Chest Rigs and Mags for your Black Rifle

Medusa tour was 12 mags in a split front MAV. KAF tour was.... rifle hung behind my office door, pistol under my arm in a cheap boardwalk holster with two mags in the other side :)

At work it's the crap vest with four high pouches and no Molle type attach points... as my unit won't allow the use of any non issued kit short of boots.

Civ side.... I use an SOE gear split rig for my 4 5/10 round .308 mags (same concept as the MAV, open it to go prone) and SOE gear Shotgun rig.

Like so....

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The problem with the notion of "aim more, carry less", is that you can't predict how things are going to go. There are MANY infantry situations where simply shooting volumes "over that way" is the only shooting being done that day/night. You'll need "more" because there isn't ANY "aiming" to be done in the first place!

Then there is the reverse, where you may find extra ammo weight is far too restricting of your mobility.

Patrol Bravo20 used carefully aimed shots for nearly all engagements, had lots of ammo, yet still ran the risk of running out. By contrast, I watched a docu about Israeli counter-terror raids in West Bank, and when a night patrol (footborne) identified a terrorist, there was no giant shootout with hundreds of rounds expended...just ONE single careful shot from a marksman with an M-4 and a night vision system.

Bottom line: there is no "one size fits all" ammo loadout. There just isn't. Gotta tailor the mag count to the terrain, the type of tactics the enemy can use on you (not just the regular, but also the "once in a tour spectacular" they occasionally try), and what your goal for the day is.
 
Holsters are fine, but if I can run it off the belt alone I do.

Drop legs for mags, gas masks, 40mm or similar are yucky :)

Overseas, most guys I talked to ran 8 mags on their rig with more in their pack.

At home the average seems to be 5 mags. Would probably be 2-3 if we actually had un neutered mags.
 
RickR1100 said:
...Bottom line: there is no "one size fits all" ammo loadout. There just isn't. Gotta tailor the mag count to the terrain, the type of tactics the enemy can use on you (not just the regular, but also the "once in a tour spectacular" they occasionally try), and what your goal for the day is...
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And you just reinforced the rule "the mission dictates the gear". I think that several folks in this thread "get it" and the wording of their answers is just a little different.

I have rigs that carry 3 or 4 mags and others that carry up to 15 or 16 and they all have a place depending on what's happening at the moment...


blake
 
One of the less expensive and versatile (approx $55) mag pouch rigs was one I got from Assault Systems (now Elite Survival Systems). The 223 one holds 9 mags in 3 separate compartments. It carries like a shoulder bag, but it can also be secured around the waist allowing one to slide it from the front (chest rig) to the side and out of the way with the swipe of the hand if you need to go prone without impaling yourself. Has Alice clips for stationary belt positioning if you want as well. Best of all, no velcro to plug up with dirt.

My only complaint is that the quick detach shoulder strap is a bit short--replacing it with a jerry rigged longer one shouldn't be tough though.
 
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I found the Arktis battle vest holds from twelve to sixteen mags in the mag pouches, nevermind the pistol in vest and some spare pouches too. Usually a pretty good deal but not really able to modify it much. I even found one in Cadpat once.
 
I'll never carry more than 7 again. One on the gun, 6 on me tops.

16 mags is ridiculous for a rig. Unless you're using your C7 like a 3rd C9 and for some ####ed up reason going full suppressive with it. If he NEEDs to carry 16 ( whoever wrote that SOP needs to go see what it would feel like to hump that ) then he should split it up into a bag and his rig.

9 is ridiculous for a total load depending on the conditions and length patrol and distance from other friendly dudes. Its heavy and I hated it. 16 is just out of 'er, and if you're going prone on a triple stack mag pouch, there is almost no way to avoid the combat walrus effect.
 
It seems to me, and I could be wrong on this, that two mags or one in a well made drop leg rig that dosen't flop around, is located higher on the leg and isn't too low, like down by the knee shouldn't interfere with movement and would take some weight off a chest rig or backpack and still make reloading easy. I do think that three or more mags is too much.
 
If you have to carry so many mags on you that they wont all fit on a chest rig youre doing it wrong.

Drop legs arent my thing, I havent used one with AR mags, but for a pistol
-They chafe the crap out of my legs, to the point of blisters if im going more than 5-6km(to the point that I stopped carrying a pistol, and if I was told to, I'd tuck it into my vest with a jerry-rigged holster)
-The leg strap locks in all the heat around my balls and restricts airflow
-they flop around regarless of whats the weight is
-They suck up energy for no benefit, up to 10% more exertion and do in fact decrease mobility and agility. If you even do some stretches with something cinched onto your thigh and belt you'll feel a remarkable difference. My standard is being able to put my knee to my chest.
-they SUCK when running, and can beat you with your own gear if its too loose.
-for walking around drinking coffe and talking smack they are decent though,
I had decent luck with a safariland 6004 modified to only use one VERY loose leg strap.

I would personally use a belt with no more than 2 mags mounted directly if there was absolutely no other option.

All just my experience, some people have no doubt better luck, and 16 mags is still ridiculous. Im curious to find out who's SOP that is (you said this guy is CF) and what the #### they are thinking. :HR:
 
4-6 up front in single shingles as emergency reloads, 1 in the gun, 3 in shingles on the lower back.

It depends on your AO and what you are doing, IE a friend of mine who was mentioned in dispatches a few years ago carried at least 12+ mags.
 
So many factors come in here, but for the civilian I would suggest you carry what will not restrict your movement and load up to the mission at hand. 1 to 2 mags on the gun and 4 on your work area with ammo in short distance from you. If you have a back pack through some in there.

This also depends on your physical condition and if you are walking or have transportation.
 
I'm really pleased with the discussion that has come out of this thread.

I had a guy yesterday showing my designs for his "full deck" of . . . 4 mags? 8 mags? that would attach directly to his AR.

Awesome, but not for me.

Now here's a killer question though: do you use elastics, velco flap covers, or let your mags feel the breeze?
 
TV-PressPass said:
I'm really pleased with the discussion that has come out of this thread.

I had a guy yesterday showing my designs for his "full deck" of . . . 4 mags? 8 mags? that would attach directly to his AR.

Awesome, but not for me.

Now here's a killer question though: do you use elastics, velco flap covers, or let your mags feel the breeze?
Click to expand...

Elastics all the way.
 
TV-PressPass said:
I'm really pleased with the discussion that has come out of this thread.

Now here's a killer question though: do you use elastics, velco flap covers, or let your mags feel the breeze?
Click to expand...

Definitely a great discussion going on here with some well thought out BTDT info.

As for mag retention, on my personal chest rig I have both elastics (BFG Ten Speed pouches) as well as integrated shingles that can retain mags with elastic cords or not as is my preference.
 
Farmboy said:
Blue Force Gear Ten Speed (elastic).

Only way to go ;)
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Until they wear out ;) Here's a Ten-Speed pistol mag pouch that blew out on the bottom. I used Sil Net to patch it up.

I prefer pouches with flaps or bungee top retention. The Ten-Speed might be good for tactical teams who's kit is not exposed to the elements for any serious length of time but I'm hesitant to rely on them for sole retention of my magazines.

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