I am most certainly a two-point guy; I believe the one-point really doesn't have a place, outside the realm of submachine guns and other ultra-compact weapons. I have historically attached the front of my sling to whatever point is on the gas block, or furthest forward on a free-float handguard, and the back to the buttstock. Recent tinkering with A G36 has me curious about attaching the back to the AR15's end plate. I had a inboard loop end plate in the parts box, so I put it on my primary carbine today; I'm going to use it for a while, and see if there's any glaring pros or cons for me, in my use-case.

What do other folks like on their AR15s (or other assault rifles), and why?

quote:

tales about that method being a nut-buster

My main issue isn't nut busting, but the fact that it's difficult to stow the weapon in a way that doesn't have it in your way, if you're bending over. If I need both hands to move a thing or a person, it causes problems.

I personally prefer the forward mounting point to be very close to the upper receiver, either using a Haley thorntail QD cup or a cup native to the handguard (like on my MRP or MCX). Rear mounting point is on a QD cup on the stock.

Only gun I don't have set up like this is the AKS74U clone where the front attachment is via a BFG wire loop to the sling loop on the front sight block.

I typically do the opposite of what you're proposing, with the front sling attachment about 1/3 of the way down the front handguard, and the rear attachment at the back of the buttstock.

For example:


With a front sling mount as far forward as possible on the handguard, I always felt like I was fighting/tangling with the sling, with my support side arm sometimes ending up over the sling and sometimes under it. Moving the front attachment rearward a bit means my support hand arm/hand are always over the sling, with the sling tucked back away from my hand. And as long as the front sling attachment isn't too far back on the handguard, the muzzle is still kept out of the dirt when kneeling with a slung rifle.

My setup also allows me to more easily swivel the crossbody slung rifle around to where it's on my back, for times when I need to have full freedom on the front of my body, for stuff like jumping a fence, climbing a ladder, or going hands-on with a subject. The muzzle then sits well over my right shoulder, with the buttstock tucked in against the left rear of my body. Your proposed setup would be the opposite, with the muzzle sitting at/below your right shoulder and the entire buttstock dangling down away from the body, where it's more likely to get hung up or snagged.

Front behind where my hand is on rail, with a bit of wiggle room. Back on opposite side of stock. Like Rogue I want the sling away from my hand operating a light or laser unit. I like the rear sling on the outboard side of the stock because I feel that it gives a bit more room in my shoulder and neck area.

Mine is probably similar to Rogue's above.
Front is mounted about midway on a midlength Magpul MOE handguard, which would probably fall near-ish to how his is set up.

I suppose it depends on what you're doing with it. Other than rare instances when a match called for one, the only time I use a sling on an AR is hunting. If I'm using the AR, it usually means lousy weather, and it always means cold. So lots of layers and bulky clothes and a pack, so I keep the front end as rearward on the forend as possible, giving me as much sling to work with as possible.

I have tried the front point at a more aft location on the handguard before; it never felt right for me. I agree that it gives my support hand more space, but I never could get over how low it put everything, when the gun is slung. I always have a silencer on the gun, so that's another five inches hanging down. When slinging on my back, I never go muzzle up; I have tried it too, but the gun always wants to lean away from my body at the top, which is awkward.

I appreciate everyone's input; definitely interesting.

Rogue, does your rifle not cant away from your body, when slung muzzle-up, causing it to want to roll under your left arm?

I prefer them as far fore and aft as possible.

I've tried mounting them at all other points and that works best for me.
Lays flat and out of the way when not in use and easily brought into position.

I have the slings on all the time with a sling keeper to take up the slack.

quote:

Originally posted by KSGM:
Rogue, does your rifle not cant away from your body, when slung muzzle-up, causing it to want to roll under your left arm?

Not really. I yank on the adjustment slider to tighten it down most of the way, then holding the front of the handguard with my support hand I swing it up over my right shoulder and around to my back. It rides fairly stable there, with the weight of the right hanging on my right shoulder, the pistol grip basically directly in the small of my back, and the magazine above my right buttock. Once I'm ready for it again, I grab the buttstock with my support hand and swing it around under my support arm and back around to the front.

I keep mine near where they would be on a factory rifle….connection under the FSB and on the bottom of the stock

I use a hasty sling or military arm choking sling if prone…otherwise the rifle is slung over a shoulder while walking.

I don’t play rifle games and I don’t patrol the hood anymore. So mine are for hunting or target shooting.

This is how/why I still use the standard OD military sling and haven’t bought a high speed blue force sling

For me, it depends on use. Where the sling is used to assist in accuracy, I like the front point as far forward as possible at 6 and the rear on the left side of the stock (mid stock). This lets me tension the sling to help with shooting.

