Picatinny Stanag

AR-15 Sling Options

After a period of rapid design as an aid to shooting, rifle slings were relegated to carrying the weapon and simpler designs prevailed. In world war two there was one sling per weapon and essentially only one way to mount it. With the M16 and XM-177 things opened up a bit with the option of putting the sling through the front sight post on the M16 and several different optional placements on the XM-177′s collapsible buttstock. However, only in the last years of the 20th century did sling design and the number of options for fixing a sling really take off.

The Magpul CTR has a hole in the toe of the butt for a paracord sling, a mounting point for a push button swivel in the either side of the stock and a total of four conventional sling mounting slots in the cheekpiece, buttplate and heel of the stock. With that, or any other retractable stock fitted, you can increase the options still further by fitting a  Magpul ASAP Ambidextrous Sling Attachment Point which enables rapid switching of the sling from side to side, offering ambidextrous operation of the weapon. This really lends itself to firing over and around cover. Should the firer’s arm be injured, they can rapidly transfer the weapon to their other arm. The ASAP is a cast steel plate with a 1/8″ loop and link ring with a full 180 degrees of unobstructed movement. A parkerized phosphate finish is used to protect the ASAP from corrision and wear. The ASAP is a straight swap for the factory end plate of either milspec or commercial receivers and requires no other modifications to the weapon. It ASAP works with any single-point sling that uses a snap hook attachment.

Front attachment points are required for two-point slings. The Magpul RSA Rail Sling attachment attaches to any MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny or STANAG 4694 handguard rail in any of a number of configurations to provide for left or right and top or bottom sling mounting. This is a very low profile sling mount that will not obstruct even the lowest profile sights. The steel sling attachment is tested ot 300 pounds of stress. External surfaces are rounded to avoid snagging. For use with the RSA the sling must have snap fittings. This unit is also protected with parkerizing.

The instructors at Magpul Dynamics put their experience int designing the Magpul MS2 sling. This versatile tactical sling can quickly be switched from single-point to two-point operation. Two-point carry is best used when carrying the rifle in non tactical situations and for long distances. Single-point slinging keeps the weapon ready for instant use in high threat environments. Used in the conjunction with the ASAP, ambidextrous operation is achieved. The MS2 is made of thin, strong nylon and is available in black or dark earth. High stress areas are reinforced with double stitching. Rust-proof, heavy-duty bronze and polymer friction locks are used and the bronze snap hooks are equipped with spring loaded safety locks to ensure they only release when required. A thick, double-layered thumb loop enables fast length adjustment with one hand. A “Lock jaw” snap-hook is used which rotates freely to prevent binding and twisting. This is the QR connector in single-point mode and the front attachment when used as a two-point sling. To jettison the weapon in a hurry, the rear snap shackle is fitted with a paracord pigtail for you to pull to effect release.

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