Thursday, March 06, 2014

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.

9 comments:

  1. Oh, and here's a question for you: do you prefer snap or velcro closures on stuff like this? I would think snaps would be quieter, but I have no real-life experience. Does it even make a difference for a bug-out?

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    1. I can go either way. I just want my stuff secure and I do think that snaps will generally function longer but I do use both. As for noise, I don't think it's an issue. If I'm opening one, it's probably because I've already emptied a magazine and need another one. That would suggest that it's already gotten pretty noisy and the need for stealth is gone.

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  2. Getting ready to take a little pleasure trip to the Crimea?

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    1. These days, I'm more worried that the Crimea is likely to come to us, courtesy of our Imperious Leader.

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    2. Good point. I suspect that more than one of us who visits the Lair will be adequately prepared, though.

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    3. Come the bad times, you and Pepper and the dogs are more than welcome here. Bring beignets and Hurricane mix!

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  3. To address Scott's question, above -- snaps are quieter, but less secure, more prone to breakage, more prone to jamming, and more prone to not closing securely when you pull a mag and want to make sure the other one(s) in that cell don't fall out.

    As for Velcro noise, as Our Host says, it's a reload -- chances are the Bad Guys have a pretty fair idea where you are, especially if you've just emptied a 30 round AR mag at them. Velcro noise is a legitimate concern for OTHER closures, such as pockets and GP pouches, where you might be retrieving items while still hiding, but not so much for reloading.

    Murphy's Law -- one combo I've found really convienient is a SAW pouch MOLLE'd to a GP ouch about the same size that has D rings for a shoulder strap. You can load extra stuff that might come in handy in the GP pouch, like medical supplies, flashlight, etc. (One USMC-surplus SAW pouch I really like has more MOLLE webbing on theh front and sides, which allowed me to add a pistol holster and spare mags to the front, a GI Otis "Skoal can" cleaning kit to one side, a blowout kit in a single cell M16 mag pouch on the other, and run D-rings for a shoulder strap right off the side MOLLE webbing. Small knife and mini LED flashlight strapped to shoulder straps, botgh lanyarded. One stop shopping for things that go bump in the night, or if you manage to fend off an initial home invasion attempt, but have to pull security in place while waiting for the cops to show up.)

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  4. Hey Murphy;

    I need to upgrade my ammo carriers, I still have my "old" LCE web gear from the Gulf war(The first one) And it did well back then. But I have gained some inches on my waist and it isn't a viable option anymore.
    I will look on Amazon and Ebay for some replacements, I really didn't think about an extra bag for my ammo.
    Geodkyt,
    If you would be so kind, could you include a pic or a link for a pic?

    I thank you for your time

    "MrG"

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  5. Anonymous10:00 PM

    I am working on my inventory of magazine carriers

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