How to make a cheap and very functional rifle sling

[boss_hawg]

So I got into making my own slings because I find it a fun hobby for middle of the week nights while my wife is watching garbage on TV. Thought I would share details on how to do it yourself.

Most of the items can be bought from Milspec Monkey or other websites. I am not affiliated with any of them other than being an occasional customer.

Link is here:

DIY EDC Tactical Hardware

DIY EDC Tactical Hardware

milspecmonkey.com

I am making 1” wide slings but you can pick a different width if you match your hardware to the same dimension (1, 1.25 or 1.5” works best IMO).

What you will need:
6’ of Nylon Webbing 1” wide
Helps to have a second color for a contrasting pull handle 12” long or so but not necessary
Two ITW triglides 1”
One ITW GTLL laddeloc 1”
Sling hardware of your choice (I like Magpul paraclips because they are easy on/off and don’t rattle that much against the rifle)
Lighter to burn the ends
Sharp pair of scissors
Speedy Stitcher to sew-in one side of the sling and the handle
A tape measure if you want to be exact
Cheap, cold beer if that’s your preference

All of the expendable items should cost less than $6 before taxes and shipping (beer not included). Also if your rifle has sling loops already installed you can save money by skipping the hardware. However you will lose quick on/off capabilities afforded by paraclips, hk clips, mash hooks, qd, etc. I forget the cost of the otools but it probably won’t cost more than $50 (and you can churn out multiple slings at $5 per).

Let’s get started.

First measure out 5’ of webbing. Doesn’t have to be exact. You can take more off later but it’s difficult to add after you cut.

Cut and melt the ends for about five seconds to prevent runs in the webbing.

Next, sew one end around the last loop of the ladderloc with the speedy stitcher. This is the end away from the hole. My sewing sucks by the way but it holds.

Sewing instructions for the speedy stitcher can be found on YouTube. It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it.

On to part two...

 

[boss_hawg]

Part two...

Melt the stitching briefly with the lighter - both sides.

Loop the free end through your front attachment. This is the part that attaches at the muzzle end.

Then run the end through the very first slot closest to the stitched end. Make sure the sling is not twisted. It goes up from to concave side.

And then over and down through the next slot.

At this point you should have something that looks like this.

On to part three...

 

[lesptr]

Part two...

Melt the stitching briefly with the lighter - both sides.

Loop the free end through your front attachment. This is the part that attaches at the muzzle end.

Then run the end through the very first slot closest to the stitched end. Make sure the sling is not twisted. It goes up from to concave side.

And then over and down through the next slot.

At this point you should have something that looks like this.

On to part three...

I’m liking this already.

 

[boss_hawg]

Part three

Ok so I need to buy an extra triglide (I only had one available) and I plan on attaching the sling direct through the slots in the stock. You should thread the loose end through both triglides and then through the sling hardware for the rear portion if you choose that option. Only one triglide is pictured below.

Next...the fun part. Take the one foot of leftover webbing and loop it through the big slot at the other end of the ladderloc. The open end should face “up.”

You should have equal ends of about 6” or so. This can be adjusted based on preference and material on hand. I like the contrasting color to be able to find the handle visually. Strict together the handle.

You will want to melt the stitching here too.

On to part four...

 

[boss_hawg]

Part four

All that’s really left is too loop the back end through/around the stock or hardware and then back through the triglides.

Attach the front of the sling to the rifle.

At this point you’ll probably have to adjust for fit. The amount of sling through the triglides on the rear controls the length. I like to have the stock over my shooting side shoulder at about 2” from my chin when tightened. This is in a muzzle down / stock up carry which is most commonly taught if I recall.

The handle (laddeloc) should be pulled back to where you can find it with your support hand but not too far forward as to prevent significant slack when you move it all the way forward.

You can clip and melt the ends to your desired size. Just remember that it’s easy to make additional cuts but hard to add back to a sling cut too short.

Here’s my final product:

This was before trimming some of the excess sling.

 

[boss_hawg]

Wrap up

So I’m a bit of a sling collector. I have 8 or so BFG slings, one Troy two point, two IDF slings, two VTACS, a way of the gun, a PIG one point ballbuster, multiple combloc surplus AK slings, a plain Jane USGI, and others that I’m probably forgetting.

I love BFG slings because they are well made in Georgia. They are my favorite off the shelf but they are $45 a pop. Well worth it if you only need one but if you need multiple then it can add up quick.

I do like building these as a hobby and I will tell you the reasons why I’m digging this sling I built. I have tried multiple build configurations and this is my favorite.

