How to sling a tactical rifle?

Clobbersauras said:
Dude, you are ruining the mojo of this thread. Farmboy is actually one of the most reasonable and tolerant posters on this board. I've witnessed him turn the other cheek in the face of some of the most asinine posts I've ever read. Close minded and condescending are NOT the terms I would use to describe him based on what I've read of his posts. YMMV.
Click to expand...

This is kind of the way I was leaning as well, I just didn't want to say it out loud. But since someone else did, I agree. I say relax, do it your way, even if others think it's wrong.

The only time I have ever trained with my rifle without a sling is when running up to a rifle sitting on the ground making it ready and engaging immediately. Even then, as soon as the engagement and search and assess is complete I would sling the rifle. I've seen some instruction on transitioning to pistol without a sling, then shooting one handed, and practiced it a few times, but I don't think it would be a situation you would be presented with very often.
 
Last edited:
Personally I would never argue that devoting a little bit of training time to transitioning without a sling is a bad idea...QD points do fail. Buckles magically undo themselves. Sharp edges turn up in unlikely places and cut things you don't expect. Maybe one day you'll discover your sling has been cut or broken. Is it likely? Not really, although I have seen QD points fail before. Whether that's likely to happen at the exact moment you have to transition...maybe not. But knowing the technique is a hell of a lot smarter than just counting on your sling to always be there for you.

Although I'll admit it doesn't take much to tuck the gun and go to your secondary...but still, a bit of practise never hurts.
 
Since the question originally was "how to" sling a tac rifle, not "whether to" sling a tac rifle, there seems to be some off frequency noise here. Don't want to run a sling? Don't, it's your butt. Keep in mind though that the whole "no sling for you" thing started with the SAS selection course, they also gave SA80 trained guys L1A1's with no sling - the point? The same as everything else on that selection, make the candidates as uncomfortable, fatigued and confused as possible in order to see if they can stay dedicated and functioning, nothing to do with actual use of weapons since that course does not involve the use of weapons. As far as "how to sling a tac rifle" - get a Vickers sling, it's what the big boys use.
 
Last edited:
...tried out slinging a rifle as instructed in this thread... observations:

1)Seemed weird at first compared to what I'm used to.

2)I like the way the rifle sits muzzle down with the pistol grip handy.

3)I like the way it sits muzzle up when one pushes it around back.

4)Had trouble transitioning to weak side, discovered that one has to get the sling out from under the weak side's arm.

5)I kinda like it
Click to expand...


Good to hear.

For #3, if you want to sling it muzzle down on your back, put your left arm back through the sling (it will be around just your neck now), then push your right arm through the sling and grab the forend of the rifle and push it behind you.


For #4 it depending on the sling you're running, if it's a VCAS or VTAC or similar, you can lengthen the sling to it's full adjustment, then push the rifle to your left shoulder keeping your right hand on the pistol grip, change your cheek weld from the right side of your face to the left side and regrab the forend with your left hand.

This works very well if the sling is on the outside of the buttstock as shown in the picture up top. Also keep your stance square to the target and run the buttstock more towards the center of your chest, than in the pocket of the shoulder itself.
 
Hey Farmboy,
This is sling related, do you guys expect to get any Gear Sector QD mounts to come in? I saw you have the 1" loops on the website but I'm really intrested in the QD mount. Thanks in advance!
Mike
 
My 3's and 5's courses = No slings. Several soldiers got caught not being with their rifles... REMEDIALS!
haha good ol days.
 
homer76 said:
Wow..... So much fail........
Click to expand...

No need for that brother ;) we've all got opinions, none of which are a "fail" they are just different ideas.


Back - on - to - slings. :)
-If you take the lack of slings as a TTP/SOP becuse you had to did it on a course once, unfortunately, I respectively believe you are mistaken.
-If you choose to train without, so be it, to each their own. Individual experience will dictate.
-The sling is also there for weapons retention in the case of incapactitated or CAT E soldiers. Should you drop it when hit, at least its still attached, and if it is not crew-served or a section weapon it will be evac'd with you, and not left behind, nshould it not be able to be retreived. Ie: dropping it over a mud wall, out of an air sentry hatch etc. That would also apply to police, unless you want to leave a restricted/prohib laying there beside a pool of gooey stuff in a populated area, may not be a good idea ;)

-The only times I've gone without a sling. In crappy forrests in Canada, and to be taught "Lessons"
I hated not having a sling as c9/c6 the most. That was horrible, and we learned nothing from it. Its not an SOP or TTP, its just a mindless punishment that has been used at least for the last 11 years for either not having your weapon in arms reach, or having it slung at the incorrect time. For us it was the #2 C6 in the Pl had his MG slung on an administrative road move, and the old senile course WO lost his ####, and took all of our slings. Some were even personally aquired VCAS/VTAC/etc.

When I approached the staff about how we wouldnt learn how to properly employ the gear if they keep taking it away, and that they are making the issues worse............ all of a sudden we had our slings back. That was a one-off exception to DS staff actually listening to a candidate, and heeding common sense. That was the 3rd time we lost them, and maybe they were just waiting for someone to nut-up and call BS.

I also use a padded VCAS on the 16", I highly reccomend it, I used it on a couple Ex's and a tour, and it held up fantastically. I'm going to be looking at the M24 setup for a hunting rilfe, I'm not a sniper, so I wont get it too dirty, but I own bolt guns, and I'm a kit slut sooooo........
 
Though I feel a sling is to a rifle what a holster is to a pistol I do think a small amount of training for the event of a gear failure is a good thing. I think some people are taking the comments on such training to literally. Its doubtful anyone runs their rifles without slings entirely. But as stated gear does fail. We buy the best to help ensure it never does but occasionally s**t breaks. And when it does its nice to have a little training to fall back on to keep you on task rather than fumbling with your gear, unsure what to do with yourself. It should only be a small part of your training so you can simply deal with it when it does happen even though it probably never will for most. Preparedness is paramount to success, wingin it is for Hollywood.
 
QOR said:
Aside from illustrating how many of our soldiers are living in the past, carrying a rifle with no sling teaches you absolutely nothing. Not sure who you are but when I see a soldier carrying a weapon without a sling we immediately have a one way conversation.

A sling is to a rifle what a holster is to a handgun, period.
Click to expand...


Each to their own.
 
Last edited:
Ahhh...
Darren it looks like you are coming to the dark side :p
I personally love the single "CQB style" sling to the 2 point "hunched shot" sling set-up. Thus with the QD option to ditch her quick like makes it a demand when slinging any semi-auto rifle now days that I own.
Hence why for ar platforms I don't know why everyone doesn't have a noveske rear end plate with either a gear selector or knights front had stop qd mount. With this attachment point on ones sling. Truley makes ones rig not only fully ambi for those certain (i.e. barrier) situations but also for all types of events were you just want the adaptibilty to change ones rifle whiled slinged. (i.e. slinged for cqb but quickley changed to over the back meathod to climb up a ladder or reppel downa rope.)
But I degress...
Blue Force gear is for people like me who like looking good infront of my computer :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom