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Posted: 10/8/2015 1:07:47 PM EDT
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I took several courses, and shot thousands of rounds this year, and continued to develop a system of ready mag carry that actually works. I wanted to share some thoughts on this with you guys. I have seen all manner of load bearing equipment come through the classes. Some worked, kinda, some were a PITA, some were a failure. This is one man's opinion, "A" way, not "THE" way.
What I wanted was: 1) something quick to reload from 2) something quick to "plus up" from 3) good retention 4) good protection Now, most any good pouch can meet 1)- sort of. There are some better than others, some a lot better than others, but in general, damn near anything works, especially if you "prep" a pouch or two. But what about 2)? How many pouches are quick to reload? Very few (nylon pouches) can be reloaded, one-handed, when you are holding your rifle with the other hand. Or should I say easily reloaded. OK, 3) is pretty much a given, although retention and quick access are often diametrically opposed. And finally, 4), which depends on your terrain and situation but is desirable. But not at the cost of quick access. What this pushed me towards was an open top mag pouch with a shock cord pull tab. However, the pull tab got in the way of 2). So I took them off. Now 3) sucks, so I added kydex inserts. OK, now I have 1), 2), 3), and some 4). Now some would say, hey, just get a kydex mag pouch for cryin' out loud. Yeah I guess you could, but I wanted to stay with cordura, and add kydex as an insert. Why? Because for me that's what works the best, all-around, and I have industrial sewing machines. So where does that leave us. I think the closest thing to my ideal on the market right now would be HSGI Tacos. There are things I don't like, such as the dependence on shock cord, and the price point, but overall, it gives you the best package, IMHO of anything on the market, right now. A close second would be AWS, Inc's "Universal" mag pouch system, which is a similar design, with no kydex. But the price point and performance are good. A distant third would be Eagle "FB" pouches which I don't even know if they're available anymore. Just some things to consider. When you're doing your dry fire drills, see how easy it is to access your ready mags, from each position. Then, see how easy it is to "plus up" the pouches, especially after a "tac" reload. Add in some movement. Everything still work? GTG. If not, something to consider. |
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I concur with your conclusions. My gear isn't set up the way I want it to be currently, but after I get out of the Marines I plan on using single stack mag pouches with a flap on the front of my chest rig or plate carrier, with a belt mounted hsgi taco for my speed reload pouch. As I use the taco pouch, I refill it with the hardest to reach magazine on my body. |
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I kind of came to the same conclusion. I don't think my thought process was as thorough as yours.
I wanted good retention, but mostly something that was widely compatible with multiple platforms because I commonly use both AKs and ARs. Tacos serve that need, and I would certainly recommend them to most people, although I might move away from them next year. When I first bought them (and they are very expensive) I didn't really understand that the shock cord can wear out and render the pouch essentially useless. Even though I'm sure that takes a lot of use which I'm nowhere close to now, that kind of rubs me the wrong way due to the cost. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but especially where I switch between relatively thin AR mags and relatively thick AK47 and AK74 mags, I can imagine this type of use reducing the useful life somewhat quickly. I'd rather have something that might be slightly slower but be stable for a lifetime of use. |
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Yeah, as Heinlein sez: "TNSTAAFL". There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. The Tacos are really good, but the shock cord can let you down, and the price, well, is the price. You can buy additional shock cord on line pretty easily, so I would recommend getting a few yards and then "re-furbing" your pouches as required. Whether or not you think it's worth it, up to you.
But in all fairness, ANYTHING with shock cord, or elastic is gonna eventually wear out, that's why I prefer shock cord over elastic on pouches, because it's adjustable, AND replaceable. So yeah, you're bumping into a sustainability issue here, but yeah, I also hear ya on the shcok cord thing. I just don't like trusting it THAT much. I would prefer an enclosed, cordura pouch, that has kydex and shock cord added in, but would work without either in a pinch. That's funny, yeah maybe I do over-think this stuff too much, but hey, that's what I do. I can't help but notice all these set ups I see guys bring to class, and then struggle with. So I think SOME thought is necessary, to get your kit sorted out, and let you do mag changes without a lot of drama. What you're issued is what you're issued. But one of the benefits of getting out is you can now improve upon those things. At least you have a good idea of what works and what doesn't for ya. I too have gone to single mag pouches these days. The speed of mag changes (and plus-ups) is just no contest. Back in my day we worked out of those 3-mag ALICE pouches. Man, things have progressed since then. Electricity and flush toilets too. Wahoo! |
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