Tony Grist
Blue Force Gear is a premiere maker of tactical gear including plate carriers, chest rigs, and trauma kits. In their 20 years, Blue Force is perhaps best well known for its lightweight MOLLE load carriage.
But for tactical and nontactical applications, Blue Force Gear, in partnership with Larry Vickers, is a first name in slings. Larry Vickers is a 20-year Delta Force veteran who would go on to work with H&K and later found Vickers Tactical, which served as an outlet for gun design, training, and in partnership with Blue Force Gear, sling design.
The Blue Force Gear Vickers Slings are meant for combat applications across a number of weapon platforms. Here is an overview of Blue Force Gear Vickers slings and how each might be ideal for you.
1. Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling
The Vickers Sling is Blue Force Gear’s best seller with good reason. It is an unpretentious and tough nylon unit that features a two-point setup with studs that are customizable to attach directly to any sling point on any rifle.
The sling has a 1.25-inch width and features an anodized aluminum adjuster meant for rapid changes in dynamic environments. It has an adjustable overall length of 54-64 inches.
The base Vicker’s sling is both versatile and easy to tighten or loosen with a single pull.
2. Vickers Padded Sling
The Vickers Padded Sling has the same adjustability as the original Vicker’s sling, but the 1.25-inch wide strapping is backed at the shoulder with a 2-inch wide nylon webbing filled with closed cell foam padding. This is a shoulder saver on long hikes, particularly with heavier traditional style rifles and shotguns.
Another potential advantage of the Padded sling is its slightly longer overall length, adjustable from 57-67 inches.
3. Blue Force Gear Vickers Push Button Sling
Unshouldering a rifle slung in a two-point fashion can take time you do not have.
The rise of quick detach mounts and, in particular, push button sling mounts on higher end AR-15s prompted Blue Force Gear to respond with the Vickers Push Button Sling. It offers a superior range of adjustments over the standard sling, ranging from 36-62 inches.
This sling features the same 1.25-inch nylon strapping, as well as Zytel adjustment buckles, with two aluminum push-button sockets at the ends of the sling. The Push Button Sling is an ideal choice for an easy install and a quick dismount.
4. Blue Force Gear Vickers 221 Sling
The Vickers 221 is a push button mounted Cordura sling that is available either padded or non-padded. The chief difference is that the 221 can either be mounted as a two-point sling or as a one-point sling so the user can let the rifle hang out front and ready to reach.
It uses the same nylon strapping as the other models and comes with either push button sockets or a RED swivel build. The RED swivel build is a stainless steel cord and buckle arrangement woven into the front of the sling.
Pulling and retracting the cord allows for quick adjustments to the sling to accommodate a shooter with or without body armor. The standard sling buckles are made of military grade Guilletex polymer. The 221 has an adjustable length ranging from 54-64 inches.
5. Standard Issue Vickers Sling
The Standard Issue Vickers Sling is standard equipment for the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle used by the US Armed Forces and is authorized for use with M4 pattern rifles. It has all the essentials of the standard Vickers sling, but with a few features to make it quicker and more comfortable to adjust from a carrying position to a shooting position and back again.
The Standard Issue Sling has the distinction of being able to set up as either a two-point sling or a single point sling with an easy transition between both modes of carry via a quick release buckle. It features the same 1.25-inch sling Cordura webbing as the original and Zytel adjustment buckles.
It has an adjustable length between 54-64 inches, but the quick release kit that secures to the looped end of an AR or CAR15 stock gives the user 8 inches of length.
The Standard Issue Sling attaches to fixed loop firearms attachment systems directly, so additional hardware may be needed to set up the sling for push button and other methods of release.
6. Blue Force Gear Standard AK Sling
This instantly adjustable pull-tab nylon sling is setup specifically with the AK user in mind. It attaches to existing looped sling points without needing to change the rifle’s existing points.
The distinctive feature of the Standard AK Sling is the Molded UWL or Universal Wire Loop. It is a nylon coated stainless steel cable that secures to the front sling point that does not slap metallically against the handguard or gas block, nor does it burn once the rifle gets hot. The Zytel adjustment buckles and generous 45–55-inch range give the AK sling flexibility, whether you are running a standard wood-stock AK or one of the many folding stock variants.
Vickers ONE Sling
The Vickers ONE Sling is a weight conscious sling meant for lightweight rifles and pistol caliber carbines. It features 1 inch webbing instead of the standard 1 1/4 inch, giving the maximum 64 inch sling a weight that is 23% less. Although it can be set up as a single-point sling, the ONE is best set up as a two-point option, thanks to its patented quick adjuster and contrasting pull tab that can shrink and enlarge the sling to get into a shooting position in an instant.
The ONE is available with two different attachment options. The base model has no hardened sling points and uses traditional triglides to use on existing firearm loops. The ONE is also available with push button hardware for quick detach applications.
Vickers SMG Sling
The Vickers SMG features the same weight savings as the ONE and the same 54–64-inch range. But it features similar UWL hardware as seen on the AK sling so that the end points can be attached to any point, including handguard slots, eyelets, and sling swivels. This one to two-point sling is ideal for light rifles, PPCs, and SMGs.
Vickers M249 Sling
On the opposite end of the size spectrum is the Vickers M249 SAW Sling, which is built with machine gunners in mind. It features the same quick adjust feature as seen on other Vickers slings, but beefed up for a heavy load. The SAW sling has a 2 3/4-inch-wide x 18-inch-long padded tubular webbing to save you shoulder. The front webbing is Normex and features steel hardware to resist heat and weight. The triglites can be used alone or used with ULMs, HK or MASH hooks.
Vickers M240 Sling
Further up from the food chain from the M249 sling is the Vickers M240 Sling. This sling features a double-sided tubular pad expanded to 4 inches x 24 inches for a secure hold and comfortable carry for heavy .30 caliber machine guns like the M240. It can also come in handy for those who demand maximum comfort when carrying their traditional rifles and M4 carbines.
Why Choose a Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling?
Blue Force Gear slings are a standard of measure and standard issue among numerous military and a law enforcement units. After a life in Special Operations, Larry Vickers had years to suffer improper slings and develop a better product. The end result is a series of slings that are comfortable on the shooter and comforting thanks to its quick adjusting ability and material toughness.
Whether you are a hunter, competitive shooter, or LE/MIL, consider a Blue Force Gear Vickers sling for your next rifle.
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