Quote:
Originally Posted by Dracheous
Ming you've clearly read my post wrong or have not paid attention to it. When I complete a "tactical reload" it is under a low stress moment where I have the time to reinsert a partially loaded magazine into my chest rig, however to identify between empty and full magazines, my full magazines go into the pouch round first leaving me only the sight of the mag plate that tells me its full. If there is a single round in the mag it will go plate first into the pouch so that I can see it has a round but that I don't know the exact number of rounds in THAT magazine. Push comes to shove one bullet can save you so its not worth tossing.
I don't know about this "hip" business, because I don't use any of the kydex magazine pouches for two reasons. 1. Weight, by the time I get 8 mags into my rig with those pouches there is already a considerable amount of weight and I've not even gotten to field essentials yet. 2. Mags get pulled from them far too easily for my comfort. I've had them get caught up in my weapons sling and then worked free and fall from me which means I've got no bullets to save my hide anymore and missing ammo that now the enemy could possibly use against myself or my team mates. The subload again is rigid and will cause lots of room for discomfort for anyone that does any prone movements, you can trust me on that part as I've spent the last three years honing in sniper/spotter skills as my position when playing this sport. All my time is spent on my gut, and the last thing I need is something digging into me as I'm trying to move; or worse getting caught on everything I try to crawl through.
Lastly, I am primarily a left handed rifleman, I pistol and use a shotty in the right hand position however. I will say this about offsetting your magazines too much on your rig, it makes it that much harder for your off hand to get them. In the real world, if your left arm takes a hit, you now have three magazines out of reach. Where you could have placed the rifle between your legs, using your right hand now to remove the spent mag, insert a new one from the chest position and then away you go. Subloads should move gear off your chest rig to help balance the weight on your body for you to improve your mobility. Putting combat required equipment out of reach for any situation is a bad idea. Excess magazines fine, but we're talking about using up that left thigh for a grand total of three magazines. This is where the wasted real estate argument comes in. Better solutions would involve having a subload dump pouch, or utility pouches that allow you to store equipement. I will say I like HSGI's subloads for extra magazines on the left leg as they're very multi-purpose and can be used for many things. The best place I find for excess magazines if you're going to carry them "ready" to get is on your pack as buddy mags. One can use double up molle pouches that have a clip on them, invert the pouch so that when one releases the flap the mags will drop down into there hand easily enough to be pulled from your back. Additional to mags for yourself you also now have extra mags where team mates can grab a mag if they need it with out taking you off your gun. Keeping the fire up and the enemy back that much longer.
This thing is ALL look, which seems to be what Flatlander wants, so to an extent its serving its purpose. I just wouldn't recommend subloads like these at all, but if he wants to learn why I think that his own way then its his cash  . |
First, let me say I appreciate the time you’ve taken to share your thoughts regarding gear placement, and what is efficient. Second, yes I have read though your post thoroughly, but there was some miscommunication on my part, which is common on the internet with this type of discourse, as I didn’t clearly articulate my ideas in response to your original aforementioned post. So let me try to clear it up.
I was simply giving a differing view point on the topic of gear placement; I was not critiquing your own setup, simply explaining what I preferred, sharing my personal experience and adding to the discussion regarding the functionality of a Kydex subload. Furthermore, my comment with respect to dump pouches was made assuming you utilized a dump pouch to drop partially empty/full magazines after a tac reload, as well as fully empty magazines from either a secondary or primary weapon. Again as I want to emphasize I was in no way criticizing your technique or methodology with tac reloads. We are actually on agreement here, if one stores the partially full/empty magazine thinking that somewhere down the line we will need it, then it stays out of the dump pouch.
To illustrate this point, I'll use an example:
Your in an intense firefight, you are now down to the last full magazine, but you remember you have a few mags left with ammo which you ditched in your dump pouch. You now have to dig in the pouch and search, you pull first an 1911 magazine, another 1911 magazine, an empty rifle magazine, another 1911 magazine, rifle mag, Twinkie, Twinkie, and now finnally a partially full mag.
We are also on an agreement to a certain degree in which Kydex magazines are functional as compared to traditional nylon. Kydex magazines, FastMags, Safariland/Bladetech and similar manufacturer pouches are meant as an aid when indexing magazines for fast reloads, not to replace all of the magazine pouches. Let me further clarify my preferred gear placement that made you believe I ran all my magazine pouches are Kydex. Although the situation dictates greatly what 2nd line I use, my airsoft or SHTF 2nd line is composed of entirely nylon magazine pouches. Whereas for static range use or for competitive use, I have another setup which is a Kydex essentially, though technically speaking nylon with Kydex inserts, design similar to Eagle Industries 1911 single-stack kydex insert pouches.