On a general purpose long rifle, front point just in front of the upper receiver and rear on the right rear of the stock. I generally have lights on the front rails and don’t like the sling being in the way of them so I move it back to where it doesn’t get in the way. I like the rear on the rear right side of the stock for easier weak side transitions.

On a SBR, I like the front again just in front of the receiver but the rear on the end plate. Again, I have stuff on the front rail so sling has to move back. Most of my SBRs have folding stocks so the rear sling has to move to the rear end plate area. I also find that low or high ready moves the sling when it’s on the stock.

Well, it only took a few days to disqualify that arrangement. Between the sling hook binding in the end plate loop, which put the sling in my face sometimes, the sling more-often-than-not impeding charging handle manipulation, and the rifle not sitting stably when slung on my back, the cons aren't worth any potential pros. The G36 is the only rifle I have come across that seems to work alright with that sling setup. You'd think the Sig 55X would do well, given it's folding stock and cocking handle location, but I disproved that ages ago; for me, the sling being right there in my mouth/nose is annoying.

Depends on my needs. If I’m going to be doing a lot of climbing, repelling, or field work, I run them as far on the ends of the gun that I can get them. The rest of the time I run them very close together.

On my standard length rifles I have mine on the end plate and about half way down the rail.
Allows the gun stay close to my body and high up on my chest when I am just carrying it and have my sling cinched tight. Keeps it from flopping around and stays out of my crotch when I do have to carry it after we have cleared whatever we are clearing and I don’t have a chance to go drop the rifle at the truck.

Just ordered this little setup for a build I am currently working on
https://haleystrategic.com/sho...accessories/qd-combo

On my SBRs and compact braced pistols just use a single point on the end plate.

While I usually have my sling as far forward and back for use as a hasty sling for standing long shots, I do like the the Buffer Tube end plate as an option.

It's not the best, but using the buttstock and buffer tube locations, the gun will fall free to my butt, clearing my sidearm in case I need to transition for failure.

It's a method that we adopted to the M16 2 pt from the mp5 3 pt sling. There's probably better methods available today, but there's just a comfort in it for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
using the buttstock and buffer tube locations, the gun will fall free to my butt, clearing my sidearm in case I need to transition for failure.

I'm having a really hard time envisioning this. Could you elaborate?

You're saying you attach the rear of the sling to the buttstock, and then the front of the sling to the receiver end plate? That alone is... unconventional. (I can't even find any photos of such a setup. I imagine it functions basically like a single point sling attached to the endplate, considering the attachment points are so close together at the rear of the rifle?)

Then if the rifle is around the front of your body so that it can be utilized, how does it end up resting on your butt if you let go of the rifle to transition to a holstered sidearm? With a similar single point sling setup, the rifle dangles down along the front of your torso when released.

Yes, you are picturing it correctly. Because it's not a single point sling, it has more movement. The weight is carried by the buttstock attachment point, allowing it to carry over your shoulder, resting behind you. The receiver end plate doesn't carry any of the weight, so it's not being pulled forward.

It allows for a comfortable "low ready" carry on patrol. If f you let go of it from the shoulder, it falls around you and ends up similar to photos of the off-duty IDF soldiers (but not quite so much in the middle of the back).

We originally did it with the A2 by unhooking the front clip and cinching the sling around the narrow portion of the fixed stock. Having a receiver end plate attachment just makes it easier to swap between configurations.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I suppose it depends on what you're doing with it. Other than rare instances when a match called for one, the only time I use a sling on an AR is hunting. If I'm using the AR, it usually means lousy weather, and it always means cold. So lots of layers and bulky clothes and a pack, so I keep the front end as rearward on the forend as possible, giving me as much sling to work with as possible.

I do the opposite, no sling at all. Snags when still hunting, rattles, etc. and having the gun in hand has priority over hanging from the shoulder. Infantry doctrine no sling, MP doctrine is sling if the potential for search is possible at which point it's to keep it out of reach. That's a rare thing and one of the newer tactics in light intensity conflict. We don't do any of that deer hunting or on a range plinking. Some like a sling for stability on a range but it's a higher level skill used for the incremental increase in points, not a tactical necessity.

If you were marching on foot long distances a rifle sling was an expedient aid, that's not common in a mechanized army where slings are a problem entering and exiting vehicles, much less trying to use a 26"+ firearm in one. I see them a bit oversold with marketing hype these days - the 'you must own a $100 tactical sling" thing is just that. Few ever say the GI 'silent sling' will do most of what the $100 one will.

I think a sling is practical enough in an infantry context to be better off having one than not. Referencing maps and other land nav tools, digging in kit for other reasons, or doing any kind of brief task that is better performed with two hands than one all are enabled by a sling. Not to mention taking some of the load off tired arms during a long patrol. I agree that slings and their associated components have gotten ridiculous, but the sling itself is value-added, I think, in most cases.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KSGM,