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Magpul MS3 Sling Review by aznriptide859

 

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Slings are absolutely essential for any shooter's kit. It allows the user to carry their weapon easily, manipulate their weapon without much effort, and give the operator total control of their rifle. From single point to triple point to bungee slings, one can be easily confused with the plethora of sling options out there. Magpul have offered their MS2 sling for at least a year now, and have only recently introduced their new updated MS3 sling. So how does it function?

 

Note: this review is EXTREMELY subjective, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

First, I should probably state my sling history and name some pros and cons:

 

Clone Magpul MS2

+Amazing features, front clip and locking QD rear hook'

+Very easily to adjust length

+Easy switching from 1pt to 2pt setups

-Strap way too thin, bites into shoulder after very short usage

-Rear hook was sometimes hard to release off the rifle, absolute PAIN to get back on

 

Irene Adaptive Sling

+Usable (I'm serious, this is the only thing I could think that was good for it)

-Strap felt weak and flimsy

-Absolutely impossible to adjust, way too many buckles, NOT user friendly

-Didn't do as advertised

 

Emdom-MM Gunslinger Sling

+Very wide shoulder strap, extremely comfy to use

+Allows for wide range of hooks (QD, HK, MASH, etc.)

+Very easy to adjust length

+Very easy to switch between 1pt and 2pt setups

-Hung my weapon way too low in 1pt configy p

 

You can see I had quirks with each sling (hating the Irene the most obviously); I did use the MS2 the longest, but haven't used the Gunslinger long enough to get used to the low hanging weapon. I've been eyeing the MS3 for a LONG time now, ever since they announced it at the end of 2010. Now a year after Magpul claimed it would arrive, it finally has. Let's get on with the review!

 

I bought mine from AIMSurplus in Black for about $48 sans shipping - currently only retailers (Magpul Store doesn't stock it yet) carry it, and the cost is all about the same. No word on an FDE, OD, or FG versions, but I prefer black for a specific build anyways.

 

The packaging is similar to their other theory-based products.

 

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Magpul have figured out to save material by printing the instructions and details on the cardboard in the middle.

 

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Now onto the sling. First thing I thought? This thing feels like a clone. I know that's blasphemy, especially considering that I'm an enormous Magpul, Costa, and Haley fan. But the sling is just so light, there's so little metal - I honestly was expecting much more from Magpul after almost a year long wait. My friend said the exact same thing - perhaps we're both weird - but out of the box, it isn't what I expected.

 

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However, that is not saying that this sling is BAD. Let's get into details.

 

The strap is probably what makes this feels like a clone the most. It's thin and feels flimsy, however it is wider than the MS2 (1.5" compared to 1" on the MS2), and is definitely more comfier to wear. My clone MS2 seemed like the strap was woven with silk - it was smooth and thick and tough. I'm positive this strap is very tough too, but perhaps Magpul could've put more work into it.

 

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The "quick adjust thumb strap" is back, and it is larger than the MS2. Works as advertised, not much to say here.

 

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Here's the new bit - almost all of the buckles, hooks, and clips on the MS3 are plastic. Although they are not metal, the plastic seems to be extremely similar to what Magpul uses in their AFG and RVG - and it is TOUGH. Depending on the buckle there are Magpul logos all over, and I don't feel the buckles and such will ever break soon.

 

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The "center loop" has been modified a lot - it is entirely "AFG polymer" (what I'll call it from now on) and is tough as nails. The loop is MUCH bigger than the MS2, so it allows much easier manipulation for both left and right handed users, and switching from 1pt to 2pt situations. There is a huge "MS3" logo printed on it.

 

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Now, the best part - the QD clips. The majority of these are made from AFG polymer, but the "button" that you press and hold is made of metal, similar to the metal on the RSA. The clips are EXTREMELY springy, and will take a lot of force to unhook - great, as this gives me confidence the hooks won't undo with increased gun weight.

 

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You may notice there's a button on the side - that is the clip's locking mechanism. Push it one way and the clip operates like normal, but push it the other way and the hook is absolutely impossible to open. Another great feature I would like to see on other slings - heck I think Magpul should sell this clip separately.

 

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And the great news? Magpul have done away with the retarded pull-off-but-impossible-to-latch-on rear hook on the MS2. Both the front and rear hooks now are the clips I have previously described.

 

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Now, how's the mounting capability? Both hooks work wonderfully well with both the RSA and ASAP on my MAG-KU; then again Magpul have the tendency of their products working only best with THEIR products. I have no idea how well the clips will work with other sling loops, but I will assume they will be OK.

 

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How about using it? Using it is just like using the MS2. If you've used the MS2 before, you will feel at home with the MS3. Adjusting the strap length, switching between 1pt and 2pt, and swapping firing positions is extremely intuitive. And that what a sling is about - ease of manipulation, and the MS3 does it wonderfully and more comfortably than the MS2.

 

I liked using my MS2 because it hung the weapon very high on my chest; however, in that regard, the MS3 hangs it a bit lower (that is, if you are mounting it via an ASAP). Not as low as my Emdom Gunslinger, but it's manageable, and something I guess I'll just have to deal with.

