Weapon Tie Downs: Starving The Green Monster (Updated with photos)
Tying down your accessories, like optics, lasers, and lights to your weapons is very important.
Why?
Because when you run around in the woods, shoot your weapon, and do some other wild nonsense in search of the perfect adventure, you are gonna lose your stuff.
I tie down my canteens, compass, GPS, and other various piece of kit I need; Like notebooks. Namely because this is a lot of stuff to keep track off, most of it is camouflaged or subdued, and I don’t have the ability to buy new stuff when I am running around the jungle, woodlands, downtown, or deserts. Our gear is nice, expensive, and you invest a lot of time making sure its working properly and dialed in just right.
Once you get tired enough, you will overlook things you ordinarily would not have; Especially in the dark. Leaving behind the most important gear when you need it most.
During the Carbine shoot last weekend, I met some interesting new folks, saw some old faces, and said goodbye to many cans of beer. But one thing that I noticed is that no-one has any of their weapon accessories tied down, and only a few even asked why I have my stuff tied down.
This is the rifle I was using.
Certainly we can debate which knot to use, and where; But the primary objective is to make sure your stuff doesn’t simply fall off of your weapon. You want to feel the change in balance from it hanging off your weapon. Especially at night.
Allow me to paint a picture for you. As an armorer, I had to tie down and maintain tie downs on all pieces of weapon accessories from $25,000 Thermal Weapon Optics to $250 Surefire lights for nearly 200 Paratroopers. Granted, this is usually performed as a squad level task, but, mistakes would be made regardless of the posted standard. And the Platoon and Company level armorers worked as a team. Even still, despite the proper mounting and torquing of accessories, attachments, and optics; If we engaged in maneuvers for a couple weeks in the woods running around and shooting; Optics, lights and other accessories would disappear off of our weapons.
Eaten alive by the Green Monster.
What are the odds of you losing an accessory off of you weapon after a trip in the woods for a couple weeks? Well that’s actually easier to answer than you think. If 200 Troopers went into the woods for a training exercise, at least one of them would have an optic or accessory fall off. The tie down saved them a great deal of embarrassment, walking hands across the training site for hours, doing pushups, as well as a statement of charges to purchase the lost item.
Tying down your gear is a tedious process, and takes some trial and error. You also don’t want to make the mistake of tying down you gear in a manor that induces a malfunction, limits the operability of the weapon or equipment, and most likely, melts under high round counts or gets snagged during use.
I recommend putting on your favorite album, or favorite “guntuber”, and begin the process of tying down your kit.
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About the Author: Johnny Paratrooper
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loctite is your friend as well, so much is rail mounted with very small set screws etc. allen keys.. I find having a multitude of various sized zip ties is helpful as well some of the loop holes some gear is very small,to small for standard 550 cord and some quality zips can help.in some areas they can be used to create a larger loop hole to secure your 550 cord or shock cord etc.
also they can be easily cut off when needed and replaced.
this another example of why getting out to the range, or class is important, it always exposes your weakness like loose gear, batteries low or dead etc. you wont know when its just sitting in the safe etc..
Zip ties are good stuff. I have Zip Ties holding down the lever locks on my Steiner DBALA3. In fact, I have 3 of them interlocked so it’s never going to fall off. I try to use only military/professional grade gear on my weapons because they are usually designed to be tied down, with very few exceptions. But, if I have seen a piece of gear get put through the business and it passes my “Ok” test then I will invest in it.
FYI, You can drill a hole through many of the Aluminum mounts out there quite easily. It’s not going to damage the optic or compromise the structural integrity of the mount. Many of the mounts are hollow once you remove the base plate however. So you will want to use a fishing line or prep the tie down before you (re)mount the base plate.
I need to do this to some Vortex Spark 2’s I bought. I got a great deal on the Spark 2 and bought 3-4 of them for $125 each. They work great and they take the same battery as most garage door openers and some watches. So they are fairly “EOTWAWKI” proof.
sparc2 is good to go plus life time warranty! thats a good deal!
and as they say gear adrift is a gift, people loose shit even on the outdoor range, i lanyard even my pistol speed loader to my range bag as that is similar to a lighter, people will borrow it and you will never see it again.
YUP. I do the same thing. I wish I had purchased the bright safety yellow mag loaders instead of the black ones. I swore I lost mine once and it was simply in the bottom of my range bag.
