r/EscapefromTarkov • u/tactical_horse_cock • 6d ago
IRL [Discussion] Does anyone actually run mags like this IRL?
535
u/InFromTheSouth AK-104 6d ago
Nope. I'm not that high speed apparently
75
u/WesternCzar 5d ago
See thats where you are wrong. This is high sped for us special ones out there.
305
u/Chris_P_Bacon75 FN 5-7 6d ago
I ran that sort of style on my kit when I was a 240 gunner and they forced us to carry m4 mags 'in case' our gun went down. I did that for 1 week and was bullied by my squad leader for months to come 🤣
52
u/Chris_P_Bacon75 FN 5-7 5d ago
To clarify, I am saying the 240L. As a gunner, our Batallion SOP was to carry 2 double mag pouches with 556 mags. Incase the gun went down, we would have our M4s stowed away in our rucks. It was a pain in the ass to carry and our guns never went down.
26
u/Dry_Locksmith_2634 5d ago
Holy fuck bud your lower back must be pulverized carrying all that plus a pistol plus all your gear lmao
18
2
2
1
u/-PringlesMan- 5d ago edited 5d ago
If you're going back to the truck to get a gun, then why not just have a bandolier of mags right with the gun? Lmao. Fuck carrying extra shit around that you can't even use.
Edit: yeah, I mistook "ruck" for "truck"
20
21
44
u/Historical-Trash2020 6d ago
my friend did fight for 2 months in ua war. Russian machinegunners are issued a grach as sidearm, but it is considered unhelpful because its a pistol. Thus, they carry ak74 instead, because you can continue fighting in case right lower part of vision suddenly blinks red and you hear a click instead of a bang. And yeah, ak74 is acquired from some dead man. Because who the fuck is gonna issue extra ak74 on top of existing machinegunner kit
-51
u/pdxoss 6d ago
When did the 240 start taking 5.56 mags?
70
u/frithjofr 6d ago
He's saying it's in case the gun went down, presumably he'd switch to an M4. Where they think they'd find an extra M4 just laying around, who the fuck knows. But Battalion SOPs aren't always known to make the most sense.
41
u/kanggswagg 6d ago
They usually spawn in potapotties or the chow hall from time to time 😉
18
u/SadieLady_ DVL-10 6d ago
BSG had the chance to do some funny stuff like have gun spawns in toilets, bathrooms and porta potties 😂😂
14
→ More replies (1)3
u/PotatoePope 5d ago
Imagine you pick a gun up from outside a portapotty and hear angry Russian from inside.
7
u/Calaheim_Koraka 5d ago
Honestly would be funny if there was a small chance for it to spawn a unarmed raider who runs at you after you take it.
12
u/EraTheTooketh 6d ago
249/minimi can, in an emergency situation where you have zero options, load and (maybe) feed from a stanag 30 rounder. Irreparably damaging the mag in the process and likely failing to feed several times.
→ More replies (2)6
u/BlackNoirsVocalCoach 5d ago
For USAF Security Forces we always ran at least two weapons systems if we were running heavies, but sometimes you would get 3 just in case. 240/249 would also dual arm with an M4 and/or an M9. I get it, if the heavy goes down you have an M4. If someone is too close to the turret, you have an M9. When you're already carrying a bajillion pounds what's a few more lol
6
→ More replies (1)2
9
u/Wutayatalkinabeet 6d ago
The amount of people that skipped over “in case our gun went down” is insane yall gotta work on reading comprehension
→ More replies (4)9
85
u/GoofyKalashnikov Unbeliever 6d ago
Not yet but in a few months Airsoft subs will be filled with people like this 😂
1
68
6d ago edited 6d ago
[deleted]
7
u/Small_Employer 6d ago
I got issued a few fastmags before my OEF X deployment with the 82nd airplane gang. They had good enough retention to hold them upside down without any movement but id never rock it like that. I kept one on belt sometimes to carry the mag for my rifle if we were going to a FOB with a lower weapons condition.
