Tell me how you carry rifle magazines and why?

[Andrewsky]

I think it's just silly to own a rifle like an AR-15 or PTR91 if you have no way to carry magazines...I was ridiculed at Glock Talk for asking this question, so I hope that does not happen here. They told me I need a pouch for my tinfoil hat.

Anyways, tell us how you carry rifle magazines. Bandolier, vest, chest rig, web gear, drop down thigh rig, backpack, cargo pockets? Why?

 

[LJH]

when in the woods, mag is in the gun
Where else whould it be?

 

[ckay]

Carry them where? To the range? I'll put them in my range bag. SHTF? I'm boarding my house up. The competitive shooters who work with AR platforms will have better answers for you I am sure.

I'd look into a chest rig if I were looking.

 

[Andrewsky]

No we're talking about extra magazines. You know, like for 3 gun competition or the like.

 

[LJH]

OK when lugging around extra ammo, or when I am on an extended stay outside I would normally find a spot in my backpack, I am pretty sure this would not work for any tactical or competitive situation. But it works for getting small game.

 

[Cannonball888]

I have a chest full of original mag pouches for all my military type guns (AK, PPSh, M-16, FAL, M14) . It's more a collector thing but I will use them to transport mags to the range.

 

[Andrewsky]

Cannonball, what method do you prefer? Chest rigs, web gear, vests...?

 

[41magsnub]

You could wear cargo pants and drop spare mags in one of the big pockets. Personally, the Russians will need to invade before I see a need to dig my old Army web gear out of my basement. Might need to adjust the belt out a little...

 

[Mr White]

Everyone here wears tac vests.

I shoot high power so I just set my spare mags on the ground next to my shooting position.

 

[W.E.G.]

There are numerous choices for mag pouches and carriers.

I've tried all types and methods. One method does not fit all.

I carry my tinfoil in the cabinet next to the sink. That way I always know where to find it if I think they are listening.

 

[rero360]

I have a MAV vest from tactical tailor that i bought for Iraq, like it so much that I guess I'd use it for other times as well, 4 mag pouches that hold three mags each, plus two of the large utility pouches that you can stuff more mags as well. When I was in Iraq I had one mag in the rifle and 14 in the pouches. worked good, not sure if I'd want to lug that weight around without a ballistic vest under it to distribute the load better.

 

[Vaarok]

Carpenters nail pouch, pockets. I usually don't carry that much ammo or many large-cap mags when I go shoot in the hayfield.

 

[Jubjub]

My trunk gun is a Universal carbine kept in a soft case. On the outside of the case is a velcro pocket containing a 15 round magazine full of Remmy soft point ammo. In a dual magazine pouch on the buttstock are two more mags full of the same. If I need more than that, I'm in the wrong zombie movie.

 

[armoredman]

My wife has the assault vest, I don't. Seriously! I took the removable double rifle mag pouch from it, (she likes the pistol holster there for her PCR - seriously!!), and slipped an old Natural Gear camoflauged belt through it, and a nylon strap the other way, and made it into an ersatz chest pouch, hold 4 20 round Mini-14 mags.
It works.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

For classes or 3-gun, I have a chest rig (Rhodesian style MOLLE) with 7 mags on it.

For some 3-gun or casual use I carry a single spare mag in my left rear pocket and a mag in the rifle. This works suprisingly well as long as you clean the lint/junk out of your pocket (no rifle likes having lint shoved into the chamber).

For the range, I have mag pouches on the carry case and extra mags in the range bag.

 

[Andrewsky]

Do you guys find that the chest rigs put too much weight out front?

 

[Zak Smith]

Most 3-Gun match stages will not require more than 3 30-round magazines-- and most of them only need 2. I have three blade-tech belt mag pouches so this use. If I need more on a particularly long stage, I'll throw an extra one in my back pocket or left-hand front pants pocket. The only multi-gun match that required more than 5/6 mags in one string was the ITRC (search archives for match report), and my shooting partner carried 20+ mags for that portion and handed me a new one when I was out.

 

[Andrewsky]

Are soldiers allowed to wear pretty much anything they want as far as vests and chest rigs go?

Or would that depend on the unit commander and that kind of thing?

 

[Elm Creek Smith]

I roll them up and stick them in my back pocket unless I leave them in the truck. I carry lots of stripper clips for the Mosin-Nagant in all my vest pockets.

ECS

 

[flynlr]

this

 

[Blackfork]

Eagle Arms Rifle case.

Shooting Highpower Rifle matches, I use an Eagle Industries Rifle Case with five pockets. The night before the match I load the five magazines I am going to use and put them in the pockets on the outside of the case. The first pocket gets the two round magazine, the second an eight round. That's enough for the sitting rapid fire string at 200. (ten rounds in 60 seconds with a magazine change.) The next pocket gets a two round and the fourth pocket an eight round for the 300 rapid prone string. The final pocket gets my single round slow fire magazine for the 200 standing and 600 slow fire stages. In the nose bag I put two extra stripper clips of ten rounds, one for standing and an extra. My 600 yardline ammo is in a separate box. The two round mags in pockets one and three have two sighting rounds REVERSED on the top of each mag.

Empty mags go back in their pockets when the string is done.

I'm the current Texas Highpower Rifle champion. I used my AR15 to win the Ike Lee Trophy last year. It's less than a month until the next Championship. I certainly have enjoyed winning that Championship.

For Infantry Trophy, (Youtube search for TSRA Infantry Trophy) I load a SAW magazine pouch with six 30 round magazines and one 20 rounder. I supply a three man team with ammo for that match. I also have the fire plan. We are very competitive in Infantry Trophy.

For Urban Warfare, I stay home and look out the window with a single shot rifle and a box of handloads.

 

[stubbicatt]

There are these really neat, over the shoulder, with belt loops sort of mag pouches at Sportsmans guide for the HK G3 mags. Holds 5 magazines and works just fine for me.

I resist the whole "tactical" look with the drop holster and all that. I'm a civilian and don't really care to play GI Joes for real. Hence my choice in mag pouch.

 

[benEzra]

I don't like the look of the civilian "tac vests" too much (I shoot with a lot of military guys and some of the cheaper vests seem to shout "poser" to me). One of the nicer khaki vests, I'd like, but it's not a financial priority.

When shooting USPSA rifle with my AK, I have a cheap drop-leg UTG 2-pouch deal; I shortened the suspension strap so that it rides high, fairly close to the belt. AK mags are HEAVY, so I only put one mag per pouch (usually 20's), and can still run and such without getting beat up by the mags.

If I need to tote more mags around at the range or whatever, I have a Warsaw Pact milsurp 4-mag belt pouch that I put a shoulder strap on and wear across the body, with the strap on the strong side and the pouch against my hip on the weak side.

For AR magazines, I'd probably pick up one of those 3-mag milsurp belt pouches that the army-navy store sells for like $10.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Do you guys find that the chest rigs put too much weight out front?

They certainly can if you load them that way. IMO, seven mags is pushing the limit, especially if you carry other gear on the chest rig and don't have any counterbalance in the back. With seven mags, my lower back will be feeling it after a three-day class.

As others have noted, you can carry a bit more if you are running armor or something that distributes the load a little better underneath the chest rig. You can also carry more if you have weight in back to balance the rig (like a Camelbak).

 

[Daemon688]

Well......when I go to the range, I stuff all my magazines into a backpack. And when I'm shooting, I set them on the table next to me.