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New! From RE.MF Tactical - the Adaptable Solutions Sling


TheFull9

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A.S.S.

 

P1020832.jpg

 

When did this all start?

 

The basic firearm sling has been with us for hundreds of years now. It us unknown when exactly the first fighting man tied a length of rope around his weapon in order to ease carrying of said weapon, but dedicated sling mounting points first began to appear on muzzle loading smoothbores in the late 17th century. Historically however, many of the first slings produced for the military forces of that era almost exactly mirror the slings still being issued to some troops today in terms of design, and similar materials were still being used even up until the period following the cessation of WWII. The basic carrying strap that has been standard issue with the M16 for a lot of US forces until quite recently can trace design roots back well over 100 years. Certainly in the cold war era of the M14, G3 and SLR the various issued slings were positively archaic in both design and construction.

 

So essentially, what we can see as we look at the overall timeline of sling design and fabrication is that very little has actually changed. Synthetic materials came in around the 1960s and a few military issued slings such as the L85 3-point design indicated some small signs of progress, but those old, simple carry straps are still being issued to many personnel around the world to this day. The USMC has only just recently replaced the issued AR-15 family strap/3-point with the BFG VCAS and the civilian market has only seriously begun to come up with any really new ideas in roughly the last 5 years or so.

 

Also a little snippet of interest, as according to the United States Ordnance Manual of 1861; "the rifle sling should be made of russet (brown) leather" and the width dimension called for was 1¼ inches. Exactly the same width as the just-released Magpul MS3.

 

What's the original problem?

 

To start with, I believe that to understand the necessity for really pushing the design of slings beyond that of the systems currently available on today's market, we need to understand the limitations of some the basic sling types that have been in circulation for the last decade or so.

 

First off, let's look at the 3-point design. This has seen fairly extensive issue to military forces over the past couple of decades and has served many people well, but let's look at some of the advantages and dis-advantages of the 3-point here on an L85A2.

 

P1020827.jpg

 

+ Plenty of scope for adjustment, whether the user is short or tall, broad or skinny, lightly loaded or heavily armoured, the sling can almost always be adjusted for a good fit.

+ Allows the user to totally take their hands off the weapon in order to perform other tasks, while automatically keeping the muzzle out of the dirt in the standing and kneeling positions.

+ Puts the weapon in a comfortable position for extended carrying during patrols, much like a 2-point.

+ QR buckles give the ability to very quickly transition in to more of a 1-point configuration when a contact occurs.

 

- Comparatively heavy and complex, there's a lot of material and components used to construct a 3-point.

- The cross strap required to allow the transition between the two modes is a severe hindrance to operation of the weapon's controls. In this instance, the bolt release, fire selector and magazine catch are all partially covered by the webbing. Potentially highly dangerous in the real world, a significant obstruction in airsoft.

- One handed operation of the transformation system can be awkward when going back in to the supported mode.

- Although the 1-point mode is a step forward in terms of ease of manipulation vs. a 2-point sling, all the extra webbing makes shoulder transitions fairly difficult, if not impossible.

 

Moving forward a bit we come upon the 1-point sling. A modern, minimal design that's more likely to be seen in use with law enforcement, SF, private security and as a personal purchase choice for troops. Here's a simple example of such a design which incorporates sections of bungee material attached to a 10.5" AR-15.

 

P1020830.jpg

 

+ Again, plenty of scope for length adjustment, even on a variant with the elasticated portions.

+ Lightweight and simplistic, comparatively few materials and components required for construction.

+ All weapon controls are entirely free from any obstructions.

+ When correctly adjusted, the butt of the weapon will hang only slightly below the operator's shoulder, making it quick and easy to go from a slung position in to a full and proper shooting stance simply by raising the muzzle end of the weapon.

+ Primary to reaction side transitions are made easy when firing in almost any position, even without the aid of equipment such as the ASAP or Echo 93 sling plates (though these often are beneficial).

 

- The user is limited in their ability to perform other tasks with their hands or traverse difficult obstacles encountered in their environment, since the weapon will hang directly in front of the body when not physically held and can become an obstacle in itself.

- Following on from the previous point, when not in physical control of the primary weapon and under stress it is quite easy to end up with either a flash hider/barrel full of foreign matter, or worse a broken suppressor or mis-aligned barrel, due to impact occurring with the muzzle end against the ground or some other low level object.

