There are distinct advantages to both single and 2 point slings. Thankfully, devices like the Blue Force gear Burnsed Socket let you choose which is best for your specific set of circumstances on the fly.
Overview
Blue Force Gear (BFG) designed the Burnsed Socket in 2005 to be part of the SOC-C sling system. The SOC-C is an expansive sling system that can be configured as a 1, 2, or 3 point sling. Now the Burnsed Socket is available as a stand-alone item.
The Burnsed Socket is made from hard anodized aluminum and weighs only 13 grams. It has a QD sling swivel socket (not rotation limited) and a channel that allows it to be placed on either 1” or 1.25” slings. It available in either black or coyote brown hard anodized finishes.
To use the Burnsed Socket, the user simply threads it onto their sling near the rear attachment point. The front sling attachment point must utilize a QD sling swivel like the previously reviewed Blue Force Gear RED. It rides at the rear, basically unnoticed, until the user needs to convert their sling into a single point. When the user needs to convert the sling, they simply release the QD sling swivel at their front attachment point and then reconnect the swivel to the Burnsed Socket. It is quick and easy.
Observations from Use
The Burnsed Socket can slide freely when installed on the sling. I like to install it between the 2 tri-glides that most slings provide at the rear attachment point to limit its movement.
After some trial and error, I found that it is easy to use if you install it with the socket facing in rather than out on your sling. This places the socket at an angle that is very easy to work with when you need to convert the sling.
Nearly every one of my slings is set up with a Burnsed Socket or something that offers similar functionality now. I store them in 2 point configuration and carry them in 2 point configuration but will usually switch to single point configuration when I am shooting. I have come to appreciate the way single point slings stay completely out of the way of the magwell, the easy transitions from shoulder to shoulder, the way they need less adjustment to account for different shooting positions, and how they work better with armor.
There is no downside to the socket being non-rotation limited for the way that I use the Burnsed Socket. The sling is always in 2 point configuration when I don and doff the carbine. Once I transition to single point configuration, the sling can’t really twist because it is being worn.
Wrap Up
The Burnsed Socket successfully allows you to convert your sling from a 2 point to a single point sling on the fly. It is lightweight and it stays out of your way when you aren’t using it. It offers functionality that I use and appreciate. Check it out the Burnsed Socket at BlueForceGear.com.
Disclosure: Blue Force Gear advertises on this site and they provided the Burnsed Socket for review, free of charge.
