“It’s like the Post-It note,” Larry told me during a recent conversation on the subject. “I saw the second prototype that came back from Blue Force Gear and just thought, ‘Why hasn’t somebody else come up with this?’ On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 15.”
The Larry here is Larry Vickers. He’s a veteran of nearly a decade as an assaulter in a Delta Force Sabre squadron. Larry did the sorts of things the rest of us read about. Now he takes his real-world special operations experience and uses it to conjure state-of-the-art tactical products. He also passes on his knowledge as a sought-after tactical trainer for military and law enforcement personnel as well as security-minded individuals.
His tactical Post-It note is the Vickers Combat Applications Sling (VCAS). The VCAS was a collaborative effort between Larry and Ashley Burnsed of Blue Force Gear. This instantly adjustable two-point sling is, in Larry’s own words, everything it needs to be and nothing it doesn’t.
The Mission
From the very beginnings of combat firearms, there has been the necessity to carry a gun comfortably in such a way as to keep it readily accessible. Soldiers, police officers and armed citizens need to be able to pack a weapon, sometimes for ridiculously long periods, while remaining capable of engaging targets quickly and accurately. While solutions have ranged from a length of repurposed hemp rope on a Liberian soldier’s trusted Kalashnikov to the Heckler & Koch MP5 sling that requires an engineering degree to operate, the VCAS represents the pinnacle of portability.
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The VCAS is the most well-reasoned and effective rifle sling on the market today. Designed to provide optimal versatility while transitioning between carrying the gun and engaging targets with it, the VCAS is also 100-percent American made. From the outset, the VCAS was designed to accommodate a wide variety of weapons. And Blue Force Gear’s new sling-building portion of its website takes that innate versatility and amps it to the next level. Your optimized tactical rifle sling is no more than a mouse click away.
Custom Vickers Combat Application Sling
Ours is the most rarefied consumer society in human history. Capitalism is the engine that drives our unprecedented expansion in science and technology. In the case of the VCAS, Blue Force Gear’s easy-to-use website allows you to customize the perfect weapons sling to fit your unique circumstances.
The online process begins with a monochrome diagram of the VCAS on your screen, just waiting to be filled in. As you select various features from the drop-down menus, the sling graphic reflects your selections. Once you have your digital sling conjured, you can see exactly what it will look like before you click “Order Now.”
The front and back components of the sling, along with the adjuster pull-tab, can be constructed from webbing in 12 different colors. Attachment options include 14 different mechanical interfaces to accommodate all manner of weapons. The sling hardware comes in six different configurations. The front and rear attachments can then be secured via tri-glides or sewn-in attachments.
If you know exactly what you will be using your sling for, then have Blue Force Gear sew it shut. If you want to retain the option of changing it down the road, then choose the tri-glide. You can pick standard webbing or the padded sort. The end result is a customized and robust gun-carrying solution that is as personalized as your fingerprint.
Personal Build
Even lightweight, compact guns can get tedious when carried over long distances. The capacity to transition from carrying to shooting in a quick fashion in darker spaces can spell the difference between living and dying. In the VCAS, you find the ultimate gun-toting tool.
I got mine with tri-glides on the ends for maximum versatility. My VCAS runs an M4/M203, a Steyr AUG, a Springfield M1A SOCOM 16, an MP5 or any other modern smoke pole to which I might choose to affix it. It can even tote a vintage Model 1928 Tommy gun should the need arise. The applications of the VCAS are limited solely by your imagination.
The Vickers Combat Application Sling lets you pack your favorite firearm comfortably while keeping it instantly accessible. Combat proven by our boys and girls downrange, the VCAS is brilliantly executed. Just like Burger King for gun nerds, the Blue Force Gear website lets you have it your way.
For more information, visit blueforcegear.com.
This article was originally published in “Tactical Weapons” November/December 2017. To order a copy and subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.
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