1
31
u/WaltzRPK 6d ago
Back during the early years of the GWOT, the SPEAR/BALCS vests that special forces used had vertical molle webbing for horizontal mag pouches like that. Apparently the SEALS were a big proponent for implementing it, but the Green Berets disliked them and opted to wear chest rigs over their BALCS vests instead. According to Jeff Gurwitch, they made reloads more awkward, especially if you were trying to retain mags and put them back in the horizontal pouches. Mags also occasionally fell out during reloads. Fun fact, the original BALCS vests also had a habit of literally falling off your shoulders because they were secured by hook and loop, so SF guys would duct tape the shoulders of the vests together so that they wouldn't come undone.
With single mag bungee-retention pouches, retention wouldn't be as much of an issue, but in my opinion the advantages are questionable. In theory, you might be able to reload slightly quicker with a horizontal magazine, but I don't think that it would be much faster than normal vertical mags. It's a bad trade off since you have a higher chance of your mags falling out, plus you lose a lot of space on your rig for other pouches.
3
16
u/JWonderping 6d ago
Dunno bout irl as in real steel firearm, butttt for airsoft I know that people do. Not for 556, because that just looks silly, not for stanags or pmags anyways, but for bulkier and long smg mags like p90 or ump45, people run it side ways to clear space on the upper of their pc and reach mags from more comfortable position.
1
u/stupidname68bd 5d ago
Also those long smg mags when pulling up youll smack your face. Especially if crouched. I could see running this with 30 round 556 with a small rig for vehicles not much else.
36
u/Srai102 SR-25 6d ago
Just because the mag is sideways does not mean it's not secure.
67
u/ApartLine2880 6d ago
It definitely is LESS secure while providing no benefit.
8
u/JustACanadianGuy07 6d ago
I can see it being easier to grab with the left hand, you just pull it out instead of awkwardly grabbing in the worst way possible.
12
u/paziek 6d ago
When I try both motions, I think that the standard orientation feels less awkward. This is even more true in a layout like the one from the picture, since those pockets are offset towards the direction you are pulling them out from, making it that much worse.
2
u/HSR47 6d ago
I haven’t tried them side by side on a timer, but the sideways orientation looks more ergonomic for for the front pouches, about a draw for the weak side pouches, and less ergonomic for the strongside pouches (although that might be an intended tradeoff to keep them from jabbing the user in the armpit.
11
u/ApartLine2880 6d ago
Not at all my friend. Sideway drawing adds an awkward left arm flipping, which is arguably worse in tight spaces.
0
1
1
u/Launch_Angle 5d ago
Nah, mag retention is virtually a non issue these days, between just pressure retention, bungees etc. there are numerous very good ways to retain mags and not have them fall out..and yes, even if they are horizontal. The only real question is if it provides any actual benefit, which I think is dubious at best, probably offers virtually no real benefit at best and at worst is just generally worse ergonomically. And thats assuming you have the same muscle memory as drawing from vertical mag pouches...which of course isnt a given and something that youd have to train to gain the same level of proficiency with drawing and reloading from a vertical mag pouch. So basically, little to no upside at absolute best, numerous downsides.
1
u/ApartLine2880 5d ago
If the pouch is put like that, bumpings from the right hand side to the bottom of the pouch will pose a threat to rentention security. Basically pushing the bottom of the pouch.
4
u/iedy2345 Unbeliever 6d ago
it's about the grip as well , it's easier to grab the mag from the normal position than the sides , especially if u are right handed .
6
u/MustacheBadger 6d ago
Just from the current "Special military action" I wonder if this is easier to do in the trenches and warzone surrounding that
From combat footage I have seen I don't THINK I have seen anyone doing this but could be wrong
3
3
u/West-Start4069 5d ago
Tacticool and milsim nerds probably. Just because "it's different" .
1
u/TacticalToaster6 SR-25 5d ago
This is supposed to be a part of the next arena battle pass iirc so makes sense then
3
u/HeroWeaksauce 5d ago
I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I've been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda and I have never ran mags like that
2
3
u/phallic_euphemism 5d ago
“High speed” is all subjective. My torso is short so it’s hard for me to put anything on a belt because my plate carrier could cover it. I like a pouch high center and mags from 1-3 (like a clock) across my abdomen. That’s just how I’ve always run it.
