Beachin Tactical Light (paracord sling)
Written by Guy Cain Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp.
When Jacob Peterson of Beachin Tactical contacted us about his “new sling,” I was skeptical. Jacob seemed very excited about the new design, but I was extremely happy with the old style and saw no reason to change anything. (see my review at zombease.com)
The first thing I noticed was the new packaging. It is very practical for stores, easily hung on the facing hooks used by most retailers. Next were the instructions. They were well printed, not just a smudged photocopy, easily understood with an explanation of how best to carry your rifle when using this sling, and an interesting warranty (we’ll get to it in a bit.). You may be thinking that neither the packaging nor the instructions are important to this review. I disagree. Both of these are an indicator of the product quality. If the manufacture uses poor quality packaging it tells us that even they don’t feel their product is of much value. If the instructions are poorly presented we can surmise that they don’t care about us as customers. It is safe to say that Beachin Tactical values their product and their customers. If you still have doubts, read the warranty.
All Beachin Tactical products are warranted against all manufacture defects. If you break it, I fix it.
Pretty standard stuff, right? Keep reading.
In case of emergency, if you find that you need to use the 550 cord on your sling, send the sling back to me with $5 for return shipping and I will replace the 550 with the color of your choice.
That’s well above and beyond any warranty I have ever seen on a paracord item. Jacob does ask that you tell him the nature of your emergency simply because he is interested in knowing what happened and how the sling helped you through it. That’s not too much to ask, in my opinion.
As for the sling itself, the first thing I noticed was that it was not entirely made of 550 cord. The base is nylon webbing and the cord is woven over and around the webbing. My concern with this style was that the cord would simply slide down the webbing and bunch up at one end. It would still function as a sling but would be horribly uncomfortable should that happen. I tested the theory by pulling gently on the cord, then harder. While the paracord did give a little, it would not move much. A closer inspection revealed that it is secured to the webbing at both ends so my worries were unfounded.
Our test sling has a plastic snap buckle in the middle like the first Beachin Tactical I tested for Zombease.com. As this sling is narrower than the previous one, the buckle is a bit smaller. I tested this one same as the last, by pulling gently from both ends of the sling, then harder and finally giving several strong jerks. The buckle did not give during any of our testing.( Trevor also had doubts about the buckle but was quickly satisfied when John installed it on his M1 Garand and did a few quick changes from shoulder carry to shooting position. See the video)
Installation is quick and easy, particularly if you are familiar with standard rifle slings. At the range we tried this sling on four different rifles. In each case it took only a couple minutes to switch and adjust.
Staff thoughts:
Trevor (aka Watcher)
Initially I was concerned about the buckle but clearly it is very high quality similar to those found on expensive name brand bags. It sits well on the shoulder with a minimum of side to side movement and the 550 cord acts as padding making it surprisingly comfortable even with the heavier guns we tested. Adjustments are quick and easy. Overall, I’m very impressed.
John (aka Razor Sharp)
I like the American made components and quality stitching. It’s always nice to know that the 550 cord (two 18’ lengths) is there in case of emergency. It worked well as a hasty sling, but the 550 cord limits the amount of adjustment. If I changed anything about this particular model sling, I’d have it without the buckle (but still have a slotted D ring for adjustability) and slightly less cord simply so it can be tightened up a bit more. All in all, excellent product!
Guy Cain
Once again, Beachin Tactical has impressed me. Their new Light sling is every bit as good as the previous one I tested, but with one major advantage, the nylon webbing at the core. In the event that it becomes necessary to use the 550 cord, the nylon webbing will remain as a functional sling. With the earlier model, if you needed the cord, you would be left without a sling. It might not seem like a big deal but in an emergency you may need both hands free to help an injured partner and leaving your good rifle behind is not an appealing option.
The Beachin Tactical Light retails from $45-55 depending on which options you choose. While that may seem a bit pricey to some, consider the quality, the warranty, and the American made components. This is not a $10 sling from Wallyworld that will need replacing after a couple seasons; it is the last sling you will ever need to buy.
Beachin Tactical slings are available at The Bunker (www.thepreppersbunker.net)
Find Beachin Tactical on Facebook (www.facebook.com/beachintactical)