If you mean monofilament. Mono rots in the sun or cold. And unless you properly deburred the holes you drilled, mono will cut quite nicely. And mono doesn’t withstand shock loads very well. Better would be braided Dacron. Even better would be metal wire. Although I don’t fancy SS safety wire on aluminum.
I suppose you could drill the hole, fill the hole with JB Weld or plasti-dip, then pop a hole through that to run your string.
This makes perfect sense as I lose stuff not running through the woods. What is the preferred way to rig gear where it doesnt snag? I usually over do tie downs as Im “one is none” in my thought pattern. I understand cording and maybe you can post on how to best secure each piece of kit one may have or an example of such. Do you secure the optic on your rifle? Is a compass in a velcro pouch secure or does it need cording? How about a knife in a sheath, does it need extra cording? Im trying to outthink Murphy.
Tie down things like a compass and a knife to your belt (NOT YOUR BELT LOOP). I recommend about 3-4 feet of cordage and make sure you stuff the line down your pants or in your pocket (Down the pants works better IMHO in most cases). For tying down your optics, I considered posting photos of how I do my downs on all my rifles, but I would need to take like 25 photos. It would be a mess of a post and most people would start talking about weapon selection, reasons for mounting certain ways, and optic choice. I wanted to focus on just tying down the accessories. You may have to get creative, but I assure you it is possible to tie down 95% of your gear without too much headache. It’s not a quick process and you will make mistakes. It takes about 30-45 minutes per weapon to map out the proper routing and tie everything up nicely, neatly, and snuggly.
DO NOT TIE DOWN TO ANYTHING THAT WILL MELT 550 CORD OR INDUCE A MALFUNCTION. Is the best advice.
I would def do a lanyard or cordage to your compass, and even fero rod, there was an episode on ALONE on history channel one competitor was excelling and got very complacent, lost his fero rod, and had to quit the show, if he had tied it up to his pants/belt or around his neck he would have had fire making capabilities in a very damp environment. so imagine any other life saving gear like compass or gps etc..
My mother enjoys watching Alone. I have watched the show with her on occasion.
FFS. If a guy quit the competition because he lost his ferrell it’s because he’s incompetent. Yes, I know, they are 5 out of 5 on a survival risk matrix but really. C’mon.
Be honest, how many have practiced starting a fire using only wet fuel and WITHOUT a ferrell rod? It is immediately possible ya know.
** I was that guy who asked you why you had it tied down. Hahah. Excellent article, as usual, Johnny.
I wasn’t gonna name names. But Perhaps it was 2 or 3 people who asked because I don’t specifically recall your inquiry. Still, It was a great question and it’s important to not lose $500 optics and accessories in the woods. You’ll never find it.
I was told to do this more than once, didn’t listen. Finally learned my lesson on a baofeng. Let me know if find it out there.
Detailed article on how to tie down properly would be great! Knots, locations, etc
The bowline or square knot with lockers is probably best. As far as “where” to mount there are simply far too many different types of optics, mounts, lights, and rails to even begin to scratch the surface of that diamond.
It should take about 30-45 minutes to properly route, tighten, and tie down your gear. It’s a little tedious, but once it’s done; It’s done.
If you aren’t dummy cording key gear items, both on the gun and on your kit, then you’re just wrong.
Correct. Everything needs to be tied down.
I can just picture Scout saying “JP, get than damned rifle painted” … lol
favorite “guntuber” ? Garand Thumb right ? Did I say that out loud ? Blah ……
I tie down everything. Albeit with a bit lighter gauge of cord.
I know one of my rigs does not have the canteens tied. Excellent reminder to double check. Thank you Sir.
I do need to paint my rifle. I want to do a black, brown, and tan tiger stripe. Most of my other rifles are painted.
old school colour scheme, sounds cool !
We should bring back Rhodesian camo for fun :-)
The rifles I have most trouble with tie downs are the prisms. I run em as far back as possible and there’s no way I can think of to tie them without an issue. Can’t tie to buffer tube because of charging handle, can’t run the line forward or it will get caught up in something I’d have to run it so far.
Open to any ideas.
You can tie down to something like this. I did it for one of my other optics of the same shape and mounting position because I had the same problem. The one I used was steel and of a higher quality though. I suggest you look around your local gun shops for a similar product. Mine has a small eyelet loop. I checked for a brand marking, but it must be located on the bottom. I would have removed it and checked but mine is red locktited down.
