Who uses a horizontal magazine carrier/pouch?

Not all of us carry spare magazines. But for those of us who do, who carries their spare magazine in a horizontal magazine carrier?

That is, a traditional magazine carrier is straight up and down, where as a horizontal magazine carrier rides long your belt. This is much easier to conceal, in my opinion, with an untucked shirt.

I use a double OWB magazine carrier when at my day job (armed security), but am thinking of a horizontal carrier for my EDC. Looking for recommendations.

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I’m interested in what people have to say here as I haven’t used a horizontal magazine pouch.

Quick question, how would you orient the mag pouch?

I’m thinking if you pull to the back with rounds aimed down in the magazine, it would be a fast reload. :thinking:

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Oh shame on you lol you just started the bullets forward vs bullets backwards debate.

So, when I carry vertically, I carry bullets forward. Some people say this is more intuitive, while others say it’s faster to carry them backwards, as carrying them forwards requires a slight rotation of your wrist.

I only mention that I carry bullets forward because I believe it is more intuitive having my index finger on the tip of the bullet in the magazine to be loaded. For that reason, if I were to carry with a horizontal magazine pouch, and being right handed, I would carry on my weak side, with the pouch approximately at 10 or 11 oclock. I woul carry with the top of the magazine towards my centerline and the bottom of the magazine towards my hip. My bullets would be facing down and I would grip in such a way that when drawing the magazine it would have a similar loading procedure as when I vertically carry.

That’s a long way of saying I agree with your thought process.

But that’s just my theory. I too am interested in the thoughts of others, which is why I asked. I really wouldn’t know what works for me until getting into a competition or a training class. Usually within a few minutes you realize, this will or won’t work.

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@AlphaKoncepts : Verticle; same, left-hand index to the forward-facing magazine round-about the front strap of the magazine well. Horizontal, as in a shoulder rig with horizontal; left hand to a magazine with index finger landing on TOP of the unit as it’s pulled free, even shorter translation to the magazine well. ( I have both vertical down pull shoulder spares as well as horizontal. Although the horizontal rig is a 4 mag system to service either or both primary and backup in either or 357 SIG/40 S&W.

Sure it might be just as effective not carrying spare rounds and replace them with a combat knife. On the better hand though, I can share magz with someone if they need em and I don’t.

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I have at times and honestly prefer it. I also wear 5.11 jeans more often than not that have built in magazine pockets.

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If on the right at the 2:00 position rounds down, pull forward, if on the left at 9:00-10:00 the same.

Yes it does require a quick flip from the 9:00-10:00 position.

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I normally carry a spare mag at my eight o’clock position, rounds to the left. I’m left handed, but shoot right, so I load with my left. Drop the empty, and simply retrieve the spare at the same time as hitting the mag release. The rounds are in the right position without much movement of my gun hand. Sometimes, if I’m wearing a light jacket/windbreaker, the mag goes in my left pocket, wounds facing down and forward. If I’m carrying my .357 snubby, the spare speed loader is in the left jacket pocket (if I even carry one).

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No matter where or in what orientation you carry spares “FINGER ON BULLET TIP”, If you can close your eyes and touch your nose you can reload.

I have only carried pistol mags in horizontal position once, which was in a cross chest configuration, and that was for a specific purpose. That said I have carried them raked forward on my left hip but that was for a competition not carry. I have seen a few LEO that carry mags horizontal ON THE STRONG SIDE a la appendix carry with 2 or 3 in the conventional location. I have no opinion on the location or carrying THAT much ammo on a belt (well I do have an opinion but we’ll let it slide).

If horizontal works for you then rock it, no human body is built the same. In saying that I know of several ladies that are “hippy” or more graphically along the lines of (I’m gonna screw this up cuz I don’t keep up with any celebrity) J’Lo or one of the Cardashian’s (big round hips n butt and no waist) that carry OWB strong side pistol almost horizontally to accommodate their hips and the angles associated with them. I imagine a mag could be oriented similarly given the “angles”.

Cheers,

Craig6

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I carried horizontal my entire law enforcement career. Being right hand dominant, holster was positioned at 3:00 with trigger guard in line with strip on seam of pants and double horizontal mag pouch at 12:30 opened to the left on my duty rigs. Mags in pouch with bullets facing down and removed with left hand thumb on rear and index finger on front of magazine. One thing with carrying on duty, everything is in exactly the same place and you learn to draw and return everything on your belt instinctively. It is a habit I have carried into civilian life by keeping everything as close to the same place as possible no matter what I am wearing.

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I do have a magazine case that looks more like a horizontal cell phone case. It holds two magazines, both face down side by side. I use it when I dress casual with my shirt tucked in. Most often I wear an ankle holster with light slacks on those occasions.

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I always carry a spare mag on me. I recently purchased the single cloak mag carrier by Alien Gear for this very carry option.

https://aliengearholsters.com/single-mag-holster.html

I thought I would use it more in the IWB carry configuration, but have been favoring OWB and experimenting with different cants, including horizontal.

And yes with the mag to the back, bullets down. :laughing:

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As a certified fat man, the easiest way for me to carry extra magazines is horizontal carry. And yes @Dawn bullets pointing down makes it a faster reload.

If you have some extra around the middle this is a good way to carry your extra mags. If you get the Alien Gear mag carriers remember that they need to not only be adjusted but also loctited. I forgot loctite exactly once…

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I joke with a newer deputy at the courthouse from my old agency that he needs to add a few inches around the waist. All of his tools on his duty rig are so tight they have no space to breathe.

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I’m surprised they haven’t switched to a vest yet. Departments around here are doing a combination to try to distribute the weight better. I carry about 5-7lbs on my duty belt and i can’t imagine adding a gun, magazines, tazer and reloads, OC Spray and collapsible baton plus whatever odds and ends they choose.

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You betcha I did! :stuck_out_tongue:

In our Defensive Shooting Fundamentals courses we teach rounds back. I know a lot of people in my instructor course had a hard time with that because they’re used to rounds forward and index the magazine into the firearm.

It clicked for one of the guys who is very active in AR shooting. When the rounds are backward - you reload the way you would reload an AR. And he was great from then on. It’s less twisting of the wrist and makes it easier to get back on grip.

It’s all in how you train.

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Yes, I recently became a dsf instructor and I am absolutely 100% a bullets forward kind of guy. I find it more intuitive for sure. Much more dexterity with your index finger indexed on the bullet.

Talking of complication or complexity, that minor wrist rotation roesnt cost any time, adds very little in the way of complexity, but I believe adds the value of the added dexterity.

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You are correct. If that’s how you roll then rock on and keep rolling.

Cheers,

Craig6

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Dawn in my rig being an off body carrier, I have three carriers for the three magazines that I carry and have trained for a long time on how to change loads, now the magazines are up and down but all face the same direction that way my memory muscle in my hand knows how to pull it out and be oriented for inserting into my gun that my other hand is holding and the thumb has pushed the magazine release button making the gun clear to accept the new magazine, so the way I see it as a matter of training.

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Been carrying this way now since this post, and i enjoy it. much more comfortable and as I practice more, I think might even be faster than my previous mode of carry.

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I only have horizontal mag holders on my shoulder holster. Don’t like or use them. They’re only friction held.

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