I was at the outdoor range the other day and I saw a lot of guys rocking single point slings for their assault rifles.
A sling helps us to feel all “operator” and can be of benefit in certain scenarios.
But would it shock you if I told you… you don’t always need it?
Specifically, that sling could just get in the way when you are using your carbine for home defense!
I spoke with firearms expert Rich Nance about this issue not long ago.
Here is a summary of what he had to tell me.
The Home Defense Carbine Rifle: To Sling, Or Not To Sling?
Generally speaking, the sling is the second of two essentials for the home-defense carbine rifle, where the first one is that white light.
A sling is important when you’re “operating” because without it, there’s no way to “holster” the rifle.
You can’t put it down or otherwise keep it on you but not hold it if you don’t have a sling.
But a sling might also be a liability for home defense!
Here are three reasons why that might be true.
1. A Sling Is A Liability When Exiting A Vehicle
A lot of people carry a rifle in a vehicle because it’s not convenient to carry one around any other way.
You can’t just walk down the street with it over your shoulder, after all.
Police officers carry rifles or shotguns in their cruisers for this very reason.
The problem, though, is that when you go to get that weapon from your vehicle, a sling could become a problem.
If it snags or hangs up on something in the vehicle, it could slow you down while you try to get it into action.
This is especially true of real-life shooting scenarios because you’ll be under adrenaline and your fine motor skills will go to hell.
For that reason you might want to consider removing the sling from a rifle typically carried in a vehicle.
2. A Sling Is A Liability When Deploying The Weapon
A sling might also catch on other items that are, say, in your gun safe.
Picture it: There’s a bump in the night.
You go to grab your trusty home defense rifle from the safe…
…only you get it caught on one of the other rifles in there, and you lose valuable seconds trying to get it untangled.
Do you want to be behind the curve when responding to a home invader?
That’s a good reason not to have a sling on a weapon kept at the ready for home defense.
3. A Sling Is A Liability When Clearing The Home
Finally, you may not want to have a sling on your rifle when clearing your home.
Clearing your own house is incredibly dangerous and should be a tactic of last resort.
If you do have to do it, however — because, say, a family member is in danger — a sling could be a problem as you move around the tight confines of your house.
You don’t want the sling getting snagged on objects around the house, or perhaps even knocking something over and tipping off the invader as to your location.
For home defense carbines, therefore, a sling isn’t necessary and could possibly be a hindrance.
Honestly, though, for home defense, you don’t need to waste time worrying about the sling.
Just hold the carbine as it’s meant to be held.
Either hunker down and defend your location, or start moving through your home to locate the bad guy if the situation dictates.
That’s all you’ve got to do…
…and it just might save your life while protecting your family.