Tie your scope down using the same wrapping technique you would when wrapping a bow around a birthday present. Make certain it is snug. 550 paracord loosens up when wet.
https://www.amazon.com/Sling-Mount-Adapter-Attachment-Picatinny-Weaver/dp/B08CRC426X/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=rail+sling+adapter&qid=1628385066&refinements=p_72%3A1248957011&rnid=1248955011&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-16
oh that’s a perfect suggestion ! Already have a couple of those in the parts bin.
Appreciate that idea very much. Always pick up something great from your articles.
Thank you.
Look up rail hook adapter @walmart tacfun. Ten pcs. for $20. The allen screws suck, replaced them with some from Mcmaster-carr.
1/8″ drill bits and thin steel cable / crimps + crimping tool are worth while investments. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll use this stuff on all types of projects let alone your rig. It’s like buying a label maker lol
YES!
I wonder if paracord might weaken or melt when the barrel gets hot.
Do any of you infantry gents have opinions on using galvanized 1/16″ aircraft cable (and crimped ferrules) to dummy cord optics/lasers/whatever to a rifle?
That will work just fine. I tie down my gear where it doesn’t melt off. But it is a concern for the lower ASVAB scores. I suppose in many ways your method would be superior.
Kevlar cordage might be be a good option
https://www.survivalresources.com/kevlar-cordage.html
Kevlar doesn’t do well when it’s dirty and wet. Military 550 Cord is the best option.
I used some 9” stainless steel black nylon coated 30# fishing line leaders and snipped off the hardware from each of the two factory looped ends. After feeding one end through an anchor point on the rifle, the other end was passed through the looped end and snugged tight. Then it was passed through the optic and the end was attached to a fastener on the scope ring. The Steiner laser mount has a lanyard loop built in. Another leader was passed through it and then passed through the end loop. Then the leader was passed through the anchor point on the rifle. Because the laser will be removed when not in use, the end loop was secured to the leader with a nite-ize mini locking carabiner. All can be taped down for better control if desired.
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Salt water fishing tackle, stainless woven leader and ferules, swivels, eyes, asst clips… Anything you need, 500 pound test? No problem. Add a little aircraft technique of drilling for well thought out attachment points… High heat and rust resistant and durable. Remember to stain and paint the shiny. Be aware a knife ain’t gonna cut it loose easy so think thru the what it is and where it is of getting it/you loose if needed.
Remembering a passing thought from a while back, bending and mounting a “roll bar” for a critical mounted optic, a quarter inch music wire frame would be easy and cheap insurance mounted right on any available rail space. Thoughts? Weight/value ratio?
I was just thinking about doing this exact thing, great minds think alike!
“Especially in the dark.”
Because you don’t train in the dark.
The same could be said for, ‘especially when you’re tired’, or ‘especially in the rain, or mud, or high wind or scorching sun or…’
Because you don’t train in any of the above.
In lieu, tie it down like a wayward child. Cord does not stay pristine like in the pretty picture at the head of this article. In time, one will cast it off and be glad for it.
BTW: I have long used dental floss as small stuff as binding or lashing. Many a ‘bushcraft’ man has welcomed that idea.
Anyone remember the green “trip wire” we used in the 80’s and early 90’s? It was great for securing pouches to the LBE… Probably work great for optics / lasers on a rifle as the footprint is so small, it wouldn’t melt, and it was already green.
We’d strip the strands out of 550 cord and use the shell only for canteens and anything you used at arms length. The knots in the shell were less apt to come untied when muddy or wet…
Jesus… that was a lifetime ago…
We used a bowline and would loop it back around to create a slip. That wold allow you to remove your canteens for cleaning and refill. I’ll make a post on this ASAP. This article was pretty darn popular. I guess the super cool internet commandos forgot to teach everyone proper PCCs and PCIs 20-30 years ago. Cause only the military guys do this stuff. Somehow it got lost in the square range tacticool consumerism.
American Partisan and Brushbeater are cleaning up a mess of a situation. Tying down your stuff is as equally important as zeroing your rifles or programming your radios and learning antenna theory. It’s just not sexy like Multicam and $3,000 AR’s.
I don’t disagree but two things when comparing what the army does to civilians First most privates would lose their dick if it wasn’t attached. Second the army Aimpoint mount is TERRIBLE, it comes loose if you look at it. Take away these two factors and you get a lot less lost gear.