I have a standard 16" LMT defender rifle with SOPMOD stock. I want to get a sling system for the rifle but not sure of what sling to get, how to mount it, etc, etc. I see a lot of guns with the rear mount on the receiver extension vs the stock. Pros and cons? Oh, and I will put a rail system on the rifle at some point down the road but for now it’s KISS until I’ve shot it enough to know exactly how I want to set it up long term.
Thanks in advance.
ETA: My stock has the reinforced through hole in the center.
Slings are a very personal item for most people. Have you use what works for you.
With that said I run the Magpul ASAP’s and MS2’s on everything except a heavier rifle with magnified optics.
With the MS2 I run the ASAP plate and put a forward attachment point on the rail if I want to use it as a 2 point.
I would not get a 3 point sling. A 2 point does everything a 3 point does and better. A 2 point is good for control over the weapon, and comfort. A 1 pont is good for CQB type shooting but less good for extended carry and heavy rifles. The good thing about the MS2 is it can be used for both.
Its pretty easy to change out a end plate for something like an ASAP plate. All you need is a castle nut wrench (less than $10), and Id just throw on a new castle nut if the original gets damaged taking it off. Sometimes the stake job can tear into the castle nut if its a deep stake. Then you want something like a punch to stake the new plate down. I can change one out in less than 5 minutes now. Pretty simple job.
But I think you will find most of us here have probably gone through quite a few slings finding what works for them. I know I have several of them sitting in a parts bin because I got something new and liked better. Its really just trial and error until you find something you are comfortable with and works with how you shoot. Then something “better” will come on the market and you’ll wonder how you got along all these years…lol
I would agree with Belmont’s assesment with the sling.
For your question about the rail, I like the Surefire rail systems, I think they are well designed and deflect the heat well. They are tough rails and are great for mounting on. Just make sure you tighten them down and loctite the hell out of the screws.
I use the Magpul MS2 sling on my 10.5" SBR, but for a 16" carbine I think a 2 point is the way to go.
I really like the Blue Force Gear Vickers sling. I know it gets a lot of hype on this forum, but it is well deserved, the sling works very well.
For my 14.5" LMT I am using QD sling swivels, and I have a Daniel Defense QD receiver plate as the rear attachment point and am using the built in QD point on my LaRue rail for the front point. This keeps the sling in close to the receiver which helps control the weapon when you drop it “into” the sling. I have tried it with the QD point on a CTR and it works very well also.
In the end the best advise I can give is if you have some buddies with different sling arrangements try them out first, otherwise be prepared to buy and sell a few slings before you settle on the one that works for you.
Assuming you shoot right handed, for a full size (non SBR) carbine I’ve come to like a two-point sling like the Blue Force VCAS attached at the outboard rear of the stock (ejection port side of the gun) and at the rear of the handguards on the inboard (non port) side. It’s hard to attach at the rear of the handguards if they aren’t a rail system, though.
If the SOPMOD has QD sockets on the stock, you can use a swivel there, and until you get a rail, I’d use one of the Blue Force UWL’s to attach it to the side of the FSB (I’m assuming you don’t have a side sling mount up there, if so just use that). Once you get a rail, you can either add a sling mount at the rear or use a swivel if it comes with a socket (like a Larue or DD Omega).
That is exactly how I attach my 2 point sling on both my 16" guns, I am playing with a single point sling for my SBR and trying to figure out what works best with the UBR stock.
I have run the MS-2 on a 14.5 carbine, in fact, I own two. It works well on the range but I find that the transition from single-point to two-point in the field cumbersome. I also opine that single-point slings are best left to SMGs and SBRs due to their smaller size, especially when dangling in front of you.
I just spent three days T&E’ing a 16" mid-length with the Sopmod stock equipped with the V-Tac sling. I found that I like this sling better for my application than the MS-2 and have ordered one. Being able to cinch the weapon tight to my chest so that I can go hands-on to search and cuff is important to me. I find that the narrow padded portion of the V-Tac does not dig into my shoulders and neck like the MS-2 does if I am not wearing my vest. I also found that transitioning from shooting to going hands on is easier and faster with the V-Tac and it is easily done one-handed without looking.
The V-Tac will require that you install a quick disconnect on the receiver extension and on the side of your rail system, just in front of the delta ring.