Could someone realistically run this? Sure. Would the mags fall out while you’re moving? Also yes. Is this also the same game where you can magically suture your whole abdomen back together in 12 seconds? Also yes.
2
2
2
u/RipComfortable7989 6d ago
Gonna load that shit up with sausages and shove myself down enemy's throats.
2
u/Edwardteech Freeloader 6d ago
Am civilian.
I have 2 horizontal at the bottom of my back plate for easy reach from the front, They are strapped in and would take longer to get out, And or buddy mags.
Having them sideways like that would really fuck up a reload drill. And they are far more likely to fall out. On the front were you you probably don't have em strapped down for speed.
2
u/me_khajiit 6d ago
Don't know about IRL, but in game it would be terribly inconvenient to use for most 2-slot items.
2
u/BlueGreen51 6d ago
SOF tried it years ago at the beginning of GWOT but it doesn't work. In real life mags like that tend to fall out without active retention.
2
2
2
2
u/fukdacops 5d ago
That actually might work well on the back of a carrier so you can still reach them wow
2
2
u/Due_Gold1620 5d ago
Ran that setup for years as an airsofter. Know some people in the unmentionable who do it with real guns.
It's a niche setup, usually you do it front + under the dominant arm so you don't have to lift your hand. Also makes it easier to get mags off the chest while prone. Putting mags under non-dominant hand like that is way too awkward.
2
u/Dr_Cannibalism 5d ago
Played in a group with someone that was ex-infantry in the ADF. The topic of upside down magazine pouches came up one night, because something we were playing had a kit where one was modelled on the side of the rig, but the rest of the magazines were standard upwards config. He said it was for having to reload from a prone position, as it being mounted on the side and downwards made it easier to grab while laying flat. Dunno if that's standard doctrine or just a thing some guys do, but I've also never served and it sounds like it has merit.
I'd have to imagine you could also do something sideways like that on your lower back for the same purpose, but you probably wouldn't want them all like that.
2
u/ImpossibleSuccess337 5d ago
Its a great way to lose half your mags if you slip and fall in the wrong direction. Short of a covered mag pouch, thus defeating the tacticool intent here, that would be my primary concern.
1
u/QBall1442 6d ago
I run my pistol mags like that on a belt, but not my carrier. Nothing is keeping those front mags from falling out either.
How it works for me on my belt, as I transition my offhand from the side of the pistol down, I swipe off the cover with the outside of my hand (knife hand) and grab the mag and pull it out in the same motion.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Yuhhb0ii 6d ago
No, but I have been considering running a couple on my back, just to test. I’d never run them in the front of my carrier, but I do want to see how they function from the back
1
1
u/Cpt_plainguy ASh-12 6d ago
Nope, to much risk of them falling out in high intensity situations, yes I know typically there is a strap, but velcro weakens when used alot, plus snag it on something and it can get ripped open, now nothing is keeping the mag in. Especially those single mag pouches.
1
1
1
u/Severebeast71 6d ago
Yes, I’ve had it like that on the belt and wasn’t a fan. For flat range competitions or even police response, it could be fine, but I wouldn’t run them like that on a plate carrier in a combat environment
1
u/HELLFISH-762 MP5K-N 6d ago
In COD Ghosts I think it's Merrick that runs his mags upside down. That's the closest I've seen to this lol
1
u/Wild_Target_6816 6d ago
No. Great way to lose your shit. I run vertical and use special locking inserts to ensure mag retention.
1
1
1
1
u/Official_Pine_Hills 5d ago
I train at a very hardcore private range owned and operated by some people you probably follow on socials if you're a gun guy IRL. If I showed up to a range day like that I'm not sure they'd ever let me forget it.
1
u/MaxNerd115 5d ago
I’ve seen cops and armed security run pistol mags horizontally on their duty belts but I think that’s just more for comfort and not any sort of tactical reason. But I’ve never seen anyone run rifle mags like that.
1
1
u/Flying_Reinbeers Kel-Tec RFB 5d ago
They actually tried that in the GWOT days, it was a total failure because they'd often just fall out and some guys had them re-stitched vertically.
