I hardly fanboy about gear and guns. I know what I like, and I don’t care who exactly makes it. One of the few things I do fanboy about is the Vickers Combat Application Sling by Blue Force Gear. You know those people who never shut up how the Wire and Breaking Bad are the best TV shows ever. That’s me, but with the Vickers sling. Designed by legendary soldier Larry ‘Big Boss’ Vickers the VCAS or Vickers sling has always been good to me.
When I was a poor Lance Corporal I had this crappy three-point issued to me for the rare times I carried a rifle. Since my main weapon was the M240 I didn’t mind. Since my 240 was packed away long ago I’ve moved on to a variety of different rifles. A good sling is a simple must have on any rifle. The Vickers sling is a two point and if you want the full rundown on specs check out my first look here.
Practical Exercises
I like to mix my handling skills with my working out, and since open carry isn’t legal in my state I couldn’t think of a better way than to sling my AR15 and hit my personal gym. The 2 point shows it’s strengths here. I could sling it to the side while my hands were occupied with flipping tires and spin it to my back when doing push ups. The sling keeps the weapon out-of-the-way and allows the user to use their hands without a rifle bouncing around.
This is greatly beneficial if you need to remove an injured buddy, climb a ladder, or low crawl around the ground. In these situations, the Vickers Sling’s ability to rapidly tighten is an absolute advantage. A nice tight sling holds it tighter to the body and makes it easier to move and groove. Once the movement is over I can loosen the sling and be ready for action once again.
On the Range with the Vickers Sling
One the range the sling is super easy to adjust for everyone’s personal needs. Between weapons, I found it necessary to adjust. Mainly between carbine and shotgun. A looser sling on the shotgun allowed me to more easily manipulate it for tactical and speed reloads. The Vickers Sling was a perfect option for both my AR and my Mossberg 930.
The sling’s 1.25 inch width displaces weight well and keeps everything comfortable. There is a padded option for heavy weapons like the SCAR 17, M1A, etc. However, for an AR or basic shotgun, the standard model is perfect. Just carrying the weapon for extended periods of time is comfortable and the weapon remains stable when you have your hands full.
Once the shoot’n starts the sling remains supportive, and is easy to take on and off for shooting in odd positions, or around barriers. I prefer this option to using a fixed one point on a plate carrier. It also stays out-of-the-way when dropping the rifle and transitioning to a sidearm. A single point tends to have the weapon swinging when trying to pull your handgun.
Over the last month this specific Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling has been the go-to for every range trip, and rests on the Mossberg 930 I keep for home defense. It has zero signs of wear or fraying. The only thing that’s changed is the Blue Force Gear tag is slowing disappearing. The Vickers sling is by far my favorite option for long guns.
This article courtesy of Travis Pike of the Loadout Room.
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