seems they have been discreetly renamed into “monkey fist weapons”, lol. Illegal in several states.
“Weapons universe” is a site that has many interesting things.
A bit of history:
“monkey’s fist is a practical, as well as an attractive bit of marlinspike seamanship. These days, they often appear as decorative knots on keychains and jewelry.
But then what is a
slungshot? Therein lies the tail. Sailors, just off a ship, having been paid off, on their way to the bars and brothels of a seaport, were natural targets for street thugs interested in relieving them of their hard-earned, if meager wages. Some sailors carried brass knuckles to defend themselves. Others could carry a monkey’s fist. Rather than having a heaving line attached, a sailor could slip his hand through the eye splice and use the monkey’s fist as an effective and dangerous club, capable of knocking out an attacker or even opening his skull, if wielded with enough force. The monkey’s fist as a weapon became known as a slungshot.
The slungshot had the advantage that it was easy to make, easy to conceal, silent to use, and could be lethal. After being used for self-defense by sailors, the street thugs were quick to adopt the slungshot as a weapon of their own.
Abraham Lincoln’s most notable criminal trial occurred in 1858 when he successfully defended “Duff” Armstrong, on a charge of killing another with a slungshot.”
BG might be carrying a slungshot.
Slungshot - Wikipedia