Throwback Thursday: The Quick Draw from Sling Carry

posted on May 21, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
quick-draw.jpg

Here is a lesson still relevant today from the “connoisseur of close combat” Lt. Col. Rex Applegate on how to get a rifle or carbine into action quickly from our April 1945 issue. When not going on commando raids or writing for Rifleman during the war, Lt. Col. Applegate was instructing Office of Strategic Services agents in close combat and gunfighting.

From the April 1945 issue of American Rifleman
“Quick Draw” from the Sling Carry for Soldiers … and Hunters
By Lt. Col. Rex Applegate


Many times a soldier or hunter has been unable to get a shot at a target of opportunity because he was unable to get his weapon into action in time from the sling-carry position on his shoulder.

The method shown here is a simple, easily learned sling carry for use in combat and hunting. It has the following advantages:

(1) The muzzle of the piece is down, consequently rain, snow, and other types of foreign matter are prevented from entering the bore.
(2) The muzzle of the piece does not stick above shoulder and it is easier for the carrier to make his way through dense undergrowth without having the rifle barrel catch on branches, etc.
(3) The rifle carried in this manner conforms to the shape of the body and can be carried with more comfort than in the usual sling-carry position.
(4) After a short period of practice the average individual can take a slung weapon from this position and bring it into action for a shot faster and more accurately than the ordinary man can draw a pistol or revolver from his holster and fire it.
(5) It provides on alternate to the customary sling-carrying position when the shoulder tires.

Latest

Gotw Rra Lar 22 Tactical Carbine Web
Gotw Rra Lar 22 Tactical Carbine Web

Gun Of The Week: Rock River Arms LAR-22 Tactical Carbine

This week, we're on the range with the Rock River Arms LAR-22 Tactical Carbine, a rimfire variant of the AR-15 that's designed for reliability and gives enthusiasts a way to shoot affordably.

The Armed Citizen® July 11, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Japanese Last-Ditch Small Arms Of World War II

The crude assortment of fighting tools used by the Japanese during World War II give clues of an unprepared and unmatched last-ditch fight that ultimately lead to Allied victory.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors.

2025 Optic Of The Year: Burris Eliminator 6

Even as new generation after new generation of Burris Eliminator continued to add more advanced technology and functionality, it remained odd-looking—until the launch of this year’s sixth-generation product, which is the first in the line that can mount atop a rifle using standard 34 mm scope rings.

I Have This Old Gun: Star Model B

Of the many Spanish-made firearms to emerge throughout the 19th and 20th century, one of the most recognizable is the Star Model B, largely due to its similarity to the Colt Model 1911.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.