- The user must fully support the weapon with both hands in order to adopt a comfortable patrol position when transiting long distances, this is more fatiguing on the muscles compared to a 2 or 3-point setup.

- Standard 1-points are ideally suited for short duration, high speed fire fights in close quarters, but cannot be adapted in to any configurations or sling types other than the one they are fixed in to at manufacture.

 

How do we move forward from here?

 

A fair few of you out there will have no doubt noticed that I have not included the basic 2-point sling in the above analysis, so let me lay down a basic framework for my ideas that led to the creation of the A.S.S..

 

A couple of months back I was looking at my loadout and trying to decide on things I'd like to improve. Amongst various other updates, I felt that a change to my weapon sling was due, since I had been almost exclusively utilising my PTS MS2 at near enough every single skirmish I'd attended for the previous couple of years. I loved the versatility of the design, the ability to switch shoulders and modes so quickly, but it proved to be quite uncomfortable and really bit in to the back of my shoulder; by the end of a skirmish day this would end up getting quite uncomfortable indeed. To this end, I began searching the usual online gear retailers to see if there might be something better out there, but after some time doing so I'd come up rather stumped. I posted up the following thread to ask for some advice from some of my fellow airsofters who might have experience in this area.

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/200888-ms23-sling-alternatives/

 

What you'll see as you read through this thread is plenty of well thought out discussion with regards to weapon retention systems and a good variety of recommendations for alternatives to the MS2. What you'll also see towards the end of the thread on the second page is some discussion emerging with regards to building bespoke solutions using a combination of currently existing slings and other commonly available materials/hardware. Initially this seemed like a very interesting option, but at the time I wasn't sure if I'd have the ability or know-how to put such a sling together, so I decided to pick up the Emdom-MM Gunslinger in Multicam and see how I got along with it.

 

Quality wise I was very much impressed by the Emdom effort. It incorporates a lot of good ideas and works brilliantly in the 2-point mode, very much like a dedicated quick-adjust 2-point such as the VCAS, one of the Viking Tactics slings or the SOB B-Sling. Unfortunately however, it fell down in the 1-point mode, which is the setup I would mostly be using for airsofting. The sling was simply too long, there was too much webbing built in to it and without any bungee or velcro loops to roll up loose straps it always left the weapon hanging far too low down.

 

This chain of events led me to break out the scissors, a box of matches and the thread unpicker and really go to town on the Gunslinger. I chopped down various sections of the adjustment systems, re-tested the sling and found that it was quite possible to produce marked improvements without losing any functionality, needing to purchase extra materials or do an sewing. Over the course of 4 days I gradually chopped out various strips of webbing and pieces of hardware until I was pretty much left with the sling that you see in the top picture, but using HK snap hooks instead of the Magpul hardware.

 

By this point I had made a fair amount of progress towards achieving my end goal. I had a sling which did give me the basic functionality of the Magpul offerings with a greatly increased comfort factor. I wasn't entirely happy quite yet however because the HK snaps were a lot slower to connect and disconnect compared to the hooks on my PTS MS2, so I decided to have another read of my old thread to look over the content again and a very interesting picture posted up by @akiraspeedstar caught my eye. Which you can see here.

 

Haleycustomsling.jpg

 

This is Mr Travis Haley talking about the body's interaction with a carbine when firing in one of his latest instructional videos. With regards to the sling, what you'll immediately notice is that it is not a straight-up MS3. The portion going over his shoulder seems to be borrowed from the Viking Tactics Padded Sling, given the row of stitching down the middle of the pad. I would suggest this to be a very good option for use in creation of your own sling, because it generally comes in around 10-15 USD cheaper than the BFG Padded VCAS but with the same features. The Emdom option in Multicam will cost around the same as the Viking Tactics, but the solid colour options again come in around 6 dollars less than the VTAC.

 

As for the other components of Mr Haley's sling, you can see that the key portion linking the rest of the sling to the weapon itself comes directly from a black MS3, as does the secondary paraclip. The section of webbing in the tan colour looks to me like it has been taken from an MS2 due to the amount of light reflecting from it's surface. The material used in the production of the MS2 gives off a lot more shine than the far duller, matte webbing used on the MS3. It would also seem a strange decision to break apart two different MS3s in different colours when just one would have done the job. With that said however, the width of the tan material seems to be in keeping with the width of the MS3 hardware, so I can't be 100% certain on this point.

