Rob Pincus

Why You Need a Sling on a Home-Defense Rifle

Rob Pincus
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Does a home-defense rifle or shotgun need a rifle sling? Rob Pincus believes any long gun that will potentially be used in the chaotic environment of personal defense absolutely should have a sling.

Whether for a law-enforcement officer wielding a patrol rifle, or anyone in the military who carries a rifle on patrol and keeps it close to the body when not actually shooting and holding it in their hands, a rifle sling is an essential piece of self-defense gear. And it’s similar for a home-defense scenario.

Home-Defense Rifle

Rob has a CMMG AR-15-type rifle set up for home defense and stored in a Tactical Walls quick-access shelf storage unit. It’s clear that once he has the rifle in his hands, it is somewhat cumbersome and it keeps at least one hand occupied all the time. Unless you are grabbing the long gun and using it immediately, you want to keep the gun as controlled as possible without having to keep two hands on it.

Often you will need to hold the rifle with one hand while performing tasks with the other, for example holding a child, opening doors, using a cell phone to call 911,or checking an alarm camera.

Single-Point Rifle Sling

Though it requires a little more effort to position, being able to quickly and easily put a single-point sling on the long gun puts you in position to be able to perform any of the other tasks you may need a free hand for during a home-defense situation.

Be sure to leave your strong hand free or occupy it with something you can easily drop, such as a flashlight, so you can quickly use the strong hand to bring the long gun up and into action.

If you don’t already have one, add a rifle sling to your self-defense tools and accessories.

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2 Responses to “Why You Need a Sling on a Home-Defense Rifle”

  1. Brian Bartolome

    Not sure if it's ever been mentioned in other discussion's or videos (I'm sure it has, I just have seen it yet)... but what he said at the end instantly brought this to mind as why it would be a huge positive to us a sling on a home defense rifle... it makes it harder to have your gun taken and/or used against you in a struggle... I know someone will say "but it could then also used against you to choke you"... to that I would say case in point where having a QD on one end would be most beneficial (on a two-point sling)...

  2. resurrector

    I personally do not believe, nor do I use a long gun as a home defense weapon. I have several hand guns placed where I can easily get to them for home defense, As for a sling I use them strictly for carrying while hunting. while in the military the sling was always a nuisance except for carrying the weapon. I was comfortable using a sling during range practice or target shooting.

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