First it’s light and cheap to assemble. If you have ten rifles with multiple attachment methods then you can cheaply churn out everything you need for not much money.

Second, the functionality of moving the handle towards the muzzle as you loosen the sling puts you immediately in a firing position. Your hand is right there to grasp the hand guard or rail after loosening. It’s quicker to shoot versus other setups that have you pulling back towards your body before changing direction to assume a “ready to shoot” stance. I don’t mind taking extra time to tighten to reduce time to shoot. If this setup has one drawback, it is that it can be a little more time consuming to tighten up snug.

Third, easily customize-able with colors, mounts and webbing. For instance, you can choose additional hardware such as a looploc with another piece of webbing sew-in on the front attachment to keep the attachment from moving as much. It’s more sewing and I don’t think it adds much when the sling is attached to the rifle and ready for use. It also takes away from the range of adjustment.

Lastly, no “tail” or portion of the sling there for adjustment that just kind of hangs around when the sling is tightened. This is a pet peeve of mine and I know it does not affect usage much. But it seems to be a potential catch when moving through brush or vehicles. I have seen some slings use Velcro to keep the rail in place but that’s just another thing you have to think about.

Anyway hope you enjoyed it!

 

[madHatter]

. <--- my save button

 

[Huddy]

Well done.

 

[BangBang]

Very cool!

I actually did some homemade slings for several of my rifles awhile back too.

I just couldn’t bring myself to pay for a name brand sling when I can make one in 15 minutes for less than $5

 

[dial1911]

That's awesome! Thanks for taking the time to write it up. I'm going to give it a try... have webbing already.

 

[Mac11FA]

Subbed

 

[Cudruln]

@Red Dawn

 

[Red Dawn]

Thanks for putting it together for us to give it a shot as well. I’ve been grabbing different slings as well working out the kinks to make the right one for me applications. I’ll be looking into parts for this.

 

[Red Dawn]

@boss_hawg quick question on the stitching ... Do you use the kevlar cord or something else.

 

[dial1911]

@boss_hawg quick question on the stitching ... Do you use the kevlar cord or something else.

I wouldn't use kevlar... it does not melt. It also doesn't hold a knot well. Tried using it with leather work. I did finally put superglue on the knot. Not ideal.

Edit- if you want some kevlar to try, I'll mail you a couple yards. I've got a big spool of it. (Amazon, search kite string by the way)

 

[Red Dawn]

I wouldn't use kevlar... it does not melt. It also doesn't hold a knot well. Tried using it with leather work. I did finally put superglue on the knot. Not ideal.

Edit- if you want some kevlar to try, I'll mail you a couple yards. I've got a big spool of it. (Amazon, search kite string by the way)

Good to know. I’m thinking about a handheld machine. To make a box with x in it like :

I don’t want to do that by hand stitching

 

[boss_hawg]

@boss_hawg quick question on the stitching ... Do you use the kevlar cord or something else.

I just use the wax twisted string that comes with the speedy stitcher.

It’s probably not the ideal material but it works and it really melts into the nylon.

I tried using nylon thread but the width of the thread is so small that it doesn’t work well with the standard needle on the speedy stitcher. It is tough to manage and gets knotted up pretty easily.

 

[boss_hawg]

Good to know. I’m thinking about a handheld machine. To make a box with x in it like :

I don’t want to do that by hand stitching

I bought a cheap handheld stitching machine (battery powered) off of Amazon.

It was total garbage and a waste of money. The needle doesn’t penetrate the nylon all that well and it moves too fast creating knots in the thread.

I have thoughts of buying a real sewing machine but the amounts of stitching are so little in any one string that it seems like overkill. Also I don’t really have a place to set one up in my current house and a good one is expensive unless you find one in a yard sale.

I also had an idea to use either paracord or shock cord through the circular loop in the ladderloc vs stitching the webbing handle. The only reason why I haven’t tried it yet is that it seems the sling webbing needs something in that loop (where the handle webbing goes) to create tension/resistance. I’m afraid that without it there, the sling wouldn’t stay tight when snugged up.

There is another version I make that uses the metal locking gate as seen on a Ferro Concepts Slingster or a VTAC. I have built several versions using these but they aren’t my fave. The metal cam locker is heavier, more expensive, and clangs against the rifle. My main purpose for a sling is deer hunting. Polymer hardware is preferred for its lack of noise when banging against the rifle.

Just some thoughts...

Oh and I ordered some more plastic hardware. I will post again showing how to use a polymer ITW looploc on the front to create different “sewn-in” attachments to change the attachment from QD, paraclip, hk clip, mash clip, etc. based upon your sling mount hardware. Stay tuned!!!