 

Regardless of the exact components selection Travis went with, I believe that the fact he's not entirely using the sling which he will have no doubt have helped to design, says a great deal. In general, I would say it reinforces the point that others have made before me with regards the issues that the Magpul slings have. On the other hand it should be noted that he has stuck with the Magpul interpretation of the quick length adjustment section and while I don't doubt he has his reasons for doing so, I find this somewhat surprising for reasons that I shall elaborate on later.

 

Why should I consider buying 2 slings if 1 will do the job?

 

In order to answer this question we need to look a bit more in-depth at the issues present in the current crop of cutting edge sling designs. Firstly, I mentioned earlier that I hadn't included 2-point slings in the opening section of this article and the reason for this is simple. When I'm skirmishing in a game, I find the ability to switch shoulders very quickly absolutely essential, and for me, having to take extra steps to move or adjust my sling in order to make that switch is not acceptable. 2-point sling systems, even the latests designs with quick adjustment, do not give the shooter that quick transition ability.

 

Now this is an individual thing, so if the general concepts of a 1-point aren't for you, then I would recommend you look elsewhere than the A.S.S. for a sling to suit your needs. If you do like that quick transition ability however, then please do read on.

 

As a demonstration of the differences between these quick adjust 2-points slings and a 1-point, I suggest taking a look at the following videos. First up is Larry Vickers promoting his Combat Applications Sling:

 

 

Next up we have Chris Costa using an MS2 while instructing a carbine class:

 

 

From the point of cessation of firing in one shoulder to commencement of firing in the opposite shoulder, you're looking at around 1 second (or less) with the MS2 and around 6 seconds with the VCAS; and that's being generous to the VCAS. You've also got to factor in the increased likelihood of somehow making a mistake during the transition while using the 2-point setup. If you don't take your time when it comes to grabbing that quick adjust buckle or taking one of your arms out the loop you will undoubtedly end up tangled and have to spend even longer correcting the issue. Also, when the 2-point is mounted at the root of the buffer tube on the AR you will end up with a section of the webbing obstructing the fire selector and the bolt catch & release once you've successfully transitioned to the reaction side. Something that can certainly be a real hindrance in airsoft and a massive problem in the live fire world.

 

So now we understand the problems that the user might face if he were to choose to run a 2-point sling, now let's look at some of the issues with the adaptable slings that are currently on the market. Firstly, the MS2.

 

P1020841.jpg

 

This image is a close in view of my old PTS sling and I have two points to highlight from this.

 

First and foremost, as mentioned earlier, the width simply isn't sufficient. If you're firing a particularly light, all polymer rifle with a short barrel and few accessories then this may well suffice for your needs, but for many people running 14.5"+ carbines or rifles with metal receivers and rail systems, optics and various electronic devices, 1" webbing simply doesn't distribute the weight enough and will cause noticeable pain across the neck/shoulder area as you come towards the end of a day's skirmishing.

 

Secondly is the issue with this particular material and it's interaction with velcro. The way in which the threads are weaved does make for a soft feel, but it also catches quite badly on hook velcro, a material found commonly all over various kinds of tactical kit and equipment. The camera didn't actually pick up a lot of the really tiny strands that are protruding from the webbing, so the true extent of the damage is actually quite a bit worse than it would appear from looking at that particular picture.

 

Next up, the adjustment systems.

 

P1020842.jpg

 

I'm hoping other people had more luck with these than I ever have, because I found them both to be awkward and unreliable. The fixed length adjustment (in this case the plastic tri-glide) would always end up about 4 inches away from where I'd set it by the end of a skirmish day, purely due to the weight of the weapon. When it came to trying to use the quick length adjustment I also encountered a lot of difficulty. Unless I could tension the sling in just the right way the loop simply wouldn't move when pulled, it would jam at an angle or stick and the majority of the time I'd end up sitting there for a minute having to manually feed the strap through the metal hardware. Hardly quick.

 

On the positive side however, the MS2 does give:

  • Smooth, fast and unhindered shoulder transitions
  • A quick disconnect from the weapon
  • Fast transition from 1 to 2-point modes
  • All the advantages related to speed and control associated with a 1-point sling, when configured in that mode

These are the features that we would want to retain in the A.S.S.

