Gear Bunker: Slings and Swivels

Does this sling make my rifle look fat?

Slings are commonly misrepresented. A sling is not what you rest your weapon on. End of story. Well, not quite the end.

Slings have been around for a long time, rifles used to be much longer, heavier and over long distances it made sense to sling a rifle for an extended amount of time. The Civil War is over and a modern rifle in a military manner needs to be presentable at a moments notice.

Luckily this is a competitive scenario, a sling is a necessary item for transitioning to a second weapon. A good sling will...

Support the weapon during transitions.
Stay out of the way when you don't need it.
Be adjustable.
Be easily removable.

My choice is the Viking Tactical V-TAC two point sling. Two point slings attach at “two” points. One at the front, the other in the back, either on the point behind the grip or on the stock itself.

A single point only attaches to one point, normally behind the grip.

External attachment points.

FRONT

Daniel Defense

A single rail mount attachment point for the quick disconnect swivel. A little blocky but that is of no real concern. Functions properly and doesn't fall off.

DD Sling Cup

Magpul Snap connect

Vltor Gas block attachment point.

The gas block is at a good position to connect a sling. You must make sure that the gas block is properly attached and not going to shift. A sling attached to the front gas block that is not correctly tightened can shift and disrupt the gas flow (causing failure).

VLTOR Gas Block

Gear Sector

My personal favorite. It attaches and functions identically as the DD but has a more streamlines appearance. Available in black and Flat Dark Earth (FDE) to match your rifle.

Gear Sector Sling Cup

REAR

Now things get interesting. Front attachment points really break down into one category. Front goes in Front. Now the rear sling attachment points are a bit more personal. Behind the grip or on the stock is a personal choice.

The Magpul UBR stock has built in sling swivel points. One behind the grip and another on the rear segment.

Magpul UBR Stock

The ACS stock also has a built in point on the rear of the stock.

Magpul ACS

The Noveske plate has a built in sling point. It is out of the way and makes perfect sense.

Noveske Sling Cup

Having the sling point behind the grip is a simple choice for me. When I release the weapon it falls into a comfortable position without hitting me in the legs or crotch. As I drop a rear sling point it falls too far for me.

Single point Slings.

I wont use them.

If they fail, the fail catastrophically. They tend to distribute the weight to one point on the body and get to be uncomfortable very quickly.

The Magpul Single point Sling. Good Idea, poor execution. The second version improved on the first but still does not meet my needs. With the correct connectors you can turn it into a two point but with the rail hook shape the sling can be twisted and uncomfortable.