 

So, conclusion (or, the TL, DR section):

 

+Great overall quality

+Buckles and hooks made of extremely tough plastic

+QD clips extremely tough, great locking mechanism

+Wider strap will make it more comfortable to wear

+Sling overall is VERY light

-Strap feels flimsy, could have been made better IMO

-Gun hangs a bit lower than the MS2

 

There are definitely more pros than cons, and I cannot recommend this sling enough - I have not skirmished with it yet, but I'm positive I'll like it more than using the MS2. However, after such a long wait and hype, the MS3 could have been more - I expected more from Magpul, and from a first impression, they seem to have fallen short on expectations.

 

Also, a suggestion - do NOT buy a clone of this. Because the buckles and hooks are plastic, I cannot even begin to imagine how bad the quality of ACM plastic buckles will be - unless, of course, they make them out of metal. If you want an MS3 sling, get the real thing (perhaps it's a ruse by Magpul to inherently force users to buy non-clone slings? XD)

 

So there is my review. Comments, questions, and rants can all be directed at me. Thanks for reading!

Edited by aznriptide859
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Here's a suggestion of how to improve the strap, Travis Haley did it with a MS3 prototype I'd presume (judging by the attachment points) where he changed the strap to have a padded section. One guy used a Viking Tactical sling to do this, I'm going to use this padded 2 point sling off of ebairsoft. Only downside is that I need to cut the strap of the MS2 to make it work. But it'll end up looking just like the strap in the picture.

 

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Nice first photo. Did you use a potato?

 

In all seriousness, I currently run an Emdom MM which I've had for about 3 years almost. What was the innovation that prompted you to buy the MS3?

Edited by slu
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Great review, very insightful.

 

After spending the first weekend with mine, I feel that it is a massive improvement over the MS2. The width of the strap and the new design of the buckles and how it locks just makes the whole thing more secure and comfortable to use.

 

I am still undecided if this suits me more than the Irene. For me, how the Irene becomes a 2 point without the need to unhook a buckle first may sway it for me.

I personally have not had an issue with the buckles or becoming a 2 point and transferring it to the back of me, but that may have a lot to do with loadouts and equipment used.

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Agreed with most of the point on the review....though I definitely don't think the new sling material is cheap by any means. The MS2 material(the real one at least), frays very easily and it sticks to velcro, which is PITA with just about any MOLLE or even CR Speed belt....MS3 is leaps and bounds better...

 

I do miss the articulating mechanism on the alligator clip on the MS2, and the ability to quick detach the rifle on the rear clip. But the new one works well, though I find the actual attaching the current clip to the QD loop is kinda of a fine motor motion as the clip is just a bit bigger than the actual loop....

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  • 3 weeks later...

The sling Travis used in those videos is a modified MS3 sling. You can tell by looking at the hardware. I know first hand since I've seen the sling in person in classes he's taught. I've also seen various different iterations of the MS3 hardware over the last year. The last few months leading up to release the hardware went through small changes, but the final design was the best.

 

The hardware will be black on all color variations of the MS3 sling. The only differences between the various slings will solely be the webbing. Testing was conducted on non-black hardware (FDE etc) and the polymer was simply not as strong as the 100% black formula. It was strong, and probably good enough for 99% of most users, but the design requirements by the T&E team called for the black formula. It should also be noted that the polymer used for this hardware was a completely new formula and it is in fact far stronger than the brass hardware used on the original MS2.

 

Something I mentioned on AR15 and a few other RS forums, what I really liked and was comforted by with the original MS2 was that I could lock the "Lock Jaw" Shackle and visually ID it as such at a glance. On the MS3, I liked the ease of unlocking and locking the paraclips' cross-bolt lock bar. But the more I used it the more I wished I had a quick visual ID as to whether the shackle was locked or not like with the MS2. I grabbed my paint pen one night with the intent of painting the unlocked side of the cross bolt lock bar and immediately noticed that Magpul had the foresight to include a small detent on the top and bottom of the lock bar. Saved me the hassle of dremeling a small dimple into the bar. A quick dab of paint and I'm very pleased.

 

 

The two ends of the MS3 paraclips, the left paraclip is unlocked and the right paraclip is locked:

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ID'ing whether the clips are locked or unlocked is now just as quick as with my MS2.

 

I've used the MS3 in a few games now as well as in several carbine classes (Costa Ludus and a few CAG taught classes) over the last few months. I've been exceptionally happy with the improvements over the MS2. Consumers just need to remember that the sling has to be adjusted to the individual's size as soon as you get it. You wouldn't believe how many people pull the sling out of the packaging the first time and assume it's going to be good to go right out of the gate. And I'm not just talking about airsofters. This happens a lot with RS shooters too. RTFM!

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They should be shipping really soon. Half the guys in the company thought they were already shipping by Shot, the other half said they'd be shipping imminently. So my guess is really soon.

 

Regarding the paint pens/markers, you could use any paint marker really. I used whatever I had on hand which I think was a red (X7) Tamiya Paint Marker as I have a lot of those lying around. That said, last time I was in a art/craft store I noticed that Sharpie now do Permanent Paint Pens/Markers too. I'd check that out. Any paint pen will work.

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Yup. I just like red as it's low contrast enough not to distract or call attention to it, yet still visible enough to quickly ID. I also like red as, to me, it's a warning color (especially in regards to firearms). It just says to me: "Caution! You're in an unsafe state!"

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