 

Now let's take a look at the Gunslinger in it's default form to identify some of the issues with that design.

 

GSMC1-1.jpg

  • 1. This portion of the sling links directly to the weapon when you're setup in the 1-point mode, but it's simply far too long. The fastex buckle was included in order to allow a quick release from the weapon in an emergency, but this can be achieved in other ways using better designed hardware. There's also far too much webbing hanging down from the buckle which further exacerbates the issue with the rifle being slung too low down when the Gunslinger is used as a 1-point.
  • 2. When utilised in the default configuration intended by the manufacturer, this metal D-ring facilitates the use of the Gunslinger in the 1-point mode by allowing attachment of the free end and sits directly against the body. This creates a painful pressure point when the torso is not covered by a chest rig or armour carrier, and causes an interference with mission critical equipment when the torso is covered. The problem here is that the ring does not act as a link in the chain as seen with the D-ring in the Magpul designs, it is sewn in to an unbroken length of webbing.
  • 3. The fixed length adjustment section. As we've seen with other areas of this sling, there's simply too much material here and even though the excess is controlled (since it loops back inside itself) and is secured by the bungee loop, this creates another problem. Routing the webbing in such a manner simply doesn't create enough friction for this portion of the sling to stay in the position the user sets. As a load is placed on to the sling, the oval slide will end up moving from it's intended place.
  • 4. This is the quick length adjustment section of the sling, here as before we've got too much webbing used, again contributing to the previously mentioned issues with regards the 1-point mode.
  • 5. The plastic 'tension loc' buckle that is used to allow quick adjustment of section 4 on the Gunslinger is good and stays solidly in place, but the Z-pull attached to this buckle is a problem area. To my mind a V-pull (i.e. just one strip of webbing instead of the current two) would have been a much better idea, as the Z design will flap around quite noticeably when the sling is in use, rather than staying neatly positioned against the main body of the system.

This isn't to say that Emdom and MM threw this product together with no thought, far from it. The Gunslinger does give us these advantages:

  • An adaptable type sling design (combines 1 and 2-points) which is available in far more colour and camouflage pattern options than than the Magpul offerings
  • A wide shoulder strap constructed from supple yet robust 1.8" seatbelt webbing for much improved pressure distribution
  • Mil-spec materials throughout, including all the webbing, 420D cordura in the areas where the 1" material transits to/from the 1.8", ghillitex metal and plastic hardware for IR reduction and #69 thread used in all stitching
  • No worries about the hook velcro on the other parts of your gear interfering with your sling
  • A quick adjust system that is consistent and simple to operate with just one hand but will remain in the position the user leaves it in during operations

Can we get all the good stuff in to one sling without any of the bad?

 

Simple answer: Yes, and doing so does not require any knowledge or past experience of tactical gear modification. In order to make my particular version of the A.S.S. all that is required are the following items:

  • Emdom-MM Gunslinger in your colour of choice
  • Magpul MS2 in your colour of choice
  • A good pair of scissors or sharp knife
  • Box of matches or cigarette lighter
  • Thread unpicking tool (optional but useful)

The vast majority of the creation process simply involves chopping down the Gunslinger and doing away with a lot of the unnecessary material. In fact for those on a budget the Gunslinger itself can be improved significantly without having to purchase any extra hardware beyond the QD/HK/MASH hook that you'd need regardless. I'll cover that slightly later on however, first let's look in detail at the features of the A.S.S. itself. I've broken the sling down in to 2 sections for analysis, as pictured below.

 

P1020837-1.jpg

 

Section 1

 

P1020838.jpg

 

The beauty of using the Magpul product as part of the A.S.S. is that no permanent modification needs to be made to your MS2 (or 3) sling, you simply thread the strap back through the various components and you'll end up with the strap itself, the alligator clip and the rear weapon connector pictured here.

 

In order to adapt the Magpul rear connector portion on to the Gunslinger, simply de-construct the Gunslinger's original rear connector section to free the ITW 1" oval slide, unpick and then cut the section of webbing that protrudes from the cordura transit area (only through 1 strap of course, the one that will sit away from the torso, and cut as close to the cordura as possible) and remove the fastex buckle and D-ring. Ensure you spend 4-5 second with a lighter or match flame held near to the end of any webbing you cut, this will just melt the loose ends of the nylon, dramatically increasing the life of your sling.

