Prepping--Mag Pouches

One thing that I've been working on while sitting here at home has been updating and upgrading certain weapon systems to ensure that they're actually able to be used effectively should that day ever come when they're needed. (And the way that Obama and his sycophants are running our country and it's economy into the ground, that day may arrive sooner than many people think.)

As part of that program, I've been making sure that I have the needed tools and spare parts to keep certain weapons operational, and that includes making sure that each weapon that uses detachable magazines has enough magazines and carriers for those magazines. In an emergency, anyone can grab a loaded firearm and rush to the sound of the breaking glass, or bug out quickly should the situation require it. But if the only ammunition for that firearm are the rounds in the magazine that's in it, well you're not going to be effective for long should you have to play defense, or, God forbid, go on the offense.

For rifle magazines, I'm pretty much set. I've got more than enough for every rifle that I might ever need to press into service, but a review of my gear showed that I was kind of lacking when it came to modern magazine carriers for some of them. Sure, I've got some ancient ALICE gear that holds plenty of M-16 and M-14 mag pouches, but honestly this heavy, noisy and rather inflexible gear isn't what I'd want to use in the 21st century, especially not if given a chance to get better stuff. So I've been looking into more modern replacement gear, and I figure that I might as well share the fruits of my search with you folks here.

One mag carrier that I thought might make for a good "grab and go" bug-out carrier was this MOLLE-style 6 Magazine Bandoleer that the seller swore was new military surplus. It was $11.00 through Amazon and it even has an NSN stock number.

It seemed pretty well-made when I got it, has an adjustable shoulder strap and MOLLE attachment points, and it holds six magazines, two to a pocket, each with a snap closure. but you know what it doesn't do? It doesn't hold two PMAGs in each pouch. It's too tight for PMAGs, which I now use, so it's useless to me for that. If you still use standard mil-spec AR/M-16 magazines, you'll likely love this carrier. But if you use PMAGs, don't bother. I could have sent it back but I decided that I like it enough to keep it and re-purpose it for carrying Mini-14 magazines. It's currently loaded down with six of those and stacked next to my gun safe.

Also available on Amazon, this Galati Gear 8 Pocket Shoulder Magazine Pouch that holds eight SMG-type magazines, each in it's own pocket, four pockets to a side.

This one I like. It's rugged but not too heavy, has an adjustable shoulder strap and some solid fittings, and it actually was made for straight-walled magazines, not the curved MP-5 type that most people seem to make pouches for these days despite the fact that those of us with slightly more archaic weapons are in the majority.

Again, this one is perfect for those "grab and go" situations where you need to snatch something and beat it out the door. If you have an Uzi, an MP-40, a Thompson or any of the S&W M-76 variants out there, this is a great pouch to pick up. It sure beats trying to jam extra magazines into your pocket come the moment when you realize that you actually need that SMG for something besides range play.

Oh--and it's also a handy carrier for range play dates.

For pistol mags, $12.00 to MidwayUSA gets you this rugged 6 Magazine Pouch Double Stack Pistol carrier that has an adjustable shoulder strap, a fold-over flap and MOLLE attachment points.

It's pretty heavy nylon and you can't beat it for the price. I've got a few of these now because they're just so handy for keeping various magazines segregated. I mean, who among us has not gone to the range at least once and brought either the wrong magazine for your pistol or no magazine at all?

I'll review more gear as I get stuff in, and if you've got some suggestions for carrier set-ups for AR-15 and M-14 rifle mags, I'll gladly take a look.

And just to be clear, no one is paying me for these reviews and I've bought this stuff out of my own pocket. However, if someone wants to send me stuff to review, I've no problem with looking it over and giving it my honest opinion.