What Is Your Preferred Tactical Sling and Why

[Sgt Prepper]

I have been using a single point sling and really like it's simplicity and ease of use.

Here is a post from over at survivalblog.com about a guy and his search for a quality sling. Any other recommendations?

SurvivalBlog.com: Product Review: The Quest for a Truly Practical Rifle Sling, by CT

Over the last four years I've bought at least eight rifle slings. From the over the shoulder slings (which do not keep the weapon anywhere near ready) to complicated tactical slings. A year or two ago I ordered the "end all be all" of Tactical slings at the recommendation of a sales associate, then got it home and have had a hard time working that thing. It was complicated and I could not get it to work as described. Frankly, in a SHTF situation, I probably would have hog-tied myself with it, leaving myself bound, gagged and defenseless in the presence of an attacker. I had started to think that maybe it was just me, maybe I was the problem and maybe I was expecting too much from a sling.

My criteria was simple though:

1. The sling needed to be rugged and well made.
2. The sling needed to keep the rifle on the front of me near ready.
3. It needed to be simple to use.

# 3 was really important to me because in a panic, I can't be fumbling with a sling. If I am not armed and need to become armed in a flash, I need to be able to just throw it on when on the move. If I am alerted to a potentially dangerous situation, I need to be able to put on the sling in one easy step, preferably at a dead run.

Stepping back a bit, you may be asking what the big deal is, asking why I have been on such a quest to find a good sling. Sure, I could rely on my hands to carry my rifle(s) but even holding the rifle with one hand leaves me one handed if I am going about my day and performing actions other than shooting. If I need two hands, even if I stay relatively close to the rifle, then I still have to make my way back to the rifle if someone is watching and chooses to take advantage of the situation. (It is not difficult to imagine a food raider taking advantage of seeing me prop my rifle against the side of the house while I carry things to the shed.) If I use an over the shoulder sling, then I need to reach behind me or drop the sling off before I can get the rifle into a firing position. So to me, a sling is a very important part of the whole weapon system. It allows you to keep the rifle on your body at all times, near the ready.

Last week I had a friend suggest a different sling to me. It was the Spec. Ops Brand Lonestar Rig - Single Point Sling. (Spec. Ops. Brand makes other slings, but I have not used them.) The sling was $35. When I opened the package, I could tell that it was very well made and rugged, one of the better ones that I have come across. It was simple. I attached it to my rifle in a couple of minutes and when I need to use it, I just toss it on... no muss, no fuss. It keeps my weapon near ready on the front of my body and allows me to use both hands for other activities while keeping my rifle in an effective location. So, I got finally found exactly what I wanted. Now I'm going to also buy a couple more of these for my other rifles.

I have no skin in the game with this company, I don't own stock in it and I don't know anyone that works for them. They simply created a high quality product that meets my needs, so I thought that I should tell others about it, so that maybe you can skip the eight other types of slings that I tried first.

Spec. Ops list this sling for $45 and I found it at Academy Sports for $35. - CT in Texas

[skiddlyarcus]

I have several slings also. My favorite two point sling is an old canvas sling from WWII.
Then I got a 3 point sling for the AK similar to http://www.specopsbrand.com/ProductD...p?ProductID=59.
However, after I started trying it out with a tac vest and thinking about the need to help people and defend them at the same time, I decided to try a single point sling. I found a cheap one to try out: http://www.lapolicegear.com/single-b...le-bungee.html

I immediately liked it better then the 3 point sling. So I planned to use that one. However, it testing with a tac vest, I found that the tight loop would get hung on pouches and I could not easily use a backpack with it.

So, I tried this one and so far this is the best I have:
http://www.rstacticalgear.com/pd-bds...oint-sling.cfm. It works ok for holding the rifle in front of me. It's verticle rather than held at an angle, so it's a little different to learn to use. Also, it requires me to unhook the left shoulder to sling over my back, but it gives room to put the sling in my back and it seems to be comfortable to walk with it that way.

