DIY P90 Sling Adapter

The biggest milsim event in Finland is coming up again, and just like last year, I'll be part of the HQ staff. If there was a lesson learned from last year, it's that you need very little gear when you're sitting in a tent most of the time. As a result, I thought I'd take my latest project, the P90, with me.

Alas, the gun has no sling point to speak of. After a bit of research, I found some examples of how you can sling the gun. As it happens, I had previously saved some webbing and plastic buckles from a pair of trousers I had to discard. A thought occurred.

These bits would be turned into a sling adapter in what was to become my first tactical gear sewing project. Luckily, we have a sewing machine handy.

The first bit was simple, just sew the female buckle onto the webbing.

Next, I sandwiched the D-ring between the buckle and the two layers of webbing. I would rather have used a plastic D-ring, but this was all I had available (and I was eager to get going).

It took a few tries to get right.

The flip side is not the prettiest, but it works.

The top side looks quite nice for a first ever project.

The next step was to thread the webbing through the hole on the underside of the gun and tighten it so that when the buckle is closed, the webbing is tight.

The loose end could be pushed into the same hole.

It's not exactly Tactical Tailor quality, but it's mine. I'm pretty happy with this little project. With a single point sling, the gun hangs under my arm at exactly the spot where my hand reaches the grip instinctively.

Do you have any sewing projects you've done? Please share in the comments below.

Plates On The Cheap

New plate carrier vests often come with some sort of foam inserts to hold the vest in shape. They're usually not very tough or rigid though, so the illusion of a ceramic plate isn't really there. To fix this, you can always buy ready made dummy plates, but what if you are on a budget? Then this quick guide is just for you.

If you happen to have an IKEA nearby, you can source some plate materials very cheaply. The LEGITIM series cutting board just so happens to have measurements that closely match the Medium SAPI plate (24 x 32 cm for SAPI plate, 24 x 34 cm for the cutting board). The thickness of a single board is about half of a ceramic plate.

The tools you'll need are a saw, a straightedge and a file or some sand paper (possibly glue). If you want to get fancy, a hot air gun or some hot water may also be in order.

To begin, take a straightedge and mark the corners of the board for cutting (the angle is about 45 degrees), or follow the shape of the foam insert that came with your vest.

Next, simply saw off the corners, and finish by either filing or sanding down any rough edges so they don't scratch and tear the inside of your vest.

If you want to get fancy, you can use a hot air gun or some hot water and bend the board to get a curved plate. Use a form, such as a piece of pipe or similar to get a symmetrical shape (I'm doing simple straight ones here).

Glue two boards together for a thicker plate, or put the board in front and the foam insert on the back for a more comfortable wear.

You'll be ready to operate in no time.

Let me know in the comments how yours turned out!

"Lazerrr"

In case you saw my Instagram yesterday, I went to a Hackerspace where my friend is a member and we did some laser cutting. The place is amazing, they have all sorts of machines available to members. I'm definitely joining, because so many things will be easier with proper tools and space!

The quick project I did was cut some Sorbothane pads to use for AOE correction and shock absorption. You may remember from an earlier post how the pads I made by hand looked. If not, here's a refresher.

It's not exactly flattering, but that's what you get. Sorbothane is a pain in the ass to cut, since it is so elastic. The material wants to escape scissor blades and punches, and thus the results are quite crude.

Enter futuristic technology! The laser cutter works on vector drawings and produces results with tolerances down to parts of a millimetre.

On the right-hand screen you can see the simple vector drawing. The left-hand screen shows a live camera feed from the cutter, below. The machine lid is emblazoned with an appropriate warning label. Safety first, after all!

After a few test cuts we had the settings nailed down and could get to work. If you're planning on doing something like this, know that the sorbo creates a bit of smoke when cut and the material melts where the beam cuts it, turning into a sticky goop. Luckily, though, it washes away easily with just plain water.

The end result is from another world when compared to anything I could cut by hand. A 150x150mm sheet of Sorbo that had been used a bit before netted me about 35 pads all ready to use. You could certainly get more if material isn't wasted on testing and cuts that end up not using all available space. Still, compared to buying these one by one, this was brilliant. Plus you can alter the size to taste.

This was a very nice little project and it was easily completed within just a few hours. The resulting pads will last me quite a while.

I hear the laser also cuts acrylics, so I'm already planning on creating some lens covers in the future.

Stay tuned and play safe!