Slingshot

Lore & Background

Slingshots depend on strong elastic materials for their projectile firepower, typically vulcanized natural rubber or the equivalent such as silicone rubber tubing, and thus date no earlier than the invention of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear in 1839 (patented in 1844). By 1860, this 'new engine' had established a reputation for use by juveniles in vandalism. For much of their early history, slingshots were a 'do-it-yourself' item, typically made from a forked branch to form the Y-shaped handle, with rubber strips sliced from items such as inner tubes or other sources of good vulcanized rubber, and using suitably sized stones.

While early slingshots were most associated with young vandals, they could be effective hunting arms in the hands of a skilled user. Firing projectiles such as lead musket balls, buckshot, steel ball bearings, air gun pellets, or small nails, a slingshot was capable of taking game such as quail, pheasant, rabbit, dove, and squirrel. Placing multiple balls in the pouch produces a shotgun effect. With the addition of a suitable rest, the slingshot can also be used to shoot arrows.

While commercially made slingshots date from at latest 1918, with the introduction of the Zip-Zip, a cast iron model, it was not until the post–World War II years that slingshots saw a surge in popularity and legitimacy. The Wham-O company, founded in 1948, produced the Wham-O slingshot made of ash wood with flat rubber bands. The National Slingshot Association was founded in the 1940s, headquartered in San Marino, California. It organised slingshot clubs and competitions nationwide.

Despite the slingshot's reputation as a tool of juvenile delinquents, the NSA reported that 80% of slingshot sales were to men over 30 years old, many of them professionals. John Milligan, a part-time manufacturer of the aluminium-framed John Milligan Special, a hunting slingshot, reported that about a third of his customers were physicians. Slingshots are also occasionally used in angling to disperse bait over an area of water. A home-made derivative called a 'balloon gun' also exists.

In modern times the slingshot has been used by civilians against governments, for example in Hong Kong during the 2019-2020 protests, by Palestinians against Israeli forces, and by Ukrainians during the Maidan Revolution in 2014.

Reader's Guide

There are championships, both regional and international, that are quite popular in Spain and are organized by the Spanish Association of Sports Slingshots. There are also ones in Italy and China. Each participant is placed ten metres away from the target, which is the international standard. One of the dangers inherent in slingshots is the high probability that the bands will fail.

Most bands are made from latex, which degrades with time and use, causing the bands to eventually fail under load. Failures at the pouch end are safest, as they result in the band rebounding away from the user. Failures at the fork end send the band back towards the shooter's face, which can cause eye and facial injuries. One method to minimize the chance of a fork end failure is to utilize a tapered band, thinner at the pouch end, and thicker and stronger at the fork end.

Designs that use loose parts at the fork are the most dangerous, such as the ball attachment used in the recalled Daisy 'Natural' line of slingshots. Another big danger is fork breakage; some commercial slingshots made from cheap zinc alloy may break and severely injure shooters' eyes and face. Many jurisdictions prohibit the use of arm-braced slingshots. For example New York Penal law 265.01 defines it as a Class-4 misdemeanor, and in some states of Australia they are also a prohibited weapon.

Did You Know?

• The Wham-O slingshot, made of ash wood, had a draw weight of up to 45 lbf and was available with an arrow rest.
• Slingshots have been used by the United States military to launch unmanned aerial vehicles.