A Custom Sling for the Kel-Tec SU-16 Rifle
After scouring the web (unsuccessfully) for a good way to mount a sling on my Kel-Tec SU-16 rifle, I decided to wing it. Kel-Tec has been promising a custom sling since this spring, but hasn't posted one as of the time of this article.
I have been a fan of the M-16 AR-15 style rifles ever since my days in the Army. The Kel-Tec SU-16 fills the bill. It's always a hit at the range. It has never failed to draw a crowd, especially in the bipod position for bench firing. As with most AR-15 rifles the barrel jumps up and right after each round. Without hand guards to hold onto, reacquiring the target became tedious. It doesn't do much good to have a semi-automatic rifle when one can't brace for recoil! For shooting and carrying, this rifle needs a sling.
I went for the least expensive solution but I wanted the sling to be mounted securely. I wanted the sling to brace the weapon for both bench firing and to wrap my arm around for standing position firing and hunting. Scouring the local sporting goods stores, I finally found the right parts to use in this solution to the problem. While firing from the bench rest, I can now hold the sling between the bipod. When in the standing position, the sling keeps the weapon steady and tight against my shoulder. The added contact point of the sling really improves accuracy. If you're Army trained, you know what I mean.
It's necessary to have certain measurements to select the right parts. I took the SU-16 owner's manual with me. First, I chose "Uncle Mike's" model # QD-115-CFL sling mount package for Magnum Bands. The SU-16 barrel is tapered from 5/8" to 3/4" from muzzle to hand guards. The package contains a split band that mounts snugly on the barrel and can be slid up or down before tightening the set screw to secure it in place.
I mounted the band about 3" in front of the hand guards. That gave the hand guards room to swing into bipod configuration and still allowed the stock to lock into place when folded.
Here's a shot of the SU-16 in bench firing position. Sweet, huh?
I used one of the bolts that holds the stock
together to find the butt stock mounting assembly.
Uncle Mike's model #
QD-115 MCS has one that fits just right.
The sling swivel is mounted at the base of the hand grip. It's on the left side because the bolt handle is on the right. Drilling a hole in the bottom of the stock isn't an option here. It's hollow and is designed to hold either two 10-round factory magazines or one 30-round mag.
The two kits and sling cost about $34, but the results are well worth it. The SU-16 can easily be restored to factory configuration too! There were a lot of spare pars though! If Kel-Tec can't come up with a good sling, maybe Uncle Mike should make a kit for this rifle... Until then, This is probably the best solution you're going to find.
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