Always Better. | September 9th, 2021
Benelli Shotgun Sling - Blue Force Gear is known for slings. We make the finest slings in the world and we make or have adapted slings to every conceivable weapon, tool, shield or device you can name. So what is the most challenging item to sling and carry? Just ask our Customer Service team and they will all agree with a minimum of conversation. Itās the shotgun. More specifically, the Tactical / Combat Shotgun. Shotguns tend to be longer, heavier and have less attachment points than just about any other weapons system.
In the Combat Shotgun world, one of the most ubiquitous is the Benelli M1 and M4 family.
In this "how to" article, we will put a two-point Vickers Sling on both a Benelli M4 and a Benelli M1 Super 90 Entry Gun. There are other models from Benelli and other similarly configured pump and autoloading shotguns such as the Remington 870/11-87, Mossberg 500/590/930 SPX, FN SLP, and a whole host of imported shotguns that can be slung in a similar fashion as well.
You can skip straight to your specific model in this article by clicking below.
For this article, we are going to discuss a two-point shotgun sling setup for two important reasons:
The Benelli M4 / M1014 Shotgun is immensely popular. Not only is it issued to police and soldiers worldwide, but it appears regularly in movies and video games such as Battlefield and Call of Duty. It is certainly one of the most recognizable shotguns in modern use.
Good news! The Benelli M4 family comes ready to attach to a Vickers Sling straight from the factory.
Front Attachment of Sling Loop
Take the front portion of your Vickers Sling (Closest to the pull tab on the adjuster) and thread it through the stamped sling loop attached to the front of the magazine tube / handguard.
Step One
Take sling and unthread triglide for step two
Step Two
Thread webbing through swivel
Step Three
Loop webbing over swivel and back through triglide
You will note that the front sling loop on this shotgun faces DOWN. While not optimal, it is how the shotgun was designed. You will find that the sling being on the underside of the firearm may cause it to roll up while slung so that the pistol grip is facing up instead of down. If this configuration works for you then you are good to go. If not, this can be fixed.
You will need a pair of snap ring pliers for this modification.
Remove the magazine tube end cap and barrel. You will see that the sling loop is held in place with a large snap ring. Ease the large snap ring out of the grooves. Then rotate the stamped sling loop plate 90 degrees to the right or left side. Reinstall the snap ring into the grooves to secure the sling loop and then reinstall the barrel.
Although it appears straight forward at first glance, we receive many calls that the sling webbing is too wide for the rear stock attachment point on the M4. It will fit, the webbing on the Vickers Sling will compress to fit the slightly smaller width loop with a little encouragement.
A flat head screwdriver (or a flat tool like a key) and a pair of needle nose pliers can make this even easier.
The trick is to use a side-to-side motion when pulling the webbing through the inset sling loop. Start at an angle with one corner of the webbing and work it under the loop bar. Then push the other corner through and use a flat tool to keep feeding webbing under until enough comes out the other side to grab with the pliers and pull through. Then continue the side-to-side motion until enough webbing is through to reinstall the triglides.
Step One
Take rear of sling and unthread triglides for step two
Step Two
Place 1.25ā webbing into 1ā swivel on rear stock
Step Three
Use a Key or Pliers to pull webbing through swivel
Step Four
Tug back and forth to slowly move webbing through
Step Five
Once webbing is through the swivel, it should be near first triglide
Step Six
Loop webbing back through first triglide
Step Seven
Loop webbing back through second triglide to attach sling
Looking for this Benelli M4 sling, the products featured in this article are listed below. Additional slings compatible with the Benelli shotgun family, such as the Standard Issue Vickers Sling and the Padded version of the sling.
The world's standard in weapon slings. With over 500,000 in-use across all U.S. Branches of Service, Allied foreign militaries, local and national law enforcement, hunters, and enthusiasts. Combined with a Benelli M4 Shotgun, this makes the most versatile tactical Benelli sling available. Note: Woodland camo was a limited run and can be built to order now using the Custom Sling Builder here.
Next is another immensely popular Benelli shotgun, the M1 Super 90.
This was a police trade in gun that is old enough to have āHeckler & Kochā written on the side and the forend says āLaser Devicesā and not āSurefireā. I didnāt really want to pay a stamp on yet another shotgun but when my favorite former online gun dealer said āI got one left, its beat, but itās yours for $400ā well what could I say? So when all my friends had their new M4s like above and I came out with this guy, I got made fun of until I said āHey itās the best short barrel shotty I could get for $400ā that shut it down.
