Tactical Slings

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A regular three-point sling can present a choking hazard when transitioning to the weak-side shoulder.

The main problems with three-point slings are that the straps are often restrictive in non-standard shooting positions and they can get in the way when operating AR-15 weapons systems or shotguns. With a basic three-point sling, transitioning to the weak shoulder to shoot from the other side of cover can range from mild strangulation to impossible. Some three-point slings such as the SOT and CST from Specter Gear and the Blackhawk Industries Swift Sling incorporate a release buckle which allows the "body" loop to slide back. This allows weak-shoulder transitions, but it is still somewhat awkward.

Another consideration with the three-point sling is that the multiple straps can get hung up on SWAT gear or load-bearing harnesses. In addition, for left-handed shooters, the strap closest to the gun can interfere with an AR-15's ejection port.

A Benelli M1S90 Tactical sports a Specter Gear Cross-Shoulder Transision (CST) three-point sling.

I checked out six three-point slings for this review. The first is Giles Tactical Sling made by The Wilderness. It is as simple as a three-point can get, but it gets the job done nicely. For a shooter without special applications, the Giles Tactical Sling will fit the bill at a good price.

Specter Gear, once called CQB Solutions, has made some of the most dramatic improvements in three-point sling design. The first basic improvement is an emergency release buckle (ERB) on their CQB Sling, which untangles the shooter from the main sling loop. The next improvement is in the Cross-Shoulder Transition (CST) Sling. The CST has a slider which allows the shooter to adjust the body loop position on the fly, which allows him to shoot from his weak-side

Two- and three-point slings may be connected to the front of the rifle either with a simple loop, or a quick-detach (QD) swivel. Here the Knights Armament QD sling swivel is used.

shoulder without choking himself. The last offering from Specter Gear I looked at was the Special Operations Patrol (SOP) Sling. This design is based on the CST, but adds offset one-inch loops at both ends to connect to the weapon for increased freedom of movement and changes the main loop width to one and a half inches to better distribute the weight of the weapon. All the slings from Specter Gear are available with an ERB.

The SPEC-OPS Brand MAMBA sling is very similar to the Specter Gear CQB Sling, but distinguishes itself with a bungee portion of the body loop at the rear of the sling. The addition of the bungee material is unconventional, but sometimes just a little more mobility is required when trying to clear gear or transition, and the bungee can provide it. Finally, the Blackhawk Industries Swift Sling follows the same basic three-point pattern, but has a buckle for cross-shoulder transitions. Once this buckle is released, it requires two hands to reset and is somewhat awkward.

Most of these slings can be fitted to carbine, rifle, shotgun, or SMG with adapters available from the manufacturer. Single-point sling designs generally need a receiver loop. Two- and three-point slings can be attached to a the M16A2's fore-end and stock, or they can be connected using the quick-detach sling swivels pictured in this article.

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