What’s a Gat Monkey? Solid question. I can tell it’s not related to GAT Daily. We tend to both like GATs. Gat Monkey is a small American, veteran-owned, and operated company that produces some rather eye-catching slings. Their thing seems to be making slings for the less than the serious operator. I mean, as much as we love Blue Force Gear, VTAC, Arbor Arms, sometimes you want something a little different than black/FDE/OD Green, and Gat Monkey is here for you.
Their slings have fun and often very colorful patterns. These range from the Big Luau-inspired Hawaiin print to one covered in Simpson’s inspired donuts to the one I currently have, the Flannel. The Flannel looks like red flannel, and it’d make Garandthumb proud. Are these slings just silly window dressing or effective slings with an eye-catching outside?
The Flannel By GAT Monkey
First, their prices are pretty dang good. Slings start at 39.99 and rarely get above that price point. Some of the fancy camo finishes raise the price, but most are in that realm. You can add QD sling swivels to any order for 20 bucks, but it’s not necessary. While the ministry of silly slings caught my eye, that’s not all they make.
In all fairness, their camo series offers you a unique, slightly more serious look with woodland, striper, blaze orange, desert, and multiple RELV camo patterns. As a fan of flannel and the Brawny man, my choice was easy. However, my finger hovered above the donut sling longer than I’d like to admit.
These are modern two-point tactical slings aimed at your standard rifle or carbine. The slings are made from polyester and are 1 inch in width. The adjusters and quick pull tab are all made from steel, and the pull tab rocks a little 550 cord to make gripping and ripping easier.
Polyester Versus Nylon
Most professional slings are made from CORDURA, which is a type of nylon that’s especially tough and is tear, water, UV, and chemical resistant. Polyester isn’t as foolproof as CORDURA but does offer impressive water resistance and durability. At the same time, it’s softer than CORDURA.
It’s also more affordable, as evidenced by the not so intimidating prices provided by Gat Monkey. If I had to do a ship to shore and invade a county, I might choose a 1.5-inch wide Cordura sling, but if you tossed me a Gat Monkey sling, I wouldn’t feel like I was under gunned. Underslung? I’m not sure which term to use.
Rocking and Rolling
1-inch slings work best on light carbines: your standard AR, your PCC, and the like. Tossing them on a hefty gun might give you a little discomfort. Hefty guns like the Savage Impulse put ten pounds of weight on your shoulder with a 1-inch strap will get uncomfy. The strap might dig in, especially over rough terrain. The Gat Monkey sling fits perfectly on my CMMG FourSix and fits perfectly.
I’m a big boy, a hoss if you will, and the Gat Monkey fits my six-foot, five-inch, 280-pound frame without issue. It’s easy to adjust, and the steel siders inspire confidence. The metal pull tab is different.
I’m used to pushing it forward and pulling it rearward to tighten and loosen it. With the Gat Monkey Flannel, you pull up and forward and then move the slider forward or rearward to tighten or loosen the sling.
I like to run my slings a little tighter. When the slider is tightened to the max, I can go truly hands-free. I don’t want anything swing, popping, or moving when the sling’s tightened all the way down. When I run it loose, I like to remove it easily, but like a little tension when I aim the weapon. I can do just that with the Gat Monkey, so its meets that requirement.
Hang Ten
The 1-inch sling doesn’t dig in, not with the FourSix anyway. It hangs quite nicely and doesn’t dig into my body. Even when I pull it almost uncomfortably tight, the sling sits nice and tight on the body. Polyester provides a nice soft material that doesn’t rub, especially in that sensitive neck area.
With good tension, the sling doesn’t slide. It grips decently and provides a nice tight tension that allows you to take those longer, more precise shots. The Gat Monkey sling works perfectly in its role on my fun gun. It’s very light and soft. It’d be perfect for running without armor or web gear, maybe on a big braced pistol, PCC, or subgun of one type or another.
The Gat Monkey Flannel clicks the boxes I need for a sling and does so with style. As a gun culture, we get real obsessed with being a little too serious. Let Gat Monkey break it down and keep it cool. The Flannel sling does it for me, but maybe the Banana, Pineapple, or Pew Pew is for you. Check ’em out.
