Gear Review: Dual Adjust Weapon Sling From Arbor Arms

Slings…who doesn’t love them? They keep your long gun on your body, improve retention, and give you a little relief on mile 18 of a 20-mile patrol. Slings rarely change much. Every so often, a new hotness enters the market, and we fawn and fangirl over it. Modern tactical two-point slings have seemingly taken the King’s mantle, and for the last decade, quick-adjust slings have ruled.

Innovating a piece of nylon can be tough to do, but the crew at Arbor Arms certainly has with the Dual Adjust Weapon Sling.

If the design seems familiar, that’s because, for a while, Ares Armor produced a similar sling. This isn’t IP theft, it’s more like IP recovery. The head honcho at Arbor Arms worked for Ares and designed their soft gear. An early version of this sling is one of his designs. He was able to get his IP back, and here we are.

Arbor Arms graciously sent me one of their slings for test and review, and I’ve been putting it through its paces.

Breaking Down the Dual Adjust Weapon Sling

What stands out most with this sling is the combination slider and cam system. Like most modern two-points, the Dual Adjust sling has a slider that can instantly change the sling’s length to give or take away mobility and security. Built into the slider is a cam that allows the sling to be overtightened for a true hands-free experience with about half the tail a cam-only sling has.

Users can over-tighten the sling to allow for a real hands-free experience to climb ladders, get up and down from tree stands, help an injured comrade…or whatever else they might need the use of two hands for.

Adjusting the slider or over-tightening via the cam is quite easy to do. The slider design is more than a pull tab. It’s a hefty loop of material. Underneath the sling, a tab allows for over-tightening. Give either a tug or pull, and you’ll get the desired effect.

At the ass end of the sling is a girth and adjustment cam for sizing the sling to the user or weapon. The Dual Adjust Weapon Sling can be adjusted for anything from a SBR up to an M240. You can also adjust the sling to work with winter clothing, plate carriers, etc., in just seconds. Adjust and fool around with it a bit to fit your gun to your sling.

The rear portion can also fit an optional sling pad. Arbor Arms sent me one as well. A pad for a AR-15 isn’t really needed, but who doesn’t like a little more comfort? Installing the pad is a little tricky, but once it’s set, it’s set. The tri-glides at either end even have a red mark reminding you to back-lock your sling properly.

Throwing Lead

I tossed the Arbor Arms sling on my basic carbine and took it for a test drive. In determining how to test the sling, I figured the best way was to shoot a few courses of fire. I undertook the Marine Corps shooting tables 4 and 6 daytime portions only.

These courses of fire institute movement, various precision shots from the standing, and best of all, make it easy to simulate an environment for the sling. In these tables of fire, I needed to mix both speed and precision. That allowed me to test how the slider moved as well as its ergonomics.

I needed the sling to be loose for moving-and-shoot, but liked it a little tighter to add some tension support for precision headshots into a rather small T-zone. The big loop was always easy to reach and adjust. I could grip and rip or hook a finger through it and glide it forwards and rearwards with ease.

I really love the loop slider and how easy it is to put into action. Tables 5 and 6 don’t require a shoulder switch, but I practiced it anyway. Taking the sling from slightly tense to loosey-goosey was intuitive and allowed me to easily swap from left to right (although I need way more practice shooting from my left shoulder).

For precise shots, I tensed up and got the Dual Adjust sling tight but manageable. Again being able to easily control the slider made this intuitive and easy to do. It took some shake out of my optic and allowed me to score most of my required headshots.

Ratchet Down

I gripped and ripped the over-tighten tab a few times. It’s not as smooth as the slider and requires a real dedicated tug, but this isn’t something you’d want to be loose anyway. You can get your rifle super freaking tight to your body. I’d have no woes about my rifle and could go truly hands-free.

My rifle wasn’t banging at my knees, and if I bent over, it had absolutely zero swing to it. The Dual Adjust weapon sling stayed put and tight against my body. I ran a few sprints (pro tip: don’t sprint in Doc Martens) with my hands off my rifle, and the rifle wasn’t jumping around, trying to slap me in the face.

It was also nice not to have this massive tail that’s common with cam-only slings. Going slick these are an annoyance, but when wearing gear and moving, they are a serious hassle that’s easily caught on whatever is in front of them.

Going Grunt With It

The Arbor Arms Dual Adjust sling utilizes a straight filament 1.25-inch webbing. The benefit of this, according to Arbor Arms, is that it’s smoother and more resistant to dust and dirt. On top of that, it won’t get stiff after getting wet.

I can certainly testify that other slings certainly get stiff rather quickly once exposed to the elements. My nine-year-old Vickers Tactical Sling is quite stiff these days. Slings, unlike men, get stiffer as they get older.

To test this, I exposed the Dual Adjust Weapon Sling to the worst I could. After being detached from my rifle, the sling was dragged, slider and cam first, through the dirt and sand. After 50 yards of dragging by a six- and ten-year-old, I tried the slider and cam. It moved without issue and was super smooth.

I wasn’t satisfied. I tossed it in the sand and hit it with the hose. I piled on mud and dried sand. I got it filthy dirty and then tried the slider. I expected grittiness and grinding, but my expectations were dashed. The slider moved without protest, as did the cam. The actions both remained smooth.

Next, I let hug it up to dry outside. Well, I tried to. It’s rained every day this month, so I ended up just getting it wetter. After a night of rain, brought it inside and let it dry. No stiffness detected…every action remained smooth and unaffected.

Overall, this has become my new favorite weapon sling. The Dual Adjust Weapon Sling is easy to use, ergonomic, and affordable. Arbor Arms also produces a unique variant for PRS shooters that deserves a look, too.

The difference between the heavy and carbine versions of the sling is the D ring. The heavy model uses a metal D ring. The carbine model uses a polymer D ring made to break under human weight. The carbine D ring was a paratrooper requirement so Joe didn’t get stuck to the plane he was jumping out of. Check both out right here.

Specifications: Arbor Arms Dual Adjust Weapon Sling

Width: 1.25 inches
Made: USA
MSRP: $59.99 to $64.99

Ratings (out of five stars):

Ergonomics: *****
The massive loop sling and long tab are easy to grip and rip. The back cam allows you to easily adjust the sling for different-sized weapons and gear. It’s seemingly endlessly adjustable.

Reliability: * * * * *
Everything slides, snaps, and locks down without issue. Even after exposure to water, sand, and mud, the sling never stopped.

Comfort: * * * * *
The sling is appropriately wide enough to rest comfortably with most standard carbines. The over-tighten loop keeps it super comfy for hands-free use, and the slider allows for precise adjustments for any task.

Overall: * * * * *
The Dual Adjustment Weapon sling from Arbor Arms is a fantastic piece of gear. It’s super easy to use and gives you a very customizable sling that allows you to fit the sling to your weapon and gear regardless of what it is.