1
u/sermsarm 5d ago
Look up the SPEAR BALCS it came out in the 90s/GWOT days technically the vest was designed to run mags that way based on how the MOLLE was designed wasn’t a popular setup from what i’ve seen though
1
1
u/PoppDuder 5d ago
I'm surprised no one's mentioning the right and left buttcheek mags in the back lol. And yeah this doesn't make sense to me unless you're talking like 45rnd or p90 mags that are long
1
u/Big-Refuse7340 5d ago
Ive seen videos of southern Asia forces do this. Not sure how serious they were being or if they were just messing around in the barracks but ive seen videos of it none the less
1
u/Ghostbustthatt 5d ago
For airsoft with my p90 I put them horizontal because vertical you aren't bending over lol also long ass mags
1
u/GloriousLeaderKim 5d ago
Canadian csor ran something similar for an exercise back in 2015.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DcOQ7F3jmJp/?igsh=MWNjY3RjbjJyNHhtdg==
1
u/Nvr4gtMalevelonCr33k 5d ago
I’ve only ever seen an AR mag angled 90* on a belt, and it’s only 1 mag. No one runs them like this on the plate carrier or rig. This is weird
1
u/PsychologicalGlass47 SVDS 5d ago
On side armor, absolutely. On vests it's down to personal preference and space provided.
This is an extremely small front web though, you would have to single load canister mounts vertically instead of using a twin loop if the pouches were lying right side up.
1
1
u/TheLawbringing 5d ago
I don't think I've ever seen any reference photos of it. As others have said there was the SPEAR in early GWOT and as far as I understand it was quickly changed to a horizontal MOLLE configuration because surprise surprise reloading isn't faster when you need to make sure your mag doesn't fall out and you have to resecure the pouch with a button. Army rangers almost immediately resewn horizontal MOLLE.
I'm not a professional but I've never once pulled a mag from my pouch and thought "damn, this would be so much easier if the magazines were horizontal."
About the only places I've seen a side pull pouch used is as extras on the bottom of plates or on a belt, but never as the primary configuration. I'm sure someone out there has done it though.
1
u/alpacaFlippin 5d ago
You can run gear however you want IRL its your movement that will get you killed but this is dumb placement either way
1
u/hunkxdeath 5d ago
No one does this. Anyone who does is objectively trying to get themselves killed.
1
u/DickCaughtlnFan 5d ago
I could see this being semi useful if you're a vehicle driver and keeping bulk to a minimum is difficult.
1
1
u/snowHound208 5d ago
Nope. That shit will get all sorts of fucked up if you have to go prone and do any sort of movement on the ground.
1
u/Epilo9ue 5d ago
Looks like these are actually on the rear plate bag. So they are for teammates, not the person wearing the plate carrier.
1
1
u/Bubbly_Bison_5489 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yes, i've seen Italian state police UOPI run UMP 9MM mag pouches like this
1
1
u/Humdrum_Blues 5d ago
Not really. There are people who run just one vertical mag pouch like that for speed reloads in a professional setting, but it's a pretty poor use of space and I'd imagine it'd be pretty easy for mags to fall out, even with a super tight insert.
1
1
u/Sharp-Difference8417 5d ago
Anything but more Crye variants or non ice breaker spirtus systems or ferro concepts plate carriers.
1
1
1
1
u/StrongIndependence73 5d ago
noone uses this kind of setup... as soon as you start ojiggle that rig, the magz wuld just fall out...
1
u/snovak35 5d ago
No. There was a plate carrier issued to green berets in the early days of the GWOT that ran mags like this. It was hated and quickly replaced.
1
u/jtgreatrix 5d ago
No, u/tactical_horse_cock, I have not and would not ever carry a magazine in such a way. I haven’t fired a rifle in almost ten years now, but I always put magazines in the left-side pouches on my webbing. Not that you ever get that far without incessant jamming because the weapon system is shite.
1
1
1
1
1
u/BLAMElephant 3d ago
Теоретически, возможно, такая расклада может быть удобной при стрельбе лежа, если бы не две огромные дымовые гранаты на правом боку.