(Left Hand Side – Displays Typical 2nd Line Rig for Static Range Use or Competitive Use)
Kydex Weight?
With respect to the Kydex weight as an issue, I personally find it a moot point and I’m very confused at how this is an issue. Considering how heavy a rig can get. Even without plates the rig I use for training at a static range, carbine course, or competition is relatively heavy. However, I haven’t even considered Kydex as a factor of that weight. Obviously AR15 30 rounders plus XD45 13 rounders are blatantly heavier than Kydex, not to mention the additional weight when I insert plates within the rig. I would speculate that with airsoft the weight of Kydex is negligible.
Why Nylon or Kydex?
Meanwhile, the main reason I see nylon magazines pouches are better than Kydex magazine pouches, is an idea you eluded to your post, regarding maximization of MOLLE or gear real-estate. However I want to re-iterate that Kydex magazine pouches are viewed as a tactical aid for reloading, this is due to the use of friction for retention, eliminating cumbersome straps, Velcro and other retention methods that delay a critical moment in a gun fight. It is not meant to replace all your pouches.
Kydex Retention
In all my time using Kydex on my subload for magazines, Kydex holsters, and so forth, I have never had an issue where the magazine or firearm/airsoft gun has come loose. Then again my needs for retention are limited, I am not in an harsh environment, paratrooping, diving, or any physically demanding environment that might compromise my weapon or magazine retention. If this was the case, I definitely would be looking at buckles, straps, and further levels of retention. However, this would compromise access time, so there is some balancing to do with what levels of retention you find acceptable. Are you worried only about a BG take away on duty, jumping out of a plane, conceal carry, etc.
Kydex Comfort & Other Issues
Your right, certain drills on the ground can get uncomfortable, thats a big understatement. This difficulty applies to Kydex or nylon subloads, often I will find my pistol grip will eat dirt when shooting from a roll-over prone position, and reserve-roll over prone is the most uncomfortable with a left placed subload, especially if placed vertically high. Obviously, in a heavily foliage environment gear will get caught up on twigs, branches, and the like, whether Kydex, Nylon, gun, or the body. So this issue really isn’t applicable just to Kydex it self, again really if Kydex to you is a no-go, ditch it, throw it into your tactical tool-box for later consideration. As for a sling bunching on Kydex, depending on what your using can bunch get caught on anything, even rails (advocate of rail guards on primary). On funny note I have had the free tail of the Viking Tactics sling go into my mag well once, funny on the gun range, but not in a gun fight, so I ditched it for a Vickers sling.
Shooting While Wounded
Thanks for bringing up this issue, extremely critical to consider if you think you’ll ever find yourself in a gun fight. Airsoft, blah, but real-world, yes. I can’t speak to this, I never been shoot, hope I never do, but some of the training drills addressing this issue can really push a shooter to the limit. Running slick is one thing, doing it with all your gear can really make you re-consider gear placement, so this issue is very important. But even more important is the mindset, which is a completely different topic within itself, but with respect to “proper” gear placement, all I can say is that whether its Kydex or Nylon, whether your magazine is in a pouch located to index from the hip, thigh, chest, train, train, and TRAIN AS YOU FIGHT!
End Notes
Kydex is not just a “cool-guy” feature or “chicks-dig-it”, it is extremely functional in my opinion, helps augment the shooter’s ability in shaving off seconds on a critical reload, and is a great tool in the toolbox. Bottom line, where you place your gear is up to you, consistency is key here, but with Kydex less actions means better economy of motion, getting the gun into the fight faster, and winning the fight!
These opinions are not my own, in fact these two instructors, Chris Costa and Travis Haley, both great no BS instructors from Magpul Dynamics were the reason I've completed re-engineered my gear placement. If you get to chance to come to the US and take a Carbine class, this one is great!
Here is a video of how f*ing high speed one can get with Kydex hip pouches:
YouTube - Magpul Dynamics DVD trailer 2
Flatlander, sorry, topic suddenly diverged into one regarding the functionality or tactical use of Kydex, to magazine placement (thigh, hip, or chest), and more. If you want it just to match with your SERPA, whatever floats your boat man, I could care less. What was important to me, was you and others on the forum get a different perspective on Kydex, and discourse into gear placement.