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Thread: HSGI'S Topher Taco
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1 September 2009, 12:33 #1
HSGI'S Taco Magazine Pouch
After a lengthy discussion with Gene over at High Speed Gear Inc yesterday, we made the determination that I would proceed with my "review" of his new Taco Pouch. All pictures contained here-in are the sole property of urbantacticalgearreview.com and should not be used without expressed written permission by the owner.
There have been several beta testers, and I know at least one of them posts on this board, so Stickman i'd like you to post up in this topic as well.
First a little back ground on the pouch:
One of our (the United States of America) Special Forces guy approached High Speed Gear with a unique, but not uncommon issue. He needed a pouch to carry both M1A magazines as well as m4 magazines. The fast mag just would not fit the M1A .308 sized magazines. So the guys sat down and came up with this pouch. However they took it one step farther. It fits almost every rifle caliber magazine known to man.
To the guys in the field:
Imagine your MBR crapping out on you in the most in-opportune time. Gotta do a battle field pick up? maybe grab some magazines off a dead haji? this pouch would fit your bill. remove your MBR magazines, put em in your third line (or drop them) and insert new battlefield pickup magazines. that simple.Last edited by Urban Tactical Gear; 1 September 2009 at 13:01.
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1 September 2009, 12:34 #2
This is the new HSGI Taco Pouch. I lovingly refer to it as Topher's Taco.
The Taco Pouch is basically a piece of double layer codura folded in half with kydex riveted onto it. It uses three methods of retention. The first line of retention relies on shock cord, which is woven in between the pals channels on the front and back of the pouch. The second level of retention is hook and loop on the interior of the pouch. It is to be used with a 1" square mounted on your magazine. The third, should you desire it, is bungee pull tabs that go over the magazine. While not a stock option, they can be readily added, as the loops are sewn into every model.
The rivets are kydex as well, and are secured on the bottom of the pouch, where a drain hole would normally go. This pouch does not have a drain hole due specifically to the design of the pouch.
While the sides are constructed out of kydex, and firmly held in place by the shock cord, you will notice some space in between the front, back, and sides depending on what type of magazine you use. the thicker the magazine, the wider the gap. This directly relates to why there is not a drain hole. as gene put it last night, easy in, easy out.
As you all have read in the past, i'm always looking for a good alternative magazine pouch for AK magazines, as that is what i currently run. My favorites are the DBT short m4 pouches, which i've yet to find a flaw with. The Taco pouch is a direct competitor to that pouch. The size of the pouch is almost the same size as the dbt pouches, and are well suited for 20 round ak magazines.
There are a few things that bother me about this pouch.
1) first and foremost being the shock cord retention being the way that this pouch is held together. It's not the tolerances at which the cord is manufactored. The breaking strength of shock cord exceeds 4000 lbs. My concern was what happens when it encounters a sharp edge (broken glass, razor wire, etc). After i got to thinking about it, most everyone packs at least a little paracord with them, or can take some shoe laces off the enemy to repair it with. just tie it off until you can get back to base and properly repair it.
2) Being a couch commando i can and will bitch about the aesthetics of this pouch. it's down right friggin ugly.
3) not every magazine is the same size. whether they are wider or taller. at some point you will have to adjust the length of the shock cord. if you need to really cinch it down, it's not easily done. the shock cord's ending point is on the back of the pouch, under the malice clips. so you can just grab a hold of them and yank.
4) because of the shock cord terminating behind the malice clips, it does push downward on the clips. on both the pouches i received for this testing, where the malice clip folds over it is putting a bit more stress on the pals webbing, and in turn the stitching holding on. I have yet to have a failure with it (there again i'm not out jumping over walls or low crawling every day), but should that failure occur, that isn't something that is easily repaired.
To the shock cord issue, I've suggested maybe including those cord thingies that are on the UMMPS, and installing them on when your weaving the cord upwards after the first pals channel from the bottom, on the front. then when you bring the shock cord back down run it back through the do-dads. making cinching it down a little easier.
I'm hoping stickman will chime in here, as he has had a chance to see them as well
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1 September 2009, 12:41 #3Member
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Good to finally see them. I was talking w/ Gene a couple weeks ago and I couldn't completely understand what he was describing. It makes a lot more sense w/ pictures.