I've considered a simple modification of this sling which would be similar to the single shoulder model (http://www.rstacticalgear.com/pd-bds...lder-sling.cfm) but would attach to the butt stock instead of a sling mount. It would be shorter and wouldn't get it the way of anything ... however something like that wouldn't allow shooting from the off shoulder and would only have one way to store the rifle on your back.

For $25, this http://www.rstacticalgear.com/pd-bds...lder-sling.cfm seems like a great low-priced option to work with a tac vest.
I plan to keep the full sling in my gear bag in case I need a sling without a tac vest.

Also, if you do try out that sling, I recommend the mash clip - it's much easier to connect or disconnect while wearing gloves.
also, for a good price on the sling plate go to http://store.a51tactical.com/index.p...oducts_id=1253.

last, i do want to try out that magpul sling. it looks like a great option to have a single or two-point sling.

[Kelly Alwood]

The best sling I have ever used is this one.
http://www.preparednessdeals.com/servlet/the-336/Summit-Tactical-Sling-%28Dual/Detail
It is the most versatile sling that I have found. Two point, single point, and tactical vest attached in one. I use this on all of my long guns. Call and ask for Marshdogg..Tell him Kelly sent you. (I receive no compensation of any sort for recomending these), I just believe in this man and his product.

[Ether15:34]

Which sling are you talking about, Kelly?

https://www.rockymountaintactical.ne...28f21a73e7cba0

[Kelly Alwood]

http://www.preparednessdeals.com/servlet/the-336/Summit-Tactical-Sling-%28Dual/Detail

they should be available on www.preparednessdeals.com
this is the one i use on all my long guns...very happy with them...i like the tan ones..

[M4wilson]

We did some transition drills (carbine to hand gun) and the guys with the single point slings that clipped to the Tac vest/Plate carrier got whacked in the throat with the buttstock of their weapon as they went to the ground to fire under the barricade/vehicle. The single point slings are also much more difficult to transition from strong side to weak side and much slower as well. The ones that just hang off of one shoulder are great if you are in garrison but not so much in the real world. After @ 30min the guys that had them had some strain from only having the one shoulder carry the rifle/carbine.

The Rocky MTN tactical one looks promising. I will have to check it out.
Personally I use the Eagle 3point sling attached to a sling mount on the lower receiver instead of the butt stock http://www.talonarms.com/talonarms/i...roducts_id=332
it is it is made in the USA

[Kelly Alwood]

I love your AAR. Because, ones oppinion always changes when applied in a realistic training scenario. Thank you for your comments. As many noticed this weekend, shooting at the range, and using your rifle as a full time tool are completely different things.
The weapon should be slung to the non dominant hand side while the strong side is drawing the secondary weapon. The great thing with the RMT sling listed above, is that it transitions well from right to left hand, and to secondary weapon. Moves right out of the way, and still remains highly accesible. It can also be slung on the back just as well.
Ill try to do a short video on transition if I cant find a good one.

[Ether15:34]

Ok, so what I'd like to know, since I don't particularly like the AR-15, is will this 3 point sling work with an AK47?

[skiddlyarcus]

We did some transition drills (carbine to hand gun) and the guys with the single point slings that clipped to the Tac vest/Plate carrier got whacked in the throat with the buttstock of their weapon as they went to the ground to fire under the barricade/vehicle.

And my throat is still sore right now ... sore enough that I'm looking for another option. I'm glad I had my rifle with me ... that 5.56 pistol with just a buffer tube would have hurt a lot more.

The single point is great to walk with, but when I had to go into cover quickly, I found I had to hold the weapon while going to the ground.

[skiddlyarcus]

Ok, so what I'd like to know, since I don't particularly like the AR-15, is will this 3 point sling work with an AK47?

I have a 3 point for the AK and it works great. The AK has a forward sling attachment point and one on the stock, so it fits very well.
I found that I had to spend time practicing reloads because the sling was in the way of the mag release.

[BackBlast]

If you think you might want to *move* attachment points to other places on your rifle that you suspect may be more comfortable or you simply don't have an attachment point you'd like to have. Blue Force Gear makes a "Universal Wire Loop Sling Mount" that can be used to attach a sling with a great deal of flexability. It's more reliable than paracord or such as paracord may melt in some instances (especially around barrels or receivers).

