If you are looking for a heavy-duty rifle sling, check out this Heavy Gunner Sling. There are a lot of great rifle slings on the market, and one of the best manufacturers is Grovtec. I’ve used their slings at home and on duty for years because they are comfortable, functional, and extremely durable. Growing up around guns, I have always been taught that a sling is the equivalent of a holster for a rifle.
A rifle is a great tool for hunting, self-defense, sports, and other activities. But without a doubt, there is always a time when you need both hands for some other tasks. At that point, your rifle becomes a hindrance because setting it down may not be an option. With a sling, however, you can quickly throw it over your shoulder to free up both hands for other things.
Depending on how it’s worn, a sling also provides rifle retention when you need to quickly transition to a handgun during an incident. I was involved in a search for a fugitive years ago when an armed man ran from police into an industrial building. We had to search the entire factory, which included lots of ladders and climbing into machinery. It would not have been possible to have a rifle on me without a good sling.
When you carry a rifle around for a long period, you start to appreciate any padding on your sling. But some rifles are heavier than others, and a standard sling just doesn’t do the trick. For this, Grovtec’s Heavy Gunner Sling is a must-have. It maintains the same functionality as their standard slings but with a few more features.
Grovtec QS Heavy Gunner Sling
Most of my AR-15 rifles are lightweight, and a standard sling works just fine with them. But every now and then, you get that perfect combination of gun and equipment that just makes it a little heavy. The Heavy Gunner Sling looks somewhat like the popular QS 2-Point Sentinel sling Grovtec offers. This one, however, is made specifically for heavy rifles.
It still has QD attachments on both ends but offers some great features that make it ideal for heavier rifles. These features include:
- 3-inch-wide shoulder pad
- 5-inch push-button swivel
- large emergency release buckle
- Quick adjustment slide with an easy-to-grab loop
The sling itself is wider than standard slings, but it’s the 3-inch-wide shoulder strap that makes it comfortable. The padding is on the rigid side, so it takes a little breaking in, but it’s comfortable. When it comes to quality, Grovtec folded the ends over the QD attachments and double-stitched them. Four straps hold the shoulder pad onto the sling to keep it secure.
What I like most about this and the Sentinel sling is the large loop attached to the quick slide. When I’m using my rifle, I don’t want to spend time trying to find the quick slide so I can make an adjustment. Some slings don’t have a loop at all which requires you to grab the plastic slide on the sling. The nylon loop, however, makes it easy to grab and adjust when needed.
Using the Heavy Gunner Sling
The obvious way to test out a rifle sling is to use it on the range. But I didn’t want to just run some drills and evaluate it from there. It’s made for lugging around heavy guns, so I felt a little hike was in order. I’ve recently been using various digital scopes to try and decide if there are any benefits over traditional scopes. One thing I have found is that digital/night/infrared scopes are heavy.
To really get a feel for the Heavy Gunner Sling, I went for a hike and took my rifle with me so I could test two things. First, I wanted to test the comfort of the sling while carrying a heavy rifle for several hours. Second, I wanted to make sure I could still maneuver the rifle around with the sling, even though it’s a little bigger than standard slings.
I started my hike with the rifle slung over my shoulder. About an hour in, I switched it to a cross-worn style (with the rifle diagonally across my back). Later, I moved the rifle to my chest, or what some call the response position. Regardless of how I carried it, the wide strap and firm padding made it completely comfortable.
With the adjustment extended fully, I was able to lay prone and use the scope with the sling still around my neck. This is something an old Vietnam Vet sniper once showed me he did. If you need to jump up quickly and move, the rifle comes up with you and is still secured to your body.
Is it just for heavy rifles?
It’s called the “Heavy Gunner Sling” and has a 3-inch-wide shoulder pad, so we tend to think it’s only for big, heavy guns. And it does work perfectly for those larger rifles. After hauling my heavier AR around with it, I decided to try it out on a regular AR-15. The wider shoulder pad made just about every gun I tried it with more comfortable. It worked so well that I started hanging it in the safe for quick access to all my rifles.
Need an American-made rifle sling?
I mentioned above that I’ve used Grovtec slings for years. I’ve never had one of their slings break or even wear out to the point that I stopped using it. They do need a break-in period (in my opinion) to loosen up the shoulder strap a bit, but the quality is as good as it gets. They use heavy-duty materials and stitching to ensure your sling will keep your rifle secure regardless of the mission.
Another great feature that I must point out is that Grovtec slings are made in the USA. There are a lot of high-quality products made in other countries, and I use a lot of them. But it’s always nice to find a good product that is made in our country by fellow Americans. If you are looking for a sling for a heavy rifle or just a sling that’s a little more comfortable on your shoulder, try the Heavy Gunner Sling from Grovtec.
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