-BC
"I would never have a 7.62 as my primary home defense weapon. I mean by all means if I'm cleaning a 7.62 and some d-bag busts down my door I'll give him a bad day"
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1 September 2009, 21:56 #4
How about video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DzgIUDnd3k
CXS
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2 September 2009, 04:13 #5
I'm not big on the flimsy appearance of them--makes it seem like it would be troubling to get a mag back into them in a hurry since they lack a fixed shape at the opening. I am not big on mag pouches that fold easy or crush if laid on and then do not open back up for a reliable form. The shaking in this video is good to see, but I am not big on having too many pieces of gear that have that much play on the MOLLE. ---that's just me, but I am sure its a nice product.
- Federalist22
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2 September 2009, 06:59 #6
The Taco is FAR from Flimsy, Being 1 Layer of Balistic Nylon Sandwiched between 2 layers of 1000d Cordura.
I have Successfully reinserted M4 and AK74 Magazines one handed easily. AK47 Magazines are also easly inserted once you get the technique down.
Another Tester on this board who has been running AR Series Magazines exclusivly has been reinserting mags ease.
This pouch has NO play on the PALS webbing. I'm not quite sure what movement you are seeing in the video... It might be the Cummerbund Flap Not 100% secure on the Plate carrier.
CXS
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2 September 2009, 07:17 #7
i think he's talking about the pull on the webbing that i showed. I got around to mounting these last night. jfc they are a pain. On one of them i ended up having to start the weaving, and ending it on the front of the pouch. i just couldn't get the malice clips up over the shock cord with it started on the back. i'm thinking i actually like it better this way, as it makes adjustment a lot easier. i'll post pics in a bit.
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2 September 2009, 07:34 #8
Not flimsy. I just got mine so I haven't had a whole lot of time on them, but they are more stout than you would think from looking at them. As a comparison they are more rigid than the TT shingles I've got and it is not hard to put mags back in.
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2 September 2009, 07:49 #9Member
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Video is nice CXS, I'm definately going to have to pick up a couple just because of the versatility of the system.
-BC
"I would never have a 7.62 as my primary home defense weapon. I mean by all means if I'm cleaning a 7.62 and some d-bag busts down my door I'll give him a bad day"
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2 September 2009, 07:56 #10
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2 September 2009, 08:33 #11
all i did was reverse it from back to front:
on the eagle plate carrier w/cummerbund, if mounting on the cummerbund itself, it should be mounted on the second row of webbing, not the top. makes the magazine ride to high, in turn making the draw difficultLast edited by Urban Tactical Gear; 2 September 2009 at 08:46.
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2 September 2009, 10:49 #12I'm not big on the flimsy appearance of them--makes it seem like it
would be troubling to get a mag back into them in a hurry since they lack a
fixed shape at the opening.
shape and mag insertion is a breeze after about the third attempt. ( It
took me three tries before I found the fastest method of insertion )
I have been conducting my own evaluation for the past week using solely AR
pattern magazines ( standard USGI, Magpul PMAG's, Tango Down ARC mags,
etc.. ). Just as soon as I complete my evaluation, I will be sure to post my
thoughts along with pictures.
In the interim, let me say that these pouches are easily the most functional
pouches I have handled to date. My method of adjustment affords me to the
ability to run them completely open-top with no retention strap for easy
extraction. All the mags I have tested stay firmly seated in their respective
pouches regardless what I expose them to ( jumping, diving, rolling, etc... ).
Yet extraction is smooth and simple.
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2 September 2009, 11:33 #13
Jason, I don't know about you but to me the easiest way seems to be cornering them in and then sliding/rotating them to alignment and then pushing down.
I haven't been running mine with retention tabs either.
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2 September 2009, 12:06 #14Jason, I don't know about you but to me the easiest way seems to be cornering them in and then sliding/rotating them to alignment and then pushing down.
I take the front corner of the mag and begin insertion. Once the front corner is
entering the pouch top, I level the mag out and push straight down. Works
every time and is lightning fast.
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2 September 2009, 12:26 #15
that's how i've been doing it as well.