How To Carry Extra AR Mags? Am I Out Of Date?

NCFUBAR · January 2016

I was just asked how I carry an extra mag for my HD AR and up just realized how uncool I am. When I told him I have 2 GI 20 Colt mags for my HD AR because I trust them most and like the overall length for handling. Obviously 1 in the AR and I use a big industrial "rubber band" to secure the other to the rail. I got the weirdest look and he said he'd only use 30 round PMags and was having trouble with the mag coupler which was causing one mag to stick every so often. Turns out he is not using a Magpul coupler so easy fix.

After a few questions he goes back to why I trust GI mags more than PMags and how "everybody" uses PMags today. Then he goes on to how I should switch and get PMags so I can be up to date. Thank goodness my phone rings and I am needed elsewhere ...

Am I that out of touch?

Fisheadgib · January 2016

I'm apparently every bit as out of touch as you. About 25 years ago or so, I bought a box full of Vietnam era Colt AR mags at a surplus store for 4.00 apiece and haven't even updated them to the new super duper followers and yet they all run fine. I never got the memo about the PMags.

bullsi1911 · January 2016

Can you put up a pic of your rubber band setup?

I use PMAGS on my stuff because they are cheap and reliable. I have 10 and 20 round PMAGS as well.

Jayhawker · January 2016

Back when I was competing, I ended up ditching the magazine carrier completely and sticking the spare mag in my back pocket....that way I didn't have a bunch of extraneous stuff hanging on my rifle OR my body...

bisley · January 2016

You are much less out of touch than me - actually, I never had a clue in the first place. I didn't even have a second mag for a couple years, till I started thinking of the AR in self defense terms. It was just a fun toy for me, and I have still never "dumped a mag," just for the heck of it. :silly:

Farm Boy Deuce · January 2016

I use one of these, I can throw it over my shoulder and go.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/189814/midwayusa-4-magazine-pouch-ar-15-and-ak-47-rifle

NN · January 2016

You have to wear war fighting gear if a extra mag in a pocket is not enough.

Elk creek · January 2016

NN wrote: »

You have to wear war fighting gear if a extra mag in a pocket is not enough.

If you need a more than 30 rounds your in deep!

Bigslug · January 2016

P Mags. . .you kids are so cute. . .

breamfisher · January 2016

I fabbed up a kydex mag holder that'll hold a magazine on my Magpul CTR buttstock. Wanted to go with a rubber band, but I wasn't sure it would work with the angles of the buttstock. It's held on with velcro. I use it to keep a mag on the rifle, but not in the rifle while it's in the safe. As for spare mags: I've got pockets for a single spare. If I want to carry a bunch, I do have a chest rig Blackhawk that Jayhawker gave me.

Thing gets heavy when loaded up, though...

Varmintmist · January 2016

Bigslug wrote: »

P Mags. . .you kids are so cute. . .

Thats a Pmag,

A
PING mag

twa · January 2016

Elk creek wrote: »

If you need a more than 30 rounds your in deep!

Good thing I have scuba gear.....I just picked up a few more 40 round P-mags tonight. :jester:

Eli · January 2016

When I'm dressed.

When I'm nekkid.

shotgunshooter3 · January 2016

No spare... Just a loaded 30rds P-Mag, painted yellow.

Really my AR is a secondary HD weapon, its location assumes that I have time to hole up where it is. My true HD gun is my trusty M&P 9mm.

Diver43 · January 2016

I prefer how my gun handles with 20 round magazines and have 2 handy. If it takes more than that I am in major trouble or knew it was coming and all will be available. When in uniform we simply duct taped two together.

JasonMPD · January 2016

NCFUBAR wrote: »

I was just asked how I carry an extra mag for my HD AR and up just realized how uncool I am. When I told him I have 2 GI 20 Colt mags for my HD AR because I trust them most and like the overall length for handling. Obviously 1 in the AR and I use a big industrial "rubber band" to secure the other to the rail. I got the weirdest look and he said he'd only use 30 round PMags and was having trouble with the mag coupler which was causing one mag to stick every so often. Turns out he is not using a Magpul coupler so easy fix.

After a few questions he goes back to why I trust GI mags more than PMags and how "everybody" uses PMags today. Then he goes on to how I should switch and get PMags so I can be up to date. Thank goodness my phone rings and I am needed elsewhere ...