 

Now you can thread the 1" oval on to the strap you are left with, through the D-ring on the Magpul segment (making a small fold at the lowest point) and back through the oval slide. Although this method of securing the connector may look unreliable at first glance, by threading the 1" webbing back through the oval slide you have actually created a joint which is not only simple but self-tensions and gets stronger as you put weight on to the sling. Hence why I decided to employ this system at 3 different points on the A.S.S.

 

The MS2 hardware allows for both quick and easy attachment to a variety of receiver plate and buttstock mounting points, as well as quick detachment from the weapon whenever the user so desires. The extra section of 1" webbing from the MS2 (to which the Dynamics patch is affixed) also ensures that shoulder transitions are made easy by allowing the metal D-ring to hang down slightly from the weapon, creating a 'valley' of sorts in the material within which the buttstock of the weapon can transit across the body without interference.

 

The change of the metal D-ring to a link between the Gunslinger shoulder strap and the connection hardware, where previously it was sewn in part-way along the webbing, also provides various enhancements. The metal will no longer be pressing against the user's torso when the weapon is hung, attachment of the alligator clip is made simpler by removing the webbing that previously covered most of the ring, and the length adjustment section of the sling will sit in-line with the rest when the weapon is held in the firing position, where before it was twisted at 90°.

 

Section 2

 

P1020839.jpg

 

The primary objectives of the modifications to the length adjustment sections of the Gunslinger were to make alterations which would result in a sling better suited to use in the 1-point mode; this required fairly extensive removal of material.

 

The first task was to unpick the stitching in the end of the fixed length adjustment section. As always, be sure to check twice then cut once, slice away excess and then feed the strap back through the 1" oval slide in the exact same manner used in section 1. This alleviates problems with both the length of the Gunslinger and the tendency for this section of the adjustment system to move during use.

 

Next job was to look at the quick length adjustment section of the Emdom sling. No unpicking of thread necessary here, but again you'll need to take note of how the system goes together, feed the webbing right through to pretty much maximum adjustment, test, adjust again then cut and loop the 1" oval back in place, installing the Alligator clip from the MS2 as you do so. Now we have entirely remedied the issue with regards to the Gunslinger placing the weapon too low in the 1-point mode, and have a faster, more intuitive method of transitioning between the 1 and 2 point configurations using the all the Magpul hardware.

 

Taking control of the rogue Z-pull is also a simple matter. Using the factory made loop of 1" webbing that you previously took from the rear weapon connector portion of the gunslinger, you can simply use a thin pair of pliers to pull the Z inside said loop, which will entirely eliminate any issues with loose webbing while still retaining the quick adjust feature. This is particularly useful, as a sling that fits you perfectly while wearing just a shirt isn't going to fit as well once you don a plate carrier or other rig that has bulk to it.

 

P1020835.jpg

 

So there we have it. The initial complaint with the MS2 was comfort, that's now been sorted and a few other problems have been solved along the way. So how does the A.S.S. get along when you actually try and attach it to your airsoft armoury?

 

Weapons Compatibility

 

First thing to point out is that the content of the section is very much subjective to a variety of factors. Even within one family of weapons there can be many hundreds of potential combinations of sling mounting points & solutions. With this in mind, I've tried to do my best to pick out a few of the more commonly utilised systems currently in use out there.

 

Starting off with the modernised AR-15, in 1 and 2-point configurations. Not a problem for the A.S.S.

 

P1020846.jpg

 

P1020849.jpg

 

Next up, AKM. The sling has to be reversed here due to the width of the front sling mount, but a cheap and simple paracord loop will fix this no problem (this of course applies to almost any weapon type you can think of). As with the AR family, there are of course many types of AK out there with a wide variety of sling mounts.

 

P1020857.jpg

 

G36 family. The great advantage with these weapons is that they feature a sling mount right at the base of the stock, which is absolutely ideal for a 1-point. Unfortunately the QD clip on the MS2 doesn't quite fit through, but again, a couple of inches of commonly available paracord remedies this, as well as saving your weapon from getting scratched if it's made of metal with paint, rather than polymer.

