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  1. #1
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    Retaining Magazines

    I got a TAG Marine Gladiator chest rig, and have been using it for a little over a month now. I've taken it to the range a few times and have been happy with it.

    The problem I have, though, is magazine retention. The vest came with bungees, but I took them off because they were *really* stiff, and I couldn't put a magazine back into the rig very reliably with only one hand. Just slowed the process down too much for my tastes.

    The issue is, these pouches, while advertised as single mag pouches, can easily fit 2 magazines... not a bad thing, if you needed to have extra ammo.... but without bungees they are extremely loose.

    Does anyone have any tips for retaining the magazines better without reverting to the bungees?

  2. #2
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    I have some kydex inserts from SKD in my single mag pouches, but I'm not sure how well they'd work if your pouches are big enough to squeeze two mags in... might be worth a try though. They've worked with every mag I've tried (PMag, EMag, Troy, Lancer, GI) and hold the mags fine without the bungees.

  3. #3
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    Well something to consider. When the magazines are full they should be in your pouch ... if they are empty or partial they should be somewhere else.. like a drop pouch. That way you always know you have full Mags in your pouches.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Optimus Prime View Post
    I have some kydex inserts from SKD in my single mag pouches, but I'm not sure how well they'd work if your pouches are big enough to squeeze two mags in... might be worth a try though. They've worked with every mag I've tried (PMag, EMag, Troy, Lancer, GI) and hold the mags fine without the bungees.
    I looked into these briefly, but was concerned they may cause me more problems than they are worth... since I am not using an Esstac chest rig with the loops on the interior of the pouches, I am worried they might come out of the pouch with the magazine.


    On the topic of dump pouches... I tried one briefly on my makeshift war belt, and absolutely hated it. I don't like stuff that "hangs" or "dangles"...

  5. #5
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    Empty magazines have no place being stored in the same place as full mags.

  6. #6
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    Several people seem to be assuming that the magazines he's moving around his pouches are empty. Proper ammunition maintenance calls for shifting magazines from harder to reach places like the far right side of the chest (for right handed shooters) to wherever the first place you reach for a magazine is, be it on your chest, belt, or even on your weapon if you have a Redi-mag. Despite really not liking drop pouches, I still use one about half the time because they seem the easiest way to make sure you get to use every round you brought with you. However, as more experienced heads have pointed out, the drop pouch is not to be used directly as an ammo source except as very last resort or you'll be coming up twinkies. I crossload and backfill from the drop pouch whenever I can have both hands free.

    As far as your original question, I think lining the pouch with a rougher material like sisal or something that's grippier on the mag like neoprene will help retain them without the bungees. I have a friend who gave the inside of his open top pouches a brief squirt of spray-on bedliner and he hasn't lost a mag since. Word of caution: use some sort of spacer if you go with the bedliner or you may permanently glue your pouch shut.

  7. #7
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    I'm with the OP that there is some added utility of being able to shuffle magazines as needed (if you have to do one slide lock reload, but would like to relocate magazines to where that easiest to grab slot has a magazine again).

    If you find that three more magazines of weight isn't really worth it to you, then the kydex inserts like the KYWI or similar really are worth a look.
    Last edited by TehLlama; 13 March 2012 at 22:25.
    S/F
    "There is no greater calling than to defend the life of a fellow Marine" - LtCol McClane, USMC

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Talon Defense View Post
    Empty magazines have no place being stored in the same place as full mags.
    With the old deuce gear, Marines were told put loaded mags in the pouches "brass to the grass". Then when they replace them empty in the pouch, they were inserted feed lips up so the soldier could tell by feel which were loaded and which were empty.

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