Saddle ring
Encyclopedia
A saddle ring is a metal ring attached to the receiver of a rifle
or carbine
allowing it to be tied to a saddle
or used with a special sling. Saddle rings could be attached directly to the firearm, or in some cases to a saddle ring bar, which allowed the saddle ring to slide along the action, such as on the British Enfield P1856, a short cavalry version of the Pattern 1853 Enfield
used in the American Civil War
. Virtually every carbine-sized weapon used in the Civil War was equipped with a saddle ring and/or saddle ring/bar. Saddle rings are most commonly found on lever action rifles and other firearms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that were suitable for use on horseback. The muzzle of the rifle was placed in a carbine socket or boot. The idea behind using the saddle ring, and its carbine sling, is to allow the mounted soldier to never be separated from his weapon.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
or carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
allowing it to be tied to a saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
or used with a special sling. Saddle rings could be attached directly to the firearm, or in some cases to a saddle ring bar, which allowed the saddle ring to slide along the action, such as on the British Enfield P1856, a short cavalry version of the Pattern 1853 Enfield
Pattern 1853 Enfield
The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket was a .577 calibre Minié-type muzzle-loading rifle-musket, used by the British Empire from 1853 to 1867, after which many Enfield 1853 Rifle-Muskets were converted to the cartridge-loaded Snider-Enfield rifle.-History &...
used in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Virtually every carbine-sized weapon used in the Civil War was equipped with a saddle ring and/or saddle ring/bar. Saddle rings are most commonly found on lever action rifles and other firearms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that were suitable for use on horseback. The muzzle of the rifle was placed in a carbine socket or boot. The idea behind using the saddle ring, and its carbine sling, is to allow the mounted soldier to never be separated from his weapon.