 

P1020852.jpg

 

Legacy 7.62 NATO battle rifles such as the FAL are fine too. In this instance I've used an adapter piece designed for an M16 full stock, but this purely an optional addition to make the sling setup more comfortable for me.

 

P1020854.jpg

 

Options and Alternative Configurations

 

One particularly useful feature of the modified Gunslinger is that it retains a fundamental function of it's base model; the ability to easily customise the hardware to the end user's preference.

 

For example, those who may already own a Magpul PTS (as opposed to the Magpul Industries) MS2 can use the hardware from their current sling just as easily. As with the real world original, no permanent modifications need be made to the PTS sling in order to remove the alligator clip and the rear weapon connecting section. In fact, the PTS QD hook is built in such a manner as to allow full, 360 rotation where the original hook is not.

 

P1020843.jpg

 

For those who would rather not have to purchase 2 slings in order to combine them, the complete functionality (on a base level) of the A.S.S. can be achieved by simply using 2 HK snap hooks. Some speed is sacrificed, but the financial cost is substantially lessened.

 

P1020845.jpg

 

As another alternative that only requires a single HK snap, the level of modification to the Gunslinger can be toned down by leaving the original D-ring and rear weapon connection in place. In this setup the snap hook is mounted to the adjustable section of the sling and the webbing of the rear weapon connection is threaded through a suitable sling plate or other mounting point on the weapon.

 

HK Snap hooks can generally be picked up fairly inexpensively on eBay, or for a wider range of hooks, buckles and other useful hardware I strongly recommend the Mil-Spec Monkey Store.

 

http://milspecmonkey.com/store/tactical-gear/hardware/accessories

 

For those with more expensive tastes who want to utilise the very latest gear, the MS3 paraclips can be incorporated in to the trimmed down Emdom sling just as easily as the MS2 hardware.

 

In fact, it is also quite possible to incorporate these hardware options in to base slings other than the Emdom offering using similar techniques, as demonstrated quite eloquently by Arnies user akiraspeedstar in his thread here:

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/201777-custom-magpul-ms2-style-sling/

 

In Conclusion

 

I hope you have all enjoyed coming on this little learning experience with me, and I certainly do hope you have found it informative.

 

I do look forward to seeing whether others will decide to make an A.S.S. out of for themselves.

 

:cookiemonster:

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You, sir, are a mad genius.

 

Superb design, execution, and documentation.

 

I shall be making an *albatross* of myself attempting to make an A.S.S.

 

Thank you, much appreciated. I look forward to seeing what you come up with, be sure to post up some pictures in here when you're done, I'd love to see the different versions that people come up with.

 

For someone employed by our Majesties Armed Forces you seem to have WAY too much time on your hands :P

 

The amount of research done here is astounding. Very well done indeed.

 

Pre-deployment leave is a wonderful thing. I actually opened the new thread posting window nearly a week ago, worked on the article on and off a bit each day and hibernated the laptop each night. When I eventually came to click 'Preview Post' I thought I was going to crash the board software to be honest. :wacko:

 

Also as a note since I forgot to mention this originally; I have tested this sling in-game so I can assure everyone that if you do decide to build something like this, it's not purely some fantastical, unproven design that'll fall apart as soon as you hang a weapon from it. The day after I finished the build I took the sling down to The Mall in Reading, a site that's about as intense as they come in terms of CQB, I'm sure anyone who's played there will agree. I spent the whole day running the 1-point mode on my PTS ACR and it didn't let me down at all, the adjustment sections stayed where I set them and the points where the webbing is secured by the 1" oval slides were solid.

 

The quick adjust system came in particularly useful since I'd originally set my A.S.S. up wearing just a t-shirt, so when I donned my Warrior DCS packed out with fake plates I did need that extra length, and the sling didn't disappoint.

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Put together a quick demo video while I was out getting some loadout pictures.

 

 

Originally I wanted to include it in the article, but that ended up taking so bloody long I never got the opportunity.

 

I can only apologise for the extremely rusty skills, the slow speed of my transitions and reloads is purely down to me, not the sling. Hopefully it does at least demonstrate a few basics for anyone that's considering putting together their own.

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  • 1 month later...

so, I managed to get the spare bits from that butchered MS2, and threw together a desert digital version. I have some shackles around, but the HK hooks are easier to get onto my guns so I decided not to use one.

