1pt slings and the carotid artery

[BigLarge]

I have a Urban ERT RUSH 1/2pt hybrid sling. I absolutely love it. I have a Magpul ASAP for the rear attachment point.

Using the Magpul ASAP the sling comes accross my neck and hits my carotid artery. Its uncomfortable when carried unsupported, and the sling often hits my SOPMOD stock and messes up my cheekweld when brought up to the fire position. Its 10 times worse when i'm wearing external body armor.

I really like the ability to switch to a 1pt when doing room clearing, but I simply cannot stand having the sling attached to the end plate.

Am I the only person who feels like they're getting "choked out" running their sling this way?

[mkmckinley]

Sounds like maybe you need to adjust it differently or experiment with different attachment points. When I used a single point I attached it to a Magpul ASAP end plate and it worked ok for a single point. When I went back to a two point and attached at the end plate and rear end of the rail I liked it much better.

[Failure2Stop]

All slings are not created equal.
Looking at that sling, it is not something I would attach to any of my guns.
I would recommend either a well-known single point (Gear Sector) attached at the receiver end-plate or a good 2-point (such as the VCAS or VTAC) with the rear attachment at either the end-plate or on the "outside" side of the buttsotck.

[SWATcop556]

All slings are not created equal.
Looking at that sling, it is not something I would attach to any of my guns.
I would recommend either a well-known single point (Gear Sector) attached at the receiver end-plate or a good 2-point (such as the VCAS or VTAC) with the rear attachment at either the end-plate or on the "outside" side of the buttsotck.

Sound advice. I use a two-point sling for most of my shooting but when I'm wearing full kit on warrant service or doing CQB training I prefer the versatility of the single point. I agree that a sling upgrade would be in order. The Gear Sector is a good choice and I hate to admit it but I might even give the MS3 sling a try. Looks like they made some good upgrades I just don't like to jump on a fan boy circle jerk. Everything else I run a VCAS.

[BigLarge]

Sounds like maybe you need to adjust it differently or experiment with different attachment points. When I used a single point I attached it to a Magpul ASAP end plate and it worked ok for a single point. When I went back to a two point and attached at the end plate and rear end of the rail I liked it much better.

I have, and def prefer the rear attachment point on the rear of the buttstock. This works great for 2pt, but not so great on 1pt.


All slings are not created equal.
Looking at that sling, it is not something I would attach to any of my guns.
I would recommend either a well-known single point (Gear Sector) attached at the receiver end-plate or a good 2-point (such as the VCAS or VTAC) with the rear attachment at either the end-plate or on the "outside" side of the buttsotck.

What is it about the sling that you dont like? :confused: I've had it for 2 years and other than the neck issue.... its working great.


Sound advice. I use a two-point sling for most of my shooting but when I'm wearing full kit on warrant service or doing CQB training I prefer the versatility of the single point. I agree that a sling upgrade would be in order. The Gear Sector is a good choice and I hate to admit it but I might even give the MS3 sling a try. Looks like they made some good upgrades I just don't like to jump on a fan boy circle jerk. Everything else I run a VCAS.

Exactly. For most general use the 2pt is great; however, for room clearing the 1pt is my favorite (which is why I chose a hybrid sling). If I ever find a MS3 locally I def want to give it a look!


I dont have any experience with the Gear Sector or VCAS slings... so excuse my ignorance.... just not sure how switching slings would solve the issue of it riding up on my neck.

Thanks for the replies, BTW

edit: swatcop; how do I get into the LEO forum? I sent an email to a mod or someone when I joined but never heard back :(

[The_War_Wagon]

I run a 1 pt. on my HD 14.5" rifle (three floors AND a full basement - LOTTA stairwell to cover). I use a TacticalLink Z360 mount & sling, and have never had any issues with it & my carotid.

Interesting that you've encountered this, as it's good food for thought - thanks!

[calicojack]

i may be out of my lane but here goes:
single point slings are made to keep your weapon on you (as apposed to the ground) while you transition to your side arm. They are not meant to let your weapon dangle unsupported while your running around. once you have finished with the use of your side arm, transition back to your primary and fix the issue that caused it to go down in the first place.

James Yeager makes good points in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEgg1JdOg6o). I know you guys aren't such a fan, and that this video is about aks, but the points he makes about sling choices are relevant to any platform.

[Pax]

Calicojack makes the most important point in this thread.

Take everything anyone tells you on the internet with a grain of salt, even the Subject Matter Experts and Industry Professionals, etc. on this well-respected forum. Everyone has their own opinions and they will generally try to impose them on you. Hybrid slings are, in my humble opinion, brilliant in their adaptability and perfect for determining which type of sling you prefer for particular applications.

Given your personal experience with the sling, I understand that you have no reason to doubt it. Given that nobody's ever heard of the company and that they seem err.... well, they seem like theyre working on getting to be serious business but are currently far from it, I agree that a sling from a reputable manufacturer with a known record of providing end users with a consistently well-made and designed sling would be a good idea.

As to the issue of the carotid... Take a BJJ class if you want to feel pressure on your carotid. A 9 lbs. rifle is really not that much and your back/neck ought to support it well. A sling made of thinner webbing may alleviate any sort of discomfort that you are confusing for excessive pressure. A sling with better-thought-out hardware and hardware placement may improve ergonomics.

There are a bunch of other startup guys out there making hybrid slings. The MS2 is never a bad option. I dont care for the hardware or the webbing but thats just me. Making your own is also a respectable option... So long as you source proper components...

[Steve]

The ms3 is much improved over the ms2 for sure

[SWATcop556]

The ms3 is much improved over the ms2 for sure

Sounds like I need to try one out then. I like the idea of the MS2 very much but it just didn't quite work for me. All of the issues I had appear to have been addressed with the newest version. Only thing left to do is some hands on I guess.

[Failure2Stop]

The first indicator of failure is that the sling is pinching your neck.
The second is that it is getting drug into your cheek-weld during presentation.
Looks to me like it is due to the wide unpadded seatbelt strap being used. Frankly, it's a cheesy design. Going to a better designed sling with more appropriate webbing and webbing thickness will reduce the spread of the sling on your neck and shoulder.

Re: purpose of single point slings.
Yes, the primary purpose it to retain the long gun. However, it needs to be able to do that for an extended period. If the long gun goes down, you might have to continue with pistol only, or you might have to swing a ram for a breach, or you might have to work compressed space, or you might need to do one of the hundreds of tasks beyond the initial clear. You don't automatically get to take your toys and go home when your primary goes down. Maybe that applies to your needs list, maybe it doesn't, but for some it is more than semantic and more complicated than just range use.

I'm not turning this into a 2-pt VS 1-pt discussion, but the VCAS and VTAC are very handy inside. rob_s made his own convertable out of a VCAS, maybe he will have some advice for that direction if it's where you want to go. The MS3 might be a good option, but I have never touched one.