It looks to me like the rifle is lying on its right side with the scope to the right and the sling to the left.
This doesn't make sense to me...... Here's the way the rifle was , and is, configured.... The Leather sling , and the scope are mounted off to the left hand side of the rifle the bolt knob is on the right hand side of the rifle ( naturally, because most folks are right handed. )
You are right... the rifle is lying on it's right side with the bolt knob on the floor ( knob at 6 O'Clock).....The leather sling that Day reaches out and grabs, is up ( at the 12;00 O' Clock position)
How does this compare with the official in situ photo which depicts the rifle as being jammed between boxes of books with the leather sling at the 9:00 o clock position? Could Detective Day have reached out and grabbed the sling and lifted the rifle if it had been jammed between the boxes of books ?