Multiple mag carriers ... opinions wanted!

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bigfatdave

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I am seeking opinions on this magazine carrier from Tucker Gunleather:
rlcompanyusa_2097_25223088

Link to Tucker's store

I've been looking for a double mag carrier for a while, to balance out the weight of carrying a steel 1911 IWB with a superb CrossBreed holster.

CrossBreed and Kholster promise new IWB mag carriers designs in the near future, Neither is willing to slap some magazine pouches on their existing backings.
Tucker has this now (but with a long lead time ... 3 months)
I'm hoping someone has one of these and could post a mini-review, or perhaps someone knows of a comparable model.

I'm looking for IWB, bodyshield, 2 (or more) magazines, and it needs to fit Officer's size 1911 mags with some retention.
I have Velcro-closure carriers covered with tool/knife pouches, and I have a Fobus OWB model that I'm already annoyed with after using it for about a week of packing.
Perfect draw angle is less important than comfort, stability and concealment, this is as much for weight as anything.
I intend to hang it from a BeltMan 1.5" belt (and the equivalent CrossBreed model, I have both) and being able to get a carrier on & off without taking the belt completely off would be a great relief.

Thanks in advance!

As a bonus and a way to keep this thread at the top, I'll toss in (FOR DISCUSSION ONLY!) this thing Tucker is also selling ... a magazine of magazines!
http://rlcompanyusa.stores.yahoo.net/slradimagca.html
rlcompanyusa_2095_5671412
rlcompanyusa_2096_8354523

For the same price, I'm half tempted to get this and have 7+1 in the gun and 7x7 in the mag carrier ... for 57 rounds on my person!
OK, I'm not quite that hardcore ... but having the fresh mags in the same spot for seven reloads is pretty cool.
 
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I just got my Supertuck, and I don't feel the need to get IWB mag carriers. To begin with, they are rare to find at all, as I'm sure you are experiencing. It's not as hard to keep them invisible because they don't drop as far past the beltline as a muzzle would. Also, I'm not aware of anywhere that it's against the law to flash magazines.

I'm looking at a paddle carrier that holds one mag and a flashlight.

You do what you want man, but if it was ME, and I thought I needed that many mags and rounds to do the job, I wouldn't use a handgun at all. And if you really want more rounds THAT badly, you might consider a different setup. A Glock 17 plus two mags is 52 rounds. Just sayin'.
 
mljdeckard, weight matters more, and I want something that doesn't stick out and snag on crap the way an OWB does.
And when Block makes a gun designed for a human hand I might look into their designs, until then I'm sticking with my PPS and 1911.
 
How about Mitch Rosen's double mag pouch? It's not IWB but with 1911 mags it damned sure won't stick out and snag on stuff.

Fist makes something comparable in appearance for less money.
 
This.... makes me glad I have a hi-cap 9.

On the other hand, maybe I want to have 7 x 19 + 20 in the gun, if every bullet has a lawyer attached to it, thats like slinging around the entire law firm :)

Terrible idea in my opinion.

1911 is a low cap gun. If you feel the need for that many rounds, you are going against the 1911 philosophy of only needing a few rounds, and should be considering a different gun in my opinion.

Carrying around a chest freezer on your hip full of mags I dont think I can reccommend.
 
Guys, I think that Dave was kidding about the mag of mags.

For the range it would be handy, though. And in Basra ;)
 
There's more reasons to carry spare mags than capacity, the magazine is the weakest link in any semi-auto, it makes sense to carry a spare for that reason alone.

I don't what kind of opinions the OP is looking for, I think it looks nice and should work. Personally, I don't like IWB carry so it doesn't appeal to me. Also, a good gunbelt will help with that off-balance feeling.
 
The Tucker timeline is not really too unreasonable. Tucker has a very good reputation for product quality and customer service. I would think you would be happy with their mag pouch.

There are a couple of others I know of, but I would expect them to at least take as long as Tucker to deliver.

Horseshoe Leather
http://www.holsters.org/iwb-mags.htm

Milt Sparks
http://www.miltsparks.com/

Andrews leather has a single
http://www.andrewsleather.com/

For kydex, you could get a Raven Concealment and order their IWB attachment. They even have a 4-pack carrier. No sweat shield though.
http://www.themalabarfront.com/index.php?cPath=82_105_88
 
I just got my dbl mag holder (not IWB though) and a belt from www.HBELeatherworks.com

Eric made both to my specs and it turned out sweet! Wait time was only a month.

I am not sure if he offers a IWB on his website, but I bet if you call him (very pleasant to speak with!) you could describe your wants and he could make it for you.

He did a special holster for me and it turned out exactly like I wanted!
 
Guys, I think that Dave was kidding about the mag of mags.
Click to expand...
Yes, mostly joking about the magazine of magazines!
Unless someone wants to buy me one, I'll gladly post a detailed review with lots of pictures if someone wants to supply the SLMC for my amusement.

1911 is a low cap gun. If you feel the need for that many rounds, you are going against the 1911 philosophy of only needing a few rounds, and should be considering a different gun in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I don't think two reloads are excessive, and if you had actually read my OP, you probably would have noticed that I'm as interested in balance as I am in capacity.
I've been packing lo-cap for a while, I don't feel the need for unlimited ammo everywhere I go, but I DO feel the need for a reload in a magazine-fed gun, because the mag or ammo are the most common failure point.