 

I also have an S.O.B B-sling which is similar in function to this in 2-point , but doesn't fit my AK or have 1-point capability, so this is filling a niche in my kit.

 

P10100013.jpg

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Crab Air, you can't expect them to actually work for a living! ;):P

 

Seriously, great article. Well put together and great pics too. :)

 

I wish I could ever get near a computer on work's time, heh. Hell if I worked in small arms instead of explosive storage I could get all sorts done, but alas that will have to wait for another posting.

 

Make and sell these. Money waiting ;)

 

I very seriously considered it for a while. Unfortunately I'm not sure of the legality of selling on other people's slings, and the end cost to the consumer would likely be very high indeed (probably $150 per sling or even more). Sadly producing them from raw materials isn't an option, living in the barracks as I do I've simply no space to setup any kind of production line.

 

If it were possible in some way I'd love to start making slings because as I highlighted in the article there's definitely a gap in the market which need filling. Sadly I can't see a way for me to do it though.

 

Ideally I'd like to give it to HSP or MSM or someone like that so they could put it out there, I'm not fussed about making money I'd just love to see the end product actually being used out in theatre/on the streets/by airsofters. At the moment however I'm limited on the internet time necessary to make the necessary presentation.

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Yeah that was one of the first things that caught my eye while watching Travis Haleys video was the sling. Which immediately got me modifying my MS2 to alleviate that cutting into the neck feeling that the MS2 originally gave.

 

sling-2.jpg

 

My only recommendation to anyone considering this mod as well, is to utilize a sling like I did (http://www.ebairsoft.com/weekend-warrior-speed-sling-p-5319.html) as it's padded and only costs you $16.59. I pretty much emulated Travis Haleys sling down to every detail, with the exception of the MS3 hardware.

 

For anyone with a MS2 sling, I highly recommend this modification as it turns the MS2 into not only a functional sling but also a very comfortable one.

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  • 2 months later...

Bit of an update to the thread while I'm working on putting together the Gen 2 A.S.S. here.

 

I've been doing a bit more searching around lately and when I was looking at a few videos from Hardpoint Equipment on YT I noticed a link through to some more media by Ares Armo(u)r which demonstrate their Huskey Amentum slider sling, and I think it's actually a very good option for anyone out there who wants a sling which fulfils the criteria that I had when I put together the original A.S.S. Those criteria primarily consisting of the following:

  • Adaptable/1-to-2 point configuration to maximise versatility
  • Increased comfort through the addition of padding and wider materials across the neck/shoulder area
  • Simple and effective quick adjustment system
  • Various options of colours and camouflage patterns

optacticalgear_2215_41594529.jpg

 

To enable you to use the Huskey Amentum as an adaptable sling you simply need the addition of one of these Viking Tactics QD point tri-glides:

 

optacticalgear_2211_44840274.jpg

 

A demonstration of which you can view here:

 

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_sfyw-mOMc&feature=youtu.be&t=3m7s[/media]

 

If you're interested in picking one of these up then Op Tactical have a really great deal on the quick release version at the moment. They've also got them in MC, Coyote, ATACS-AU and Black which should accommodate the majority of people I'd think:

 

http://www.optactical.com/ararhuamslsl.html

 

They've also got the VTAC Tri-glides in at a lower price than the Ares site:

 

http://www.optactical.com/vita2to1.html

 

Though if anybody is really keen on an ATACS-FG, OD green or pink ( :huh: ) sling then those are available from Ares' own site for a few dollars more (worth noting they also stock the VTAC Tri-glides):

 

http://www.aresarmor.com/install/ecom-prodshow/aahuskey2pt.html

 

The only real dis-advantage I can see there being to this sling is the fact that the front attachment point has to be a QD button, unlike the MS2 or MS3 hardware you can't just latch it on to any old sling hook. That said however, an awful lot of RIS designs now do integrate QD attachment points, as do some gas blocks, and it's also really easy to get a rail mounted QD point that'll go up the front of any weapon you have that features even a tiny section of 20mm up the front of its' handguard (which is the vast majority these days). So when you really look at it, considering the price saving vs. buying yourself two sling as I have, it's not really too much of an issue.

 

Overall, an option well worth considering for those who would rather save a bit of cash to get essentially the same functionality as an A.S.S. style hybrid and aren't bothered about the necessity of the QD point.

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