Push-Button "QD" Swivel Mounts
for an AR-15 Rifle

I have some rifle slings that use the push-button-style quick-disconnect mechanism, where small steel balls captured in cylinders at the swivel points engage grooves inside receiving, mount-point sockets. Lots of after-market AR butt-stocks incorporate, or support as an option, these QD sockets. And, there are umpteen gee-gaws that, say, bolt onto a front sight post, or clamp onto a Picatinney rail, to provide attachment points (sockets) at the front of the rifles. But, I had been unable to find a "clean-looking" way to convert a fairly standard, unadorned AR to use the PB-QD slings.

Until I came across this product:

The ACE UMPB-ARS is a simple little piece of machined steel that replaces the standard sling loop on the bottom of an AR-15 A1 or A2 butt-stock with a similar attachment point for a PB-QD swivel. There are just two pieces; the mount itself and a screw. The UMPB-ARS can be purchased for ten bucks directly from ACE Ltd, or from several on-line retailers. I acquired a couple to use on my AR-15.

Replacement of the A1/A2 sling loop is trivial. Except ... I use a CAR-style, collapsing butt-stock. OK, still no big deal.

CAR-style stocks are set up to accept the standard sling loop. However, the bottom tip of the plastic stock protrudes down far enough that there's interference with the ACE QD socket. So, a bit of relieving (with a Dremel® tool) is required.

Here's the rear mount-point installed:

The front took a little more effort. I drilled out the rivet holding the front sling loop to the bottom of the front-sight post, and removed the loop. I measured the space between the ears in which the rivet was anchored, and used a Dremel® tool with a cut-off wheel to cut down the second UMPB-ARS, as shown in the two photos, below. Quite a bit was cut from the top, and a little was relieved along the rear edge.

When I got it so that it nicely fit up into the available space, I marked a side of it through a rivet hole, used a punch to make a starting dimple, and drilled a 1/8" hole through the UMPB-ARS' tab.

I touched up all of the bare metal surfaces with a Birchwood Casey® Presto® Gun Blue pen, following the directions thereon. Then, just for giggles, I put a layer of black Plasti Dip® coating on the top and rear edges (that I had ground with the Dremel® tool). I sprayed a splotch of aerosol Plasti Dip® onto a piece of paper, and then used a toothpick to apply the coating to the metal surfaces.

I slid the modified UMPB-ARS up between the mounting ears of the sight post, filled in the space on either side with #6 stainless-steel split lock-washers, and fastened them all in place with a 1/8" steel roll pin. (I didn't have any AR swivel rivets handy -- when I get around to ordering some, I'll probaly replace the roll-pin with a rivet.)

Here's the front result:

Now my AR-15 is all set to use slings with push-button QD connection points (and it's completely ambidextrous, too!).