a possible weapon for insurgents to use against invading forces.

Slingshots have also been used by the military to launch micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One notable example of this is the AeroVironment Wasp UAV. The vehicle was propelled to high speeds by using a Saunders Wrist-Rocket Pro slingshot.

How they used to be made.


Your basic modern slingshot. In the 80's when I gre up these were called 'WristRockets'. Buy now for about $10.

This site sells laser targeted Slingshots.

http://www.catsdomain.com/main.htm

A very cool hand carved slingshot.


Now this is cool! Slingshot crossbow!


The Ringshot


Slingshot tennisball launcher for playing fetch with dogs.





A wood / steel model with a large fork extension. Such slingshots can develop a very high speed and power.




This all-steel tournament model has about the most complicated sight I've ever seen on a slingshot - its a bow sight, adjustable in windage and elevation, with fibre optic dots that are easy to see.

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This is a great collection of slingshots! I will try to list them from upper left to lower right:


•Barnett Diablo (early version)
•Saunders Falcon 2 (early version)
•Texas Rabbit Shooter
•Tinker Killdeer
•Blackhawk
•Saunders Falcon 2 (new version)
•Saunders Falcon
•Saunders Double Eagle (early version)
•Weber Slingbow
•Saunders Double Eagle (new version)
•Boler
•Pocket-Rocket
•G-String
•Wham-o Powermaster
•Scope-Shot
•Wrist-Rocket
•Nightstalker
•Black Ninja
•Arrow attachment for the Black Ninja
•Saunders Wirst-Rocket Pro
•..and lots of ammo, pouch assemblies and manuals

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Recently the Tijuana Police department was involved in helping drug traffickers. The president sent 3,300 soldiers and federal police in to confiscate their weapons and search for drugs. They then issued 60 slingshots to the Tijuana police department which consists of about 2000 officers.


They gave 2000 officers 60 slingshots. That means the officers have to share slingshots. That's what, one per every 30 officers. Whoever can shoot the most rocks into the bucket is declared the biggest bad ass and gets to carry the deadly slingshot. So when the get into a gun fight all 29 other officer can hide behind the one dude with the sling shot.

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•This Trumark FSX-2000 Slingshot features fiber-optic sights (with instructions on the back of the box that shows you how to use FSX-2000 correctly and effectively!) that drastically improve your accuracy. Rotating prongs indicate if your slingshot is level and if you are pulling the band back straight. This slingshot also features a removable stabalizer which helps steady your aim and reduces recoil when the band is released. For serious slingshot shootering where accuracy is a must.

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The Ultimate Wrist-Rocket. Saunders introduced the world's first wrist-braced slingshot in 1954...the Wrist-Rocket. Today Saunders introduces the worlds fastest and smoothest shooting production slingshot...Wrist-Rocket Pro. Loaded with formidable features, superbly crafted and cloaked in a stealthy sleek modern design...it has no equal in the field or on the range. For speed and accuracy we gave it a new high-velocity posi-center-pouch and a patented twin band system. The bands are replaceable in seconds without tools and its shoot over design minimizes shock. This is one slingshot so fast, smooth, economical and fun to shoot you may never want to put it down...so we designed it to be fun even when putting it away. Click the arms under, the handle and brace up and it transforms into a case, ready to stow in a glove compartment, tackle box, clip to a backpack or hang on a wall.

http://www.dankung.com/emart/




There is also the Slingshot bikini...but that's another topic!





Edit: That chick at that top, nice butt, so I thought I would use that for eye candy. Not so hot after I read this...
"a photo they love to display of that obnoxious Venezuelan bitch launching a lethal slingshot at a pro-Chavez demonstrator.
One of the demonstrators was killed by a marble embedded in his brain."

Wicked thread Sinz, Very informative as always with loads of cool pics!

Can't wait to see where this "new avenue" takes us on here!