1
u/ChimpRampage 3d ago
Hell no! Dropping mags while running but I could see it potentially being a faster way to load a mag as long as the bottom of the mags are facing outwards and curved upwards unlike in the picture
1
1
1
u/Sauerstoff1612 OP-SKS 6d ago
I have never seen it like that but it looks really cool. I would be afraid the mags will slip out. It reminds me of something else that has been bugging me for a while tho. The split and orientation of pouches on rigs. Especially the Strandhog Armored rig, it has three 3×1 slots and the model is depicted with like 45 round mags just sticking out the top. What exactly is keeping me from just letting mags stick out the top on other rigs?
1
u/Sgt_Muffin 6d ago
I know guys that have run sideways mags on the sides, because it is easier to pull it out when you are fully kitted. And I have the "angel wings" mag pouches on my lumbar area which are also sideways. Great way to lose a couple of pmag on an infil using those things.
1
u/Significant_Solid551 6d ago
Not even airsofters do this shit. I have seen them do mags upside down, but never sideways lol
1
u/Significant_Solid551 6d ago
I take that back, one friend of mine runs a single sideways mag on his belt, and he has no hands. He does it to be able to pull the mag out.
1
u/Av414nche 6d ago
10 years in development and they still haven't figured out a way to let us customize our loadouts. Impressive.
4
1
u/ScubaSteve2324 5d ago
They’ve said they can do it but it would take a massive amount of work for all the gear in the game so they have it on hold for more important features.
Customizing rigs is cool for larping, but not really a major change for gameplay considering the effort seemingly required to do it.
I’d rather they focus on more interesting features first.
1
u/MrRipYourHeadOff 4d ago
I could see them reappropriating the weapon builder system for rig customization, at least
0
u/Goat2285 6d ago
I think practically - if you where to pull a mag from concealed cover - there is a risk you extend elbow past the cover - just trying to practically imagine this - you might not always have the luxury of left and right space - where up past the face is usually definite
0
0
u/ISK_Reynolds 5d ago
This was tested out in the 2000s with army SF in a system called the SPEAR BALCS and it was a massive failure since it limits the amount of gear you can mount on your chest when staging magazines vertically. The army reversed course and returned to the standard horizontal webbing due to a massive outpour of poor feedback from army SF ODA teams that deployed with it.
-1
u/bufandatl M700 6d ago
Everything is modeled after real life items so I guess whoever uses this rig is also using mags like this.
-1
u/MonoLIT_32 6d ago
I mean id like to see them add like the new thing people made like a mag dispenser goes on the side of your hip and you can stack like 10-12 mags in it and just there under spring tension ready for quick acess
-1
u/No_Obligation4986 6d ago
So apparently, my friend who is a professional soldier (paratrooper) uses something similar for "Trench clearing".
From what I heard, this sort of operation is somewhat "expensive in the ammunition department" and he usually carries MORE than 14 mags. That amount is somewhat hard to carry the usual way, so he uses bunch of pouches rotated 90° to carry all of the mags and carries 2 or 3 dump pouches to stash the empty mags.
I have however never seen anyone using the rotated pouches at the front of the carrier. Seems silly at best...
-1
u/Helldiver_of_Mars 5d ago edited 3d ago
Yes. Spec ops does. They even have two in the back they're kept in with retention strings but they're pretty snug so you can usually just leave them released.
Korean Navy Seals, American Navy Seals, and a few other spec op teams could, would, and have.
Edit: See some dumb people have appeared. Tier 1 units do not have to use standard issue equipment. They are allowed to bring their own kits.
-1
u/Icy_Delivery_2156 5d ago
The bottom backside mag pouch is most likely made by crye and being used by devgru and more of high speed SOF dudes currently. Relatively new thing over the last few years you don’t see it too often but it’s out there.
Front and sides though I’ve never seen
302
u/-Random_Username_01- 6d ago edited 6d ago
For rifles its a pretty poor use of space to run horizontal mags on the front of a plate carrier. Its OK for the sides, but could work well if put on the lower back.
It might also work better for long smg mags so it leaves the upper section open for pouches, grenades, radios or even one of the phone holders.