Everyone loves the big flashy accessories in the shooting world. Each new scope, rangefinder or stock will generate quite a bit of buzz. Just as important are the small pieces that complete the setup. If you’ve ever had a sling break during a hunt or ruck march, you know their value.
There seems to be a sling for every purpose and shooting style these days. One point, two point, kleckner cuff and others. Some shooting styles are designed around having the right sling. They aren’t the sexiest of accessories, but are important in their own right.
Red Rock Outdoors group send over two of their slings for test and review. They are the S1 single-point tactical sling and the Duty Sling. Both are 1.25″ wide, but the similarities stop there.
First out of the box is the Duty Sling. Made from polyethylene webbing, this is your standard two-point affair. As comfortable on your AR as it is on a hunting rifle, a two-point sling has long been the standard. The Red Rock Duty sling has a slide buckler for adjusting sling tension on one end and a semi-permanent two screw clamping system on the other. The double screw affixment system ensures the end of the sling won’t come loose.
The S1 single-point sling is a more tactical affair. The big loop goes around your torso and the stainless HK hook snaps onto a mounting point near the rear of the rifle. Balanced thus, the rifle hangs more or less vertically in front of the shooter, allowing them to keep the rifle in tight to the body. This allows for easy retention of the rifle in a scuffle and for a quick presentation of the rifle when needed. The S1 has a polyethylene strap divider which is a comfortable addition. There are quick release buckles both on the body loop and on the weapon extension. This allows the shooter to take the body loop off easily when wearing full kit, or to pop the weapon off the sling without removing the body loop.
I put the Duty Sling on a full-length carbine and the S1 on a PDW with a 7″ barrel. Both are of superior construction quality and are very comfortable. Two-point slings are pretty straightforward and I can’t find any reason for complaint on the Duty Sling. Whether carrying or shooting with a sling-grip, the Duty Sling feels like the best version of a simple two-point I’ve ever used. The first time I put on the S1, I declared to all in the room “I might have found my new favorite sling!”. I’ve toned that down just a little since then as I’ve found one small aspect I’d like to see another option for. Even after tightening the body loop snug against my torso, the weapon extension is still a bit too long for my taste. If the quick-release buckle were an inch or so closer to the polyethylene strap divider, the rifle wouldn’t hang so low. It’s just the one part of the sling I can’t adjust to shooters preference and I do like a bit of sling tension when shooting a single-point. It’s important to note that this is personal preference on the matter and not some failing of the product. I think I’m in the bottom height range for shooters so this won’t be an issue for most.
When all is said and done, I think shooters will find Red Rock Outdoors group’s slings to be worthy purchases. Both slings are comfortable, well-designed and tough. At $42.99 for the S1 sling and $14.99 for the Duty Sling, these represent great value-to-quality purchases.
