I’m in the process of building a Block II clone, and plan on purchasing a Vickers sling to go with it. I’ve never purchased my own sling before, as I’ve always used the crappy 2 pointers that the unit armorer provided me. Being that I’m trying to build a Block II rifle, I’ve considered using a CQD endplate, and a CQD picatinny sling mount. They appear to be top notch components, but I’m concerned that the required speed hooks would produce a lot of noise. I notice a lot of guys use QD mounts on their slings, but I’m not sure they are as secure as speed hooks, or anymore quiet. Does anybody care to chime in with their preferred method? Please explain your reason(s) for selecting what you did, and what you like/don’t like about your setup. I’m looking for those with first hand experience to chime in. No hearsay please…
I use HK style hooks clipped to paracord loops on magpul sling mounts on the hand guard and ambi-sling mount endplates. The paracord insulates the hook from the mount and minimizes rattle but does give the sling a bit more freedom to twist, but i’ve never found it to be a problem.
I have a QD mount on my KMR and it has not been a problem yet and has little to no rattle, but I only run it because it was free with the rail and at the time I was not aware of anyone who made a keymod sling loop.
I am not HSLD though. Just a regular citizen who has carbines for defensive purposes.
While I like and have used the Vickers sling with the QD attachments, I’ve recently gone the Proctor sling route. I am fortunate enough to be part of weekly training regiment with some guys and I find the simplicity of the sling and the paracord attachment system more versatile and preferable with my LW 16" and SBRs.
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I have developed a real disdain for hooks / QD’s of any kind. I find them heavy, floppy, in the way, option-limiting, noisy, and in some cases the hooks are cheezy-assed dog leash stuff adapted to guns, made from breakage-prone Chinametal.
This disdain has completely supplanted my previous disdain for field-expedient measures with paracord. Now, rather than take the time to search, identify, find, order and pay for some store-bought thing, I make loops of paracord and lace the sling through it. I can put it where I want to, not where there’s a metal loop or QD recep. It’s light, flexible, quiet, and free, and works on everything everywhere (almost). I can put it through holes in a fore end. Through a FSB. On any kind of stock, solid or slider. I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of class guns this way and have it down pretty good with nothing in the way of student complaints…
https://www.blueforcegear.com/uloop
Front looped through a pair of MLOK slots, and the rear looped through the QD socket and footman’s loop of the stock. Allows for more flexibility than an anti-rotation QD mount, the attachment method is self-tightening when in use, and they’re more or less completely silent. Only downside is that it is not QD, but that’s not one of my requirements, anyway.
I have a Blue Force Gear Vickers Padded, a Haley D3 sling, and a Proctor WOTG minimalist sling. I find myself using the Proctor sling by default, very light and functional.
These have been working out really well for me also . They are strong, silent, they don’t twist my slings up, and they are easy on and are easy off, but only when you want them to be. I have the front sling attachment on my Hodge upper going through a Wilson Combat QD swivel rail attachment. It adds a little weight, but it keeps the Blueforce Gear cable loop away from the hot barrel, the rifle hangs better at my side (no flop over) , does not abrade the cable like going through the rail slots or holes can, and I can put it exactly where I want it. The rear cable loop is attached through a rotating detachable eyelet installed into the Magpul SL stock’s QD socket (it can rotate, but it doesn’t tangle). As for slings, I prefer the Magpul MS1 series slings, their strong, long lasting and soft webbing material, comfortable, and they are easy and quick to adjust, they hold adjustment and they are low profile ( nothing hanging or dangling).
+1 for the U-Loop. I just switched from the HK snap hooks to U-Loops on my Scar. They are quieter and don’t scratch the gun.
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Ned Christiansen I’m all for a reliable, cheap, and effective DIY solution. Care to post a few example pics of your work?
For those running the Uloop, do you ever have problems with it coming loose?
I use Blue Force Gear Vickers non-padded and padded slings with QD attachments.
NYH1.
I have had no problems, but I want to clarify that I installed them only a couple of months ago and have not tested them enough to declare them foolproof.
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I have been using them for a while now, and IMHO it would be close to impossible for them to come loose on their own. Below is a link to a review of the BFG U-Loop
I loop my VCAS through the stock and use a qd(gear sector) on the rail. I’ve never had an issue with it accidentally engaging(protected button and not easy to push). I switch positions based on use, so I find it beneficial.
Proctor
Front: Obviously we don’t want this against the barrel, not even so much for melting but a big-wad-o’paracord between barrel and fore end would not be good for your free-floatingage. This one is shown done up in such a way that if the paracord loop goes slack, it can’t go bigger inside and touch the barrel. In most cases this is just a 9” length tied into a loop, knot melted, and then it is bale-sling hitched through holes in the fore end or the gas tube bridge of the front sight base. No, they never, ever, ever melt off of the FSB. But they could melt if you really tried I suppose. Sometimes the inside of a rail is pretty sharp; I’ve never had one cut through but many times, as time and circumstances permit, I will remove those sharp edges.
On the rear, I cut about a cubit of paracord and in the middle I tie a small loop for the sling to lace through. Loop on top, and keeping it all as tight as possible, the ends go down and around the bottom of the slider, back up to the loop…. Tie, trim, melt. Depending on the features of the stock slider I try to get it tight enough and/or behind something that will keep it from coming over and off the back. In an A2 stock I go in front of the bottom sling point and if kept super tight, it stays in place.
It results in a good top-hang. Works for me. I don’t have to go shopping for and arrange the gun for anything else. In classes we get so many kinds of slings and bad attachement, this has become somewhat of a cure all. Not suitable for the cover of a magazine perhaps but in my mind it gets it done better than a lot of the stuff on the market.
Not the best pics of my best work but what I had handy:
Vickers VCAS Padded with QD’s on all rifles. No issues of any kind over many years usage in classes and weekly shoots…
The problem with the Hk style hooks is that they are designed to work in the proper sized Hk spec hoops. If you run them in oversized hoops, like most people do, the hook can twist around so that the weight of the rifle is laying on the gate (which will bend it). If you run Hk hooks, run HK loops.
I spent a long time adding attachment points to my rifle so I could have the sling I thought I wanted, and one day I realized there were no less than three QD points on each side of my rifle (from my choice of rail and stock). I finally quit fighting it, and got a QD sling. It’s the way forward. Quit fighting it.
I’m much like Ned. Paracord all over. I like loops that mount to the pic rail best for the hand guard.