Favorite Fighting AK sling and why?

[Jay Cunningham]

BFG VCAS with my own WECSOG rear receiver sling loop and a sling stud on the handguard.

Nicely done!

[armakraut]

Not much of an introductory post, but here I go...

I'm aurang and I hang out mainly on the AKforum with a lot of the other AK aficionados around here. I've always admired the original Armalite/Dutch AR-10's and hope that some day the .308 AR's get a restoration of their former undeadable glory.

I've messed around a bit with trying to find a tactical sling that is satisfactory on an AK. I eventually settled on an IDF galil sling (2-point) for comfort. The newer models with the plastic hooks work OK, but the older metal ones seem to be able to move with the same freedom that the standard AK sling has. The new style sling hasn't failed me though, so I could just be something of a worry wart in this regard.

Galil slings are a bit wider than any Combloc or US designed sling and they make even heavier AK's seem lightweight. Just for kicks, find a friend with an IDF sling and grab your best western or combloc sling. Grab your sling and extend your arm out with the middle part of the sling resting in the palm of your upturned hand. You're basically slinging the rifle on your palm, in a position somewhat like the old mauser advertisement below. Try the same with the IDF sling.

http://www.collectorgrade.com/shop/media/mauser.jpeg

I took an AK specific class from Gabe Suarez not too long ago, and his philosophy regarding slings/weapons was a good amount of commonality in training with firearms. Most slings on AK's and other rifles (provided the AK has a sling... or a buttstock for that matter) will be a plain 2-point, so we learned how to make due with that in the transition to a pistol. Suarez ran a good, practical class with no theatrics, or other misc BS.

3-point slings and the IDF sling (when used as a tactical sling) are kind of magic/tragic devices with me in a transition and I don't imagine a 1-point is any better. The rifle will fall nicely out of the way in the correct manner most of the time... and the other times I hope nobody got photographs of the disaster.

[h8mtv]

Nicely done!

Really NICE!

[militarymoron]

thanks guys - i'm a lefty, and there aren't many sling solutions for the AK that work for me.

[lionhart]

I use all Blue Force Slings on my AK's, with the Mash Hook, rather than the H&K Style.

Regardless on what one chooses to mount the Sling, the quality of their Slings are the best I've encountered anywhere.

[LonghunterCO]

This looks interesting. What if you were to drill through the receiver, place a nut on the back side, and then notch the lower handguard (if necessary) to clear?

[militarymoron]

This looks interesting. What if you were to drill through the receiver, place a nut on the back side, and then notch the lower handguard (if necessary) to clear?

not sure i'm following you there, longhunter. this for the back or front, and what needs to clear?

[LonghunterCO]

Sorry. The front sling attachment, is that screwed (or bolted) into the wood of the forearm? I was just thinking that it might be more secure if it was anchored into the sheet metal of the receiver. At that point a nut on the inside of the receiver may need the rear of the lower handguard notched to clear the nut.


- by the way I love that look of that AK. You have the retro look of the wood forearm with the modern grip, buttstock, and sling.

[militarymoron]

ah, understood. there isn't any space to put a front sling mount in the receiver - the front trunion block is right there in front of the magazine well.
it took me long enough to drill through the receiver and aluminum folding stock internal receiver block with my hand drill.
you're right that putting a sling stud in the wood might not be as secure, but it goes pretty deep. it's a polish laminated handguard, plus i bonded it in, so it might be a bit more secure than non-laminated wood (i'm thinking). originally i had the front sling attached forward of the handguard, but didn't like it there.

[LonghunterCO]

There is about .3" clearance from the bottom of the trunnion to the bottom of the reciever (on the 74' trunnion I have on my bench).
You know what might work even better. In a build you pull the barrel and replace the rivets with new ones: head on the outside and tail smashed on the inside of the trunnion. If you were to place a countersunk machine screw from the inside of the trunnion and had it extend through the reciever with a nut ... what type of attachment point are you using?