Given that I have just created this sub-forum, let me begin with slingshots. To the best of my knowledge, no one has discussed slingshots in this forum before. How many of you have used a slingshot since you were a kid? I have a couple of them, both a little more sophisticated than the ones I made when I was in elementary school, but not particularly expensive or fancy. The one on the left is designed pretty much like the ones I made as a child, only using four bands rather than one. It's still easy enough to use but the four bands give a little more power and a nice carrying case. Plus it has a metal handle rather than one made from a tree branch. The one on the right is a different design, still the same basic idea but with a pistol-type grip that is easier to use, particularly with the wrist support. My accuracy is greatly improved with that one. I was going to show them only they kept rolling off the desk, but I have a couple of different types of ammo. First, there are the standard steel balls, which are the only ones that I have actually used. But, I also have some clay ammunition which, in the unlikely event that I should ever decide to break anyone's window, would probably break upon impact, making it difficult for anyone to determine just what it was that broke the window. I've never actually used them for anything, but I do use the steel balls for target practice sometimes, generally at the same time that I am practicing with my handgun.
I actually bought the clay balls because I figured they'd be more environmentally friendly to use in the woods, but then I realized that I could retrieve most of the steel ones and not have to buy more.
@Ken Anderson Working at a place where the steel balls for ball bearings were made, "culls" were scrapped, and my Dad had brought home pocketsfull long before I was born. They were to be found in numerous places in our basement, in coffee cans and the like. Many were fairly large, perhaps 1/2 inch in diameter. These babies were excellent ammunition for my slingshots! First one I made using my Dad's suggestion, used a strip of rubber cut from an old inner tube. Pretty effective. I never had one of the trigger-released fancy jobs, though. Frank
My dad used to bring home steel balls from his job that worked well for marbles. The "steelies" were popular, and we also used the smaller ones in our slingshots.
Of course, early slingshots were made from forked branches and strips from auto inner tubes. Later, the enterprising "Wham-O" company began making them along with the popular Hula Hoops, which became a craze. David did not slay Goliath with a slingshot...it was a "Sling". Hal
@Beth Gallagher I actually had one of these babies, about 20 years ago: Made by Calico Company, they took two standard Ruger 10-22 carbine actions, mounted them side by side with the magazines protruding out sideways. They embellished the barrels to look "authentic", fired .22 Long Rifle ammunition, semi-automatic only. Completely legal. Limited production, everyone who had one hung on to them, (except me), and their value became very high. Haven't seen one in years! Frank