[Please donāt call or email in asking āwhere?!ā because then they will make us take this section outā the site is a shell of its former self out in the Midwest and I got the last one they ever had back in 2017. Gunbroker is your best bet at this point]
Back to the subject at hand. These used to be a lot more popular and readily available as they were phased out of department service as ābreachersā or āentry gunsā. The idea was to have a short barreled ā usually 12ā or 14ā ā used as a dedicated breaching shotgun with specialized frangible ālock busterā rounds or as a patrol officer's main long gun in the trunk or locked between the seats. Sometimes it was the sole long gun, other times used in tandem with an AR or other rifle. This is where having your less used breaching shotgun even more secure gives you more freedom to maneuver your primary long gun.
---We are purposely going to skip over the discussion of whether law enforcement patrol guns should have slings on them---
Blue Force Gear designs and builds the worldās premiere slings for firearms and tools of all types. We sling everything, including shotguns, under the premise that a well designed and built sling provides tremendous capabilities and options to the weapons user that would otherwise not be present. Itās more than a carry strap if you maximize what it can do for you.
***The information presented in this article is for information purposes only and is not to be perceived as advice or directions. Ensure that all proper firearms safety rules are being followed and test your weapon and accessory setup at the range in a safe direction before being fielded. You are responsible for your own safety. Seek additional help from a qualified professional or your organizations chain of command as needed.***
This project starts with a Blue Force Gear Medic Sling. This sling is just like the regular Vickers Slings adopted by the Marine Corps, USAF, Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with the primary difference being that it features TWO patented quick adjusters on it. This allows the user to cinch the sling even tighter than a traditional Vickers Sling ā a great benefit with the shorter than normal distances between the sling points on this shotgun. This sling was designed by a Special Forces 18D Medic who wanted the ability to tightly secure his weapon on his back when going āhands onā with a patient or prisoner..
Note that the Medic Slings are typically a ālimited runā product that we have available a few times a year. If you donāt have one and it isnāt in stock, donāt worry, any Vickers Sling variant will work. Be sure you are signed up on our email list to be notified each time the Medic Slings become available!
Front Attachment
Since we are using the Medic Sling ā the āfront towards enemyā is the end with the two āloop locsā sewn in and close together. The question of the day is where to mount it up front.
Removed the magazine nut and slide the barrel and fore grip off. Then use a Molded UWL (An original aluminum Universal Wire Loop would also work) and slide it down the magazine tube and over the handguard spacer. Then reassemble the weapon and manipulate the UWL between the barrel / magazine tube / receiver / handguard. That will provide a front sling loop that was conspicuously absent just a few minutes ago. There are M1ās in circulation with a traditional stamped loop under the magazine nut. If you have one of these, your front attachment procedure will be the same as the Benelli M4 above. Checkout this more recent post for additional shotgun sling mount ideas.
From here, you could add a Push Button Swivel in between the UWL and the Medic Sling to give you a faster disconnect if you wished.
Step One
After attaching hardware to barrel, lay sling out for attaching
Step Two
Thread webbing through swivel (Molded UWL)
Step Three
Loop webbing over swivel and back through both loops
Step Four
Loop webbing over last loop lock and under the first and tighten
Rear Attachment
A M1 Super 90 with the pistol grip type stock will have the same rear attachment point as the Benelli M4 Stock above.
As noted above, the 1.25ā webbing will fit through the slot as long as you follow the procedures as outlined.
Orā¦ You can attach a Molded UWL around the pin inset in the rear stock which will add a Quick Detach option to your rear attachment point.
The Molded Universal Wire Loopā¢ brings the unparalled versatility of the Universal Wire Loop with a lighter more cost effective assembly. The Molded UWLā¢ allows for a Vickers Sling or other slings 1.25ā or thinner to attach to eyelets, slots, rail holes, or other unique mounting points on weapons while providing the capability to add a Quick Detach Sling Swivel..
Several times a year we are able to open up orders for the Vickers Medic Sling. The Medic Sling ā named by an 18D Special Forces Medic that requested the design change ā a Vickers Sling that allows you to cinch the sling even tighter by using two quick adjusters for going āhands onā and keeping your rifle close to your front or back.
The Standard Issue Vickers Sling has become the world's standard in combat weapon slings. After extensive testing including combat evaluations, this sling is issued with the USMC M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle and authorized for use with the M4, M4A1, and M16 series weapons.
*Top Banner Courtesy of Department of Defense. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.