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Aug 19, 2014

How to Make a 2-Point Tactical Sling - DIY



A 2-Point Tactical Sling is a staple for a fast, efficient and effective hunting rifle set-up. In this video I show you how to make a 2-Point Tactical Sling. A list of materials along with specific dimensions and a diagram of how the sling is put together are provided below. Let's get started!

The 2-Point Tactical Sling will accommodate most rifles, is quickly adjustable and costs less than $10 to fabricate. For these reasons, it is a great addition to any hunter's collection.

2-Point Tactical Sling Diagram
2-Point Tactical Sling Diagram
Materials Needed:

1. Nylon Strapping (84 inches of 1.5 inch wide 17337 nylon strapping): It is very important to use nylon strapping on the sliding portion of a 2-Point tactical sling. Polyester tends to be softer, more plyable and folds and/or jams in the glider/slider when adjusting. Nylon should be stiffer than polyester straps and will easily slide without jamming or yawing making for quick reliable adjusting. For the rest of the sling, you may use polyester strapping as it will be durable, resistant to rot and sunlight, softer and is typically just as if not more available. But...

To make things simple we would suggest just using 1.5" MIL-W-17337 Nylon webbing. MIL-W-17337 should be around .038 – .050" thick, just thin enough to slide through the glider/slider but stiff enough to not jam. It can also be used on the rear portion of the sling as well. Tensile strength should be around 1,800 Ibs so realistically way stronger than it needs to be for a rifle sling.

2. Quality Composite 1.5" Glider or Slider (1): Don't cheap out on the glider as it is probably the weakest part of the whole sling but also the part that will see the most mechanical use. I recommend a thick hard plastic glider. 

3. H&K Quick Detach (1): I prefer the Heckler & Koch style quick detach but you may use any type of quick detach that you prefer. You can even substitute the detach with para-chord but keep in mind that anything attached to the barrel of your rifle must be able to withstand the heat of the barrel. For this reason, I prefer a strong steel quick detach mechanism. If you have an AR there are a lot of options that clamp right onto the rails or whatever setup you may have.

4. Tri-glider (1 glider that is 1.5 inches): Composite or polymer gliders are the standard but if you can find stainless steel they are the bestThe one I use is also round metal versus flat which helps the strap slide back and forth through it.

You will also need Various Tri-gliders: Since buttstocks come in a variety of configurations, you will have to figure out how which method is best for attaching the rear end of your 2-Point Tactical Sling to your specific buttstock. You can use para-chord, 1" nylon straps, ALICE pack shoulder straps or any other quick detach mechanisms.

5. Sewing Machine: Don't make your wife, mom or girlfriend sew your sling for you. Sewing is manly, handy to know and relatively easy to do. Remember, perfection is not the goal here. Functionality is what's important. As you can see in the video, the stitches I make are less than perfect but are durable and, most importantly, they get the job done. I would recommend borrowing a sewing machine from a family member or friend if you don't own one, especially if you don't plan on sewing a lot.

6. Dual Duty Heavy Polyester Thread: This is strong multipurpose thread that is resilient to rot and UV radiation. It creates strong, durable seams with greater resiliency. I purchased mine at Jo-Ann Fabrics but you can also purchase it at Michaels or WalMart. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michaels will have greater color selections and they usually have 40% or 50% off coupons (online).




5 comments :

  1. You are correct that sewing is in fact manly in many cases.

    I bought a nice large semi transparent sewing box and all the thread, needles and accessories at Joanne Fabrics and made myself a really nice sewing kit. Love that place!

    I decided to teach myself how to sew things in order to save money or make things, it saves a lot!

    I would say the majority of things I sew is my wife's work clothes. She works in a professional environment and a lot of those clothes can be pretty pricey. If a seam blows out or a button comes off I can fix it instead of throwing it away. I also replaced the button on an expensive pair of my jeans. I have the stuff to do leather as well. Got a special tool from Harbor Freight which works quite well.

    I found this article while looking for a quick adjust thing to add onto my existing sling. I'm having trouble finding sling parts.

    Pro tip for guys who can sew. I sewed a small maybe 1 inch red square of fabric to the bottom of our king size fitted bed sheet so that I can quickly determine which way the sheet is oriented onto the bed without having to search for the little tag. The red is easy to spot and it's not noticable after the sheet in installed.

    I didn't know that making my own adjustable sling was an option so I'm interested in trying this. These techniques can also be used to modify or repair an existing sling as well.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you!