There's more reasons to carry spare mags than capacity, the magazine is the weakest link in any semi-auto, it makes sense to carry a spare for that reason alone.
I don't what kind of opinions the OP is looking for, I think it looks nice and should work. Personally, I don't like IWB carry so it doesn't appeal to me. Also, a good gunbelt will help with that off-balance feeling.
Click to expand...
Ideally, someone who owns one who actually uses it.
I'm pretty happy with my BeltMan belt, at this point I could upgrade to horsehide or add an internal stiffener to a new belt, and next time I order a new belt I probably will ... but this isn't an issue of someone wearing a Wal-Cheap belt and pretending it is a real gunbelt.

Mr Tucker responded to my questions early this morning, he promises that the bodyshield should cover magazine bases and that all tension is provided by the belt, so hopefully I'll be able to use it for PPS mags as well.

Thanks to all who posted links, a lot of those are new to me, I'll check them out
...
...
So ... back to the top, I'll keep trolling for a review.
 
I have the crossbreed mag carrier. It is big and uncomfortable. Surprised me as I have their belt and supertuck.
 
rhartwell said:
I have the crossbreed mag carrier. It is big and uncomfortable. Surprised me as I have their belt and supertuck.
Click to expand...
Me too, I'm OK with their carrier, but the single point of attachment lets it move about too much, which is why I asked CB (and Kholster) if they would slap a pair of magazine carriers on one of their smaller backers with two wide-set clips.

stu454 That's nice-looking, do you wear it under or over the belt? It looks like you could go either way.
I'd like something in that style as well, but something to match my SuperTuck would be most comfortable, I think.
 
The mag carrier in the photo with multiple mags does not look practical to me. The piece that covers the ends of the mags does not look as if it will allow room for magazines with bumper pads, it could just be the photo, I don't know.
For me, I carried a double mag pouch with snap flaps to cover the end of the magazines. If I felt the need for extra mags, I would slip one into my back pocket. I also carried an extra magazine in my jacket pocket. Total number of mags for me would range from three to five single stack .45 ACP mags.
I have carried muliple, more than two magazines before. The weight was too much to deal with and it fatigued the leather after awhile and got in the way. It also let me know what it must feel like to be about six months pregnant. And lets not forget about the extra strain that weight will put on your lower back. Everything would start to droop. I have seen multiple mag pouches tear where they attach to the belt because of the extra weight, or the pouch would stretch out and just slip down and dangle loosely from the belt. Weight is the culprit. Like time, old age and use, weight will cause everything to sag.
 
One problem I see with the mag of mags is that it doesn't look like there's an easy way to put empty mags back in it. In a defense situation, this might not be a big deal (if you're being shot at, you're not going to be picking your empty mags up off the floor), but this could be a problem at the range.
 
I think anyone hardcore enough to have a mag of mags would have a dump pouch or at least a spare pocket.
You can't put the empty brass back in a pistol mag either, you know.

I ended up ordering the carrier from Tucker last night. Becoming thoroughly disgusted with my crappy Fobus carrier and snagging a tool-pouch getting into the car every damn time was just too much, so I'm down to a single IWB model from CrossBreed until Mr Tucker ships.
Hopefully the new carrier will arrive before I need a smaller belt, I've been dropping some weight and I'll need a BUG to hold my pants up soon, as I'm down to the smallest setting on both my gunbelts when I only have a single pistol IWB.
Not that it would be the end of the world if I had to order a new belt from the BeltMan ... anyone think he would give me a discount as congratulations for being less of a fatty?
 
Dave,

The rosen carrier is designed to go on the outside of the belt. The gentle taper aids in concealment. Even with fat 226 mags it was a breeze to conceal under a Polo-style shirt.
 
Hey "no longer bigfatdave"

FYI - FAQ #9 from The Beltman's website....

9. I'm a big guy, what if I lose a lot of weight?
Don't go punching a lot of new holes in the belt! Send the belt back to us and we'll shorten it from the buckle end. The charge for this service is $15 a belt and includes the shortening and return shipping. Any dual-layer bull hide belt can be shortened TWO inches, FOUR inches, or anything six inches or more. They cannot be shortened three inches or five inches. (This applies only to the standard dual-layer bull hide and horse hide belts. The "no-buckle" belts, taper belts, and exotic hide belts cannot be shortened.)
Click to expand...
 
I remember searching the 'perfect' magazine carrier when I was a younger cop. I tried all kinds ... OWB, IWB, Belt loop, Clip, etc ... from the least expensive to the custom hand-made.

The primary change I've made over the years is to no longer use IWB. I like my jeans and slacks to fit normally whether or not I decide to wear a belt holstered pistol and spare mag(s).

I also dabbled with the custom 'gun belt' holsters occasionally, but finally realized I could look around and find regular leather belts, in both dress and casual styles, which served just fine without spending more for 'gun belts'. They also allowed for me to buy some different styles, too, and not be limited to something which to the trained eye speaks of 'gun belt' or 'equipment belt', too. ;) I suppose must admit to an aversion to cookie-cutter, tactical appearing belts. Granted, some of the "fancy" belts have sometimes caught my eye, like Ostrich. :)

Otherwise?

I think all mag carriers are a compromise in one way or another. Some more so than others.

I presently have an assortment of mostly single OWB mag carriers which suit my various needs just fine (but still including several double carrier for various mag body sizes). These include some paddle, belt loop and clip-type designs, both leather and plastic. The single mag carriers allow me the ability to choose to carry either 1 or 2 spare mags at a time, depending on my planned activities.

I've used some triple & quad carriers for uniform use, but those are really too bulky for plainclothes/off-duty/CCW usage, in my opinion.
 
JTQ, I had seen that, my desire to try a horsehide belt anyway and my desire to only drop $15 (+ shipping) are conflicting with each other.
Plus I've dropped weight before and gained it back, and I know BeltMan can't make a belt longer no matter how awesome he is.
 
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