I noticed in the documentary on Blackhawk Down that some of the soldiers were running slings on their M16A2s that were attached to the top of the rifle.  Was this a standard government issue?  Is this setup still in use today?

The military has had a "top sling mount" kit that consisted of a strap that attached to the buttstock and looped over the top and a bent wire that went around the FSB to mount a standard GI "silent" sling.  



It's been available since at least the 1970s.  The front sling adapter I actually still kind of like - it can be made less noisy with the liberal application of 100MPH tape.  The rear sling mount, on the other hand is practically useless, because it slides up and down the buttstock and never stays in a stable position - it needs another "leg" to keep it properly in place.  

This what I used to do when I was issued M16s and with my M16A4 clone - use 550 cord and basically make the same thing, but with a tension "arm" higher up the sling that keeps it from shifting:



Something I learned in the military that was done a lot before the M4 was as big of a "thing."  You can also use either this method or the issued top sling mount and wrap it in 100MPH tape, which was done often to keep it from shifting.  

On top of these - many SOF folks "built" many of their own "tactical" slings using re-appropriated webbing.  Popular components were padded machine gun slings, ALICE pack straps, HK MP5 3-point slings, and 2 QT. canteen general purpose straps.  Partiularly using ALICE pack components gave you a "quick adjust" and "quick detach" sling that would become all the rage with modern tactical slings.  Actually, if you take a machine gun padded sling - use an ALICE pack strap and sew new attachments in the ends - it's basically a VTAC or LaRue padded sling.  Food for thought.  

~Augee

Thank you.

used to do something with the J buckle type issued in the marines.  

Run the front of the sling through the front sight tower and remove the j buckle from the sling and make a loop with the double slot keeper and slip the loop over the small of the buttstock.  Instant carry at the ready mode.  Far from perfect but worked with the issue gear.   ETA- you really had to mind your rear sling at the small of the stock because it's a guarantee  to F with charging handle operation.  No way would I actually go into combat like that.  It was more a cheater for stateside patrol training.  

No reason you couldn't do the same with the army silent sling type that had no J buckle or sewn in double slot keeper.  Theirs was a straight strap with two loose double slot keepers.

Silly Marines and your parade slings.  



~Augee

What Augee said; I seem to remember that the top sling adapters were mostly issued to 203 gunners. After time, they can actually wear a notch in the FSB

I was in the USMC and we often rigged up our regular slings with 100mph tape and 550 cord.

As an 11B between 89-91, I used an M60 sling with my A2.  I ran the front end through the FSB tower and the back end was attached to one of the short, M203 sling pieces you can see in one of the pictures above.  That short piece was routed through the sling loop on the bottom of the stock, which kind of helped keep it in place.  100mph tape really helped with that, too.

The top sling adapters can still be found, if you are running a carbine with the old style car stock. just look a silent sling through the FSB and the TOP loop on the buttstock and you are good to go, carry in the ready position (at the hip)

Back in my day ('83-86) we ran our slings throught he sling loops on the weapon.  When in the field, the sling was never in use and just hung freely from the weapon.

Hooah



 

I still have the one I was issued in Desert Storm. It never made it on to my A2. We rigged the same thing up with the previously mentioned 550 cord and 100mph tape; it didn't slip up the buttstock and was actually silent.

I recall  using a m60 sling just routed though the front sight housing and around the rear stock during Desert Storm, and I recall my unit getting some boonie packer type sling adaptors that went around the handguard and the butt stock (in the mid  90's I think) in fact  I just found one when I was cleaning out some boxes of stuff I had in the attic.

I also remember using the patrol sling adapter kit, but I would route gutted 550 cord over the triangle ring for the FSB to help with noise discipline, and also had to tape the rear attachment of the sling to the stock to prevent charge handle interference, while getting it to hang properly.

Or you can be even more high speed and have the armorer remove the sling swivel and have no sling at all because it causes too much noise on recon patrol...

I have a neat Canadian C7 patrol sling with the instructions, I'll have to find it and post some pictures of how CA does/did it.

Here's a C7A2 patrol sling on my C7A2, you can route the front over the handguards or under as you please to carry either at the ready or over the back.  It has a quick release adjuster with a snap.

The instructors issued weapons without slings to get us used to carrying at port arms all the time at Camp Bullis, TX for ABGD in 1985.  They allowed us to tie a boot lace to the butt stocks of the M60s because they were so worn they would not stay attached to the weapon.  USAF Security Police.

Other ways to do it:
- M60 sling.
- 550 cord on butt, regular black "silent" M16 sling attached at one end to the 550 cord and at the other end to the rear arm of the front sight base. Problem with this was sometimes when you assumed firing position the sling obscured the front sight. This is bad.
- GP strap (very popular, GP straps were $1.25 at the clothing sales store, and one came with your issued 2-qt canteen).

heh.

+1  and it has been working for me both Civ. and Mil. since '82 and still using it, complete with electrical tape ( thanks Commo section) wrapped around the butt stock in an X fashion.

Very efficient.

I was in a Weapons Company in the Marine Corps. I was and 0351 Dragon gunner. We used to take the green slings off the expended dragon rounds and use them as our slings. All of the other line companys usde to hound us for those slings. I wish I would have kept one.

This.  But as far as standard issue, I never saw one.

Marines from 89-'10, my first five years I was Infantry and I rarely used a sling....always had the rifle in my hand.  Later on I used a simple strand of 550 cord through the FSB and a rear swivel.

Other than that the standard web, sling, M1 is what I used until post 2003 when all the tacticool slings showed up...even then I used a D-ring on my flak and a woven 550 cord as my 1 point sling...

The only time we ever used 550 cord was when we were doing surf passages with the zodiacs. We would use it as dummy cord. We never had slings on the raids we practiced.