There was a picture of David Engvall's equipment in the Guinness Book in the mid 1990's.  The "sling" looked like a braided whip with a small hook on the end that connected to the projectile.  I don't know how long it was.  I don't know if it had two strings or just one, it looked like only one.  The projectile appeared to be maybe 6 inches long.  It was a smoothly contoured dart with 4 fins on the tail for stability.  I have corresponded with David a few times by email.  I have great respect for his ability and ingenuity.  What I described above is my interpretation of what I saw in the photo.

Larry, interesting invention but I think that weapon have not existed before, though it can be called "sling" as it is whirled and cast a non conventional proyectile somehow (I imagine  it has two strings though one is only for release and all the weight is bored on the other). I´m anxious to know the artefact. Like Johnny says it could be better called cestrosphendon because of the dart.

Yeah Larry, I thought I was the only crazy guy that like to hurl stones for hours ! I will try out the nylon this weekend. I'll buy some nylon string and try crafting one. I have plenty of Dacron string(I also make primitive bows and arrows) that I would like to try out. Do some braiding. Is Dacron good for slings?  I've been enthralled with slings from my youth. Growing up hearing about David and Goliath, the Benjaminites(Judges 20:16), Balearic slingers, Xenophon's Rhodians(The Persian Expedition), etc, thrills my imagination!!  I'm 41 yrs old but still have a creative, youthful attitude! Never a dull moment with slings!
Johnny

So many interesting posts here!



Lary,

Thank you for your posts. I love slinging for a range too. I prefer useing long slings and same like you admire the evanecent stones, but I'm afraid that my sight isn't as good as yours

I honour both your and David Engvall's successes. I admire David for his inventiveness and you for the power of your shots. Same like you and some other guys here I thought that I'm the alone crazy slinging maniac in the world. Fortunately I have found this site. I had come back to slinnging after many years, when I made the sling for my son. I played with a sling as boy a few good years. I mainly sling the common granite stones which I gather just from the ground along the reilway line. I had thought that my shots was pretty far until I read that you reached 1434 ft just with stones!

I don't think that my best stone shots exceeded 360 m (1180 ft) limit. So I really value your record. I prefer the stones with a mass 100-150 gram (3.6-5.4 oz) because the lighter ones fly poorly very often. They start quickly but quickly lose velocity. Although it happens that some of them fly uniquely slick, but it is too random for me.

I'm curious if your projectiles was made of a special dense mineral. Did you make them by yourself? I also would like to know what material was used for David's darts. Was those the lead darts maybe? I have a much more questions for you, but I think it is enough for the moment


On David Engvall's sling. Guys, as you remember, Magnumslinger described the device for throwing the prolongated projectiles with the fins. He saw that in the Guinness Book on Bali. He said that that device came to mind an old trigger line for a camera. It looks like that one had the push button for the release (?) I think that it might be just David's device (sling?).

Jurek

Jurek, that's all there was in the Guinness book. Later books only had the (same) text, but no pictures.

Dan
      Thanks for posting the pic. A most interesting release device on that Sling. No dought one would get almost instant release with it. Simple, elegant, practical. I like it!



WalkingBird

Who Thinks it's a great pic.  8)

Johnny
           If I'm seeing it right, the dart has a small nub on the side (between the numbers) with a hole in it, the hook on the cam "pouch" goes into this hole, the open side of the hook points toward the release thong. When the sling is held before release, the lines are keeping the cam flat and the hook engaged. When the release thong is released (as in a normal sling) the cam pivits on the retension thong end and the dart is released from the hook which is now pointing out. This keeps the dart from getting entangled in the release thong, and makes for a very fast release, as the release thong only has to move away from the hand a few inches and the dart is released.
     At least that is the view from here. Going by just this one pic I'd say that's how it works.


WalkingBird

Who would have loved to see this thing in action.

Johnny,  Here is that hook. I turned it upside down and stretched it to appear somewhat normal. Maybe this will help. Think of it as a hook holding up a 'load.' The hook is hung from two cords. When one cord let's go, the hook pivots and the 'load' drops.