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Darton SL50M from 1980-84 - Help with what I'm looking at

2.3K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  michbowbender  
#1 ·
Very inexpensive acquisition of 2 antique Darton SL50Ms in excellent shape and lots of accessories; 2 stabilizer bars & weights, finger tab, arm guard, long hard shell case, lots of old Easton aluminum arrows, 2 sights, etc.

I'm new to archery, may not even try to use these items but need help with some of the things I'm looking at.

Image #1 - I think stuff gets written here by the owner; what stuff?
#2 - looks like the factory filled this in ( I tested the peak draw weight and it is at 33lbs)
#3 - limb adjustments to raise or lower draw weight (looks like it is adjusted for the minimum draw weight)
#4 - arrow nock with something weird at the top (little brass flap; what's it for?
#5 - arrow nocked with the weird thing at the top
#6 - some sort of button, not sure what this does; string is vertical but arrow is out of level as it sits on the rest
#7 - the sight; is this even put together correctly?
#8 - the pin hole part of the sight; is this upside down, does the bubble go on the top or bottom?
#9 - button and arrow rest

Thanks for any help in my learning process!


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#2 ·
Probably the fastest compound bow in it's day, the SL50M being the fastestof the three.
Darton made a SL40 Trailmaster that had metal hanger brackets for the wheels to mount in.
The SL50 model featured a split limb design, the wheels mounted between the limb on each end, and held in place by permanently lubricated roller bearings.
The SL50M (M designated for Magnum) incorporated permanently lubricated needle bearings making it the fastest of those three models. A wooden handled version, WH500 was a favorite of cold weather late season archers who despised the black plastic grips of the other models who tended to make noise in extreme cold conditions.

Starting with the bottom picture and working up, I will describe the commonly used items at the time that I am familiar with.
The rest was called a flipper rest. A fairly crude but effective adjustable spring loaded button (Think Berger button) was threaded thru the riser to ensure proper distance from the riser to the shaft clearance, and being adjustable, tension could be adjusted for arrow flight. A thin felt pad backed with adhesive tape helped eliminate any noise while drawing the bow.

The next few pictures show an extended Killian Products Sight.
Killian Archery Chek-It Adjustable Bow Sight With 2X Magna Site With Dot Center | eBay sight for extended precision long range target shooting. It incorporated a bubble level to deal with any canting of the bow. The yellow plastic items shown are just a guess at best. Maybe dealt with proper nock height, kisser button placement.. ? Perhaps someone else will offer input on those

The double nock set is a little unique looking, never seen one like the one pictured.
Draw length, poundage range, string and cable length were some of many identifiers listed on the iinside limb label.
 
#4 ·
The Darton SL50 sold for $89.00 commonly, the SL50M and the WH500 were both commonly sold for 109.00 or less in the early 1980's here in Central lower Michigan.
About the only compound competitors at that time were bows made by Bear, Indian, and York. Jennings became popular soon afterwards as well as entries from Pearson, Browning, and PSE.