[Kelly Alwood]

That is another benefit of the Delta Tactical sling. It attaches to the sling points, with no strap running along the gun between them. The sling doesnt go in front of you.
This same sling does all three positions as shown.

[hcardwell93]

I was at a gun show and found a local company, Urban ERT slings, and I really like their products. I have no combat experience, but these slings make sense to me and show tremendous versatility. The main part of the sling is automotive seat belt, so the durability is a no-brainer. The other main advantage is the individual weapon kits that stay on the weapon at all times, and the sling stays on the operator at all times. Given that your weapons are already setup with the kits then it only takes a few seconds to transition from a PS90 to an M4. If the people in your unit all use the same system you can easily trade weapons using the buckles and leaving the slings on the operators.

Here is a demonstration of the sling I have: http://www.youtube.com/v/CkoqwMsWwm8&hl=en

[Kelly Alwood]

I see a couple issues with these. One, a single point sling sucks for carrying a rifle. The work great for shooting. The time you are not actively engaged, is time when the sling sucks. They are uncomfortable to have on for any lenth of time. You would not want to carry your weapon on patrol, or stand gaurd with a single point sling.
The second part of that is, the attachment on the belt is strictly for the range. It simply will not work with a tact vest or body armor on. Anytime someone might be shooting at me, I would hope I have on both. If I dont, then Im certainly not going to have the belt attachment on my person either. I like the idea, he thinks outside the box, but I dont think it would work. I dont think you could snap that belt clip in either way (front slung, or rear) with body armor, vest, and or pack on.
Just my thoughts.

[hcardwell93]

Does your body armor have MOLLE straps that you could leave a buckle on?

[Kelly Alwood]

It does. But I think with a ruck on, it still leaves the option for back slinging out. The side wont work well because all your mag pouches and kit in front. It will be difficult and awkward to get snapped in I think.

[hcardwell93]

Good poit. I'll have to gear up and see what works and what won't.

Speaking of mag pouches...what have you found for the ps90 mags?

[Kelly Alwood]

Just about all the HK UMP45 mag pouches work. But I have been buying the single and double Condor multicam pouches.

[Kelly Alwood]

The double is Tactical Taylor, and the single is Condor.

[skiddlyarcus]

I found a sling that works much better than the single point sling ... it's a BFG Vickers sling. I have the padded model, but I think I'll get one without the pad so I have both options.

I'm done with the single point slings ...

[M4wilson]

My new favorite sling is the MagPul MS2 http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Magpu...0ms2%20fde.htm with the MagPul ASAP sling plate http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Magpu...t-p/mag500.htm after many, many rounds of testing and countless transition drills, being able to have the best of both worlds (single and two point) and being able to transition very rapidly between the two has me converted. The simplicity of the systems is another great benefit as well.

[shine]

saving up my spare change for it mac. i will get 2. I would like to experiment with making something like that.

[BackBlast]

I found a sling that works much better than the single point sling ... it's a BFG Vickers sling. I have the padded model, but I think I'll get one without the pad so I have both options.

I'm done with the single point slings ...

You can operate the BFG VCAS sling like the Magpul MS2 with one or two HK hooks. Having a one point is nice when you're actually running the gun, shoulder transitions are kind of a pain with a two point.. Otherwise you can keep it two point the rest of the time. This is what I'm doing, I really like the BFG VCAS as a base sling.

[Kelly Alwood]

Here I review the inovation of this unique sling.

[RMTactical]

Here I review the inovation of this unique sling.

Thanks for posting that video Kelly.

[RMTactical]

Another review of the Summit.

[AZ Prepper]

The Summits are the best I've used, by far!

http://www.preparednessdeals.com/ser...%28Dual/Detail

[Gearjammer]

Good question,don't know who made the one i keep on my Bushmaster XM15E2, 20 inch A2 profile rifle......seriously...i bought it at "Bradley Military surplus" outside gate 1 of Ft.Drum Army installation, it had no maker info just the government contract number of the manufacturer.





It is a hands free three point design that lets the rifle hang across my front while leaving my hands free and can also be used like a conventional sling to shoulder the gun.