When did the Chinese transition to leather tabs and spring attached slings?

[Boris Badinov]

Actual photographic evidence of PLA with type56sks isn't easy to find for the early production years. But I notice that the color propaganda posters depict the type56 with Soviet style sks slings with metal springtab hooks. Such depictions with soviet slings continue well into the late 1960s.

Does anyone have any dated photos or propaganda artwork with depicting type56s with the leather tabbed slings.?

[Greasemonkey]

I've often wondered if the spring style and leather tabs weren't just made at the same time, could have even over lapped for years in production or were they just for different weapons and mixed up later.  The Soviet style you mention I've seen far more used on the RPK and Dragunov rifles(more weight to support maybe).. On my 2 MAK90s, one had the spring style, one had the leather tab, the NDM91(RPK) had a greenish Soviet style sling, are they original slings, no idea... None are really the same shade of green either, only two or three of the Chinese slings I have are the same hue green, they vary from dark green to more of a grey than green.


Not sure how much info these are..
https://www.theakforum.net/threads/chinese-type-56-sling-variants.83247/
https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=3904.0

[Boris Badinov]

I can't say I've ever encountered one of the spring style slings in the wild. I think I've only ever seen them in photos.