Am I that out of touch?

Nope. For my work rifle I use only the steel H&K M16 magazines. Bulletproof, anti tilt followers (also steel), reliable.

Pmags are ok, but I hear stories of breakage in intense situations. If I'm running and bang the H&K mag on a doorframe it's not going to fail. The Pmag may crack or break. No beuno.

I like Pmags a LOT, but mostly for hunting and plinking. I still have about 30 of them. They have uses.

JasonMPD · January 2016

Elk creek wrote: »

If you need a more than 30 rounds your in deep!

Generally speaking, this is true.

bullsi1911 · January 2016

JasonMPD wrote: »

Generally speaking, this is true.

Except when you are clearing a malfunction, current tactic is to get rid of the mag, clear the action, and slap in a fresh one. That's when you need a spare

softwarejanitor · January 2016

So I guess just taping two 30 rounders together with black electric tape is uncool?

Diver43 · January 2016

softwarejanitor wrote: »

So I guess just taping two 30 rounders together with black electric tape is uncool?

DUCT TAPE is cool

mythaeus · January 2016

Here's an interesting option, a stock with a built-in mag carrier: http://www.themakogroup.com/stocks-stock-accessories/m4-ar-15-survival-buttstock-w-built-in-magazine-carrier-gl-mag.html

mythaeus · January 2016

alphasigmookie wrote: »

My hd carbine I keep in a case with a few extra mags in the mag slots. It's unlikely that I'd leave my concealed location with clear view of the only entrance, but if I did I might shove an extra mag down my undies if I was wearing any. If not, then 30 rounds will have to do before a retreat.

Hahaha...I'm sure the sight of your naked ass probably will scare the perp away. Seriously though, bullsi1911 explained up there that the concern isn't about the # of rounds, but about malfunction clearance where an extra mag is likely going to be needed.

softwarejanitor · January 2016

mythaeus wrote: »

Here's an interesting option, a stock with a built-in mag carrier: http://www.themakogroup.com/stocks-stock-accessories/m4-ar-15-survival-buttstock-w-built-in-magazine-carrier-gl-mag.html

Now that is a smart design...

NN · January 2016

mythaeus wrote: »

Here's an interesting option, a stock with a built-in mag carrier: http://www.themakogroup.com/stocks-stock-accessories/m4-ar-15-survival-buttstock-w-built-in-magazine-carrier-gl-mag.html

I guess, though you could hire an ammo bearer for that price.

Web page did not seem to specify how many rnds in the mag.

breamfisher · January 2016

NN wrote: »

I guess, though you could hire an ammo bearer for that price.

Web page did not seem to specify how many rnds in the mag.

Depends on how big of a mag you put in the stock....

mythaeus · January 2016

NN wrote: »

I guess, though you could hire an ammo bearer for that price.

Web page did not seem to specify how many rnds in the mag.

That's a 10-rd mag in that stock. Anything larger will probably make the gun unbalanced, but I don't see any other restriction on how big a mag you can put in there.

bisley · January 2016

Getting off thirty rounds is pretty optimistic, for me. I think that's about what the average cavalry soldier carried into a battle with plains Indians.

Varmintmist · January 2016

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/646014/military-surplus-alice-3-magazine-pouch

Armoredman · February 2016

Semi-auto people...

But seriously, if it works, why change it? "Keeping up with the crowd" sometimes means being pulled over the cliff edge with the rest of the lemmings.

bowserb · March 2016

I have a bunch of 20 round Brownells mags for use at the range. I prefer the 20's for the clearance with a bipod. I haven't seen a coupler for steel mags, but then I've not looked very hard. I do have a coupler for two 30-round P-mags, and just for grins coupled two 40 round P-mags. Talk about one heavy AR! I did only one time use 80 rounds that way at the range, just to see if would work. It did but wasn't worth the trouble. Honestly, as someone else suggested, if I needed 80 rounds, I would probably be in way over my head. Who can afford all that ammo these days anyway! However, I would like to have had a couple of those 40-round Pmags, or even 30-round mags, in Vietnam, where we had only 20's. I don't really think my M-16a1 would have lasted a whole 40 rounds on full auto without jamming, though. There was no 3-round burst then. Just semi and full.

Armoredman · March 2016

I can see that - if you burn through that during a single home invasion, you are having a very bad day.

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