Either it's escaped my attention, or no one's mentioned the Black Widow - what's going on?! Is it only a British thing you guys don't have in the states?
Archie,
That Black Widow is the same design as what we in the states refer to as Wrist-Rockets. Wrist Rocket was a brand, but, then, we just called any wrist supported slingshot a "Wrist Rocket".
Some were aluminum, some were folders. We didn't like the folders, they didn't seem as powerful. We all became juvenile (delinquent) afficianados, and finally settled on the one piece, all steel, rigid design. We'd wrap the rubber support in soft foam and black electrical tape. All of us had bruises on our forearms from day after day of shooting.
brings back memories:
-We all had them, played in the woods. When the Gum trees dropped their spiney "gumballs" we would have gumball battles. Those little boogers stung like a Hornet when delivered by a Wrist Rocket. They curved too, much like a wiffle ball, so if you got a lucky shot you could curve around obstacles and still hit your opponents.
-If it could fit thru the Yoke, we'd fire it. Rocks, bearings, lug nuts, Tennis balls, frogs (yes live ones). Pill bottles full of sand & dirt gave a "pyrotechnic effect" when they hit and broke.
One of the meanest rounds we ever experienced was a golf ball.
We, of course, didn't know golf balls were designed with those dimples for aerodynamics, but once we saw how far and how straight we could fire a golf ball, we were hooked. Holding it in the sling was the real challenge.
I am convinced to this day a golf ball out of a Wrist Rocket could break a rib.
Once we found a source for surgical tubing, we began to lengthen our bands, for maximum power. A couple extra inches seemed to almost double the power. bands too long and performance went to crap.
I still have mine, will have to find it, probably needs new bands.
)