Posted on Jul 27, 2014
LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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I have seen and heard so many different ways to sling a M4/M16. If having the issued slings I was told have the rifle pointing up. Wait no have it pointing down. Then if having the three point sling I saw rifle slung on back. I saw rifle hanging in the front.

I never saw it in regulations. What do you think it should be?
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Responses: 42
CPT Aaron Kletzing
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This depends so heavily on the situation you're in.  For example, there were times on patrol that I slung it across my chest, over the top of the rest of my kit.  There were other times where I used a dragon sling and had the weapon hanging off my firing side.  People on here probably have countless other examples of how they approached it.  My unit didn't really regulate how you did it.
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1LT Nick Kidwell
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Edited >1 y ago
Low ready at all times on deployment.

In Garrison? Whatever the heck 1SG/SGM wants. It's easier that way....
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LTC Yinon Weiss
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I think you need to clarify the setting. Is it a foot march? A tactical patrol? Walking around a FOB? All would have a different method in my opinion.
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SSG Robert Pierce
SSG Robert Pierce
>1 y
Here's my theory on that subject. If you are slinging it around your back then your now ready to fight. When in combat you should be at the low and ready ( muzzle down ). When not on patrol I think it should still be carried at the low and ready . Always maintain muzzle awareness . I have had Commander say muzzles up while riding in the back of a LMTV. Then you think what goes up will come back down . So I prefer to always be at the low and ready .
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
>1 y
Muzzles up can cause some injuries when you hit bumps. Muzzle down is a bit safer and gets troops used to keeping muzzles in a safe direction.
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LTC Yinon Weiss
LTC Yinon Weiss
>1 y
LTC (Join to see) -- Your situational setting definitely matters in how one carries a rifle, in my opinion. "Train as we fight" is correct, but we are not training most of the time. Else you would be wearing body armor and a helmet 24 hours a day, since that is what you wear when you fight, right? When training, one should carry a rifle as they fight. However, when not training, different conditions may dictate different positions.
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
LTC (Join to see)
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LTC Yinon Weiss good point, Sir.
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SGM Bill Frazer
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In Parades, the way they told me, in the field/deployments- any blasted way I wanted to t, in order to be able to react quick as possible.
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SFC Dave Joslin
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This should be variable- so that the individual warfighter can safely and rapidly employ their weapon while maintaining positive control of it. Not every shooter is comfortable with the same techniques and there are various roles on the battlefield..individual shooters functionality has to be taken into consideration. If they are comfortable (within reason) they can fight better and limit distraction.
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TSgt Hh 60 G Maintainer
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During both my deployments, I used a "Mamba" 3-point sling for my M-16 or M-4. When not wearing body armor, the sling kept my weapon at about the height the low-ready would be executed. When wearing body armor, I would use a carabiner attached to the right shoulder of my IOTV to clip the butt of my rifle to my body armor. That made the rifle hang at the height where the high-ready would be executed. Both were comfortable for me and kept my hands free to do other things, but always had my weapon one motion away from a ready position.
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SGT Horizontal Construction Engineer
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Granted for ceremonial purposes it should all be uniform. However, outside of that, I believe shooter preference should be the standard. LTC (Join to see) If you dig into FM 3-21.5 and look at the Appendixes, it gives photo examples of the weapons at various positions, including sling arms.
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SFC Equipment Specialist
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Come on soldiers - weapons safety? Always piont your weapon into the ground in case of neglegent discharge...
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CPT Joe Cox
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It kinda depends on where you are and what you are doing, wouldn't ya say? I think absent an SOP, what ever is safe and effective.
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Sgt Andrew Pouliot
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In basic training, we were taught to always wear the rifle on our fronts pointing down. Typically when carrying a weapon at port arms, it will be pointing up; sling side arms is muzzle up, unless it is raining. You will only ever wear your weapon on your back if you are part of a working party or are otherwise occupied and cannot have the weapon on your front. In this case, it will be muzzle up, unless it is inclement weather (such as rain), in which case it will be muzzle down. Other than port arms, when your weapon is worn with a one, two or three point sling on your front, it should be pointing muzzle down with at least one hand on the weapon at all times (positive control of your weapon).
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