Magazine pouches have surprisingly come a long way in the last 20 years or so. Back in those days, magazine pouches were simply designed to most securely carry magazines and often at the cheapest cost to manufacture. There was not a lot of thought in what a magazine pouch should have, they just thought it should carry a magazine and that was pretty much the only thought process involved. However, with combat becoming more and more a speed game, magazine pouches these days are also designed to be able to quickly reload magazines on the fly. The variety of styles and sizes is like nothing else before, and you can easily find exactly the one you need if you look hard enough.
Safariland 774 Competition Rifle Magazine Pouch
Safariland has a reputation as being top manufacturer in tactical gear especially gun holsters, magazine pouches and body armor amongst others. With the 774 Competition Rifle Magazine Pouch, Safariland has designed a magazine pouch that is on a mission to help you shoot better. This magazine pouch is designed for speed which means retention is just enough to keep the magazines secure until you need to draw them. If you’re looking for a range pouch, look no further.
Eagle Industries FB Style Magazine Pouch
This one is actually a personal favorite of mine. Eagle Industries FB Style Magazine Pouch is made with a soft material that prevents dust, dirt and debris from being caught in between the surfaces. It features Kydex retention with pull-tab bungee which means you get the most retention possible but can still easily and quickly draw a magazine.
HSGI Taco Pouch
One of the most popular choices we hear about especially from military members. The HSGI Taco pouch has a nylon front and rear panel riveted on the bottom to a U-shaped plastic claw. The is held together by a bungee cord which is adjustable to your ideal tightness. These are nice because they are compatible with basically all types of magazines and are extremely easily to use quickly. You do lose a bit of security with the open-top but it can be well worth it if you want a highly compatible magazine that is going to be easy to use quickly.
Eagle Industries Double Mag Pouch
One of the cheapest options on this list that should be considered if cost is most important. The Eagle Industries Double Mag Pouch doesn’t look like much and with a close top system like that it is easily the slowest pouch to reload with. However, it should be noted this was commissioned as military equipment and endorsed by the Defense Department so that has to me something right? It is also compatible with many types of magazine styles and it is easy to use that you can train your speed up with a little effort.
Crye Precision Modular 152 Mag Pouch
This one is kind of cheating because the Crye Precision Modular 152 Pouch also doubles as a bottle pouch, radio pouch and basically anything else you can fit in it. The pouch has several options to adjust it to your particular needs such as the tapered Velcro flap that can be tucked in behind magazines easily. The retention on this is surprisingly great however speed is as slow as any other flap style pouch. The only downside is that it is on the pricier side of the market and that it isn’t specifically a magazine pouch.
Happy shooting!
Ben