Every time Magpul releases a product, the gun industry must take notice, and parts of it sigh. They’d wish Magpul would stop. Magpul went from a company that made devices to make grip and rip your magazine easier to an industry giant. They make magazines, stocks, and handguards and, in general, have mastered the art of polymer in the world of guns. Polymer seems to be their main thing, but that doesn’t mean that soft goods can’t be in the bag. Magpul dived into the sling world with the same versatility and ingenuity they’ve approached everything else and delivered the Magpul MS1 sling.
The Magpul MS1 is another option in a fleet of modern tactical two-point slings that are begging for space on your rifle. The modern tactical two-point is the go-to these days, and slings from Arbor Arms, Blue Force Gear, VTAC, and obviously Magpul. It can be tough to find a niche in such a crowded market, but Magpul seemingly found a way.
The MS1 and Modularity
How modular can a sling be? It’s some fabric and a little polymer. I’m certainly not creative enough to understand how easily a sling can be modified and adapted to various platforms. I have to give it up to Magpul. They went above and beyond by producing a versatile and effective sling system.
The MS1 forms the basis of Magpul’s sling system. It’s the base unit that can be adapted, evolved, and transformed into the sling you need it to be. The MS1 can be converted into the MS3 or MS4 by swapping a few parts and pieces to make the sling whatever you need it to become. While the MS1 occupies that tactical two-point space, the MS3, and MS4 allow you to convert the sling from a two-point to a one-point with minimal issue.
The ability to swap pieces of furniture to change the sling from one thing to another is handy, but how does the MS1 perform as just a two-point sling?
What’s In a Name?
The MS1 gains its name from the MS1 slider. The MS1 slider comes standard on the base level sling and allows you to almost instantly change the size of the sling. You can tighten it or loosen it with ease. Just push or pull the slider to make the change you need or want. This isn’t the first rapid adjust sling, but it’s seemingly the first to do away with the pull tab soldier in place of a polymer flush fit device that stands no choice of snagging.
Outside of the quick-adjust pull tab, the MS1 allows you to manipulate the size of the sling overall from 48 to 60 inches total. You can size the sling for your body type, or deal with or without armor. It’s fairly handy and also very simple and easy to set up. I took five minutes total to manipulate the sling to fit my unarmored self and my rifle of choice.
Running and Gunning with the MS1
The Magpul MS1 and its MS1 slider make rapid adjustments quick and easy. You can easily manipulate the slider and grow or shrink the sling at will. When properly adjusted, the sling can do several things. When the slider is tightened down to the max, the user can go hands-free if necessary and also manipulate the weapon in a tightened, better-supported position. Like a good 2-point should.
When you tighten the sling down, it adds tension, and that tension translates into a better-supported position for taking shots. That little extra tension makes it easy to stabilize the weapon and build a supported position for accurate shots.
The sling needs to be adjusted for your size and shape to do this properly. Without doing so, you’ll find the tension too little or too much. Manipulating the MS1 in size doesn’t take much effort, and sizing it just right takes hardly any extra time.
If you run the MS1 loose, you gain maximum maneuverability with the ability to switch shoulders, change positions, and more without the sling impeding you. Going loosey-goosey makes it much easier to move your gun as you see fit without losing retention. You can still drop the gun without actually dropping the gun.
Grabbing the slider and shoving it back and forward takes very little effort. You can do so with gloves and without looking. The MS1 slider is massive and provides a nice, easy means to grip and rip the sling as you see fit. Magpul designed the MS1 slider to add or subtract ten inches total from its action.
Size and Support
The 1.25-inch webbing provides more than enough comfort for the average shooter armed with the average rifle. If you feel it’s not comfy enough, the addition of a pad is possible. While fairly wide the sling weighs only 6 ounces. It’s a fairly lightweight setup and simple to use. There are no hanging straps or tails looking to get tangled up in your gear or the world around you.
One of the things that Magpul has consistently proven is the strength of its designs. A lot of that design influence comes from actual users, shooters, and veterans with decades of experience, and it shows. The MS1 sling provides you with all the adjustability, durability, and versatility you need without breaking the bank. For less than 50 bucks, you can add a helluva sling to your rifle or shotgun setup.
