Birth of the Tier 1 Citizen Rifle Sling

Get ready for a shocker. The Tier 1 Citizen Rifle Slings began as camera slings for my heavy NIKON DSLR Cameras. 

In 2009 I was a full time cop, and a part time magazine writer for various LE/MIL Magazines. I routinely ran alongside operators as I captured muzzle flashes and ejected casings. I worked with a friend to develop some Bungee slings that would allow me to manage the weight of my heavy cameras in a more comfortable manner. I usually ran two cameras, so running twin slings with Bungee was a godsend. 

After a short while I realized that I could probably pass this idea onto my AR-15's and thus was born the Tier 1 Citizen: 1 Point Sling. What's most interesting is that there's virtually no difference between the camera sling and the rifle sling version. Same concept, just a QD on the end of the sling, rather than a key ring. 

As I got into working with longer and heavier rifles, as opposed to the short and lightweight SBR’s I was accustomed to, I reached the point where I realized I needed a 2 Point Sling. The problem was that I had spent years, testing a great many 2 Point Slings on the market and most of them where a busy mess of sliders and emergency release buckles. One thing I have learned in my many years of training and being trained is that anything that is easily adjusted can be easily unadjusted. 

Most of the slings on the market rely on two features to make them more pleasant for the end-user. The first one is a shoulder pad, the second is a quick adjust slider with a pull tab. Both of these features are obviously vacant on a Tier 1 Citizen Sling. The reason is as I stated before: anything that can be easily adjusted, can be easily unadjusted. Having attended a great deal of training and videoing the majority of it, I have seen this happen many times over. It always seems to happen when the operator is trying to be as smooth as possible. There is nothing more frustrating than fighting ones own support equipment. 

The other reason that Tier 1 Citizen Slings live up to their billing is that they are equipped with a generous length of Bungee, sewn inside of the tubular webbing. That Bungee is the reason that T1C Slings don’t need shoulder pads, ever. 

You’ll notice I keep saying Bungee as opposed to Shock Cord. Bungee is the brand name of the pinnacle shock cord in the world. When I make your slings I use Bungee brand Bungee cord, not Chinese made Shock Cord. Quality matters and you guys deserve the best. Likewise, I use Murdock Webbing Company: Tubular Webbing, BCM: Quick Detach Rings, Blue Force Gear: HK Hooks, and Duraflex: Mojave Buckles & Tri-Glides. I even use Speedy Stitcher: Nylon Thread. All of these components are milspec and all are Made in America.

A sling is to a rifle as a holster is to a handgun. If it is not supporting the operator, it has to be replaced with something better. The Tier 1 Citizen Sling is that better choice. Check them out using the link below.