On board mag carriers on AR's?

[DustyGmt]

I was watching a video the other day and I can't remember which content creator posted it, it was a snippet of different ways to kit out your rifle and a brief segment mentioned something that I can't remember the name of and to my surprise, a search online is only showing mag carriers for belts and chest rigs, etc...

I'm looking for one that specifically somehow mounts to the magwell of your lower and it only showed it for a brief shot. I don't have much interest in something like this but it's just driving me nuts that I cannot locate it. It's an on board mag carrier that holds a spare mag right on the rifle. Just curious how it mounts there and just want to see the product. Anybody know what I'm talking about? It might have been a video about how different SOF guys kit out their rifles but I can't find it again......

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Redi Mag.

I watched a documentary several years ago about an elite Israeli unit and they had them on their guns. They reloaded very quickly.

 

[BreechFace]

are you talking about mag link couplers? They would appear to some as being attached to the rifle but they are simply two magazines coupled together.

MagLink® Coupler – PMAG® 30/40 AR/M4

More efficient speed reloads

magpul.com

 

[C-grunt]

Like Shawn said above, it's a Redi Mag. It has an aluminum clamp that goes around the magwell and through the trigger guard.

Several guys at work used to use one. They've all stopped. It adds extra weight and the bulkiness can get in the way when shooting barricades or moving in tight spaces. They do work as designed though.

 

[DustyGmt]

Yep, that's it. Redi-mag. Seems like something that would be cool to try out and play with for a bit, and then toss or give to a buddy who doesn't know any better and wants to put anything and everything that will fit onto a his rifle and still come in under $600 build total

 

[gotboostvr]

For a carbine that's for grabbing and fighting with what's on the gun, and only what's on the gun at super short notice, they're one of a few decent options. Mag couplers/jungle mags, redi-mags, and buttstock pouches are all decent ways to have a reload on a carbine you're going to fight with, without being able to "suit-up" with beforehand.

If you're able to, I'd prefer to keep spare mags on my body. Keep the rifle light and maintain a more streamlined profile if possible.

 

[wesmonster]

Fab Defense makes an M4 carbine stock with an integrated mag holder.
And they used to make a picatinney mounted "vertical grip" that could hold a mag. May still.

 

[trackskippy]

Something like this?

 

[DustyGmt]

Something like this?

Sorta. But the redi-mag looks a little more sensible than this, no offense intended. I'm not an infantryman and I think a couple mag couplers would be more practical. Carry a mag carrier on your person or on your belt, looks like bad news in certain instances..20rd couplers, 30rd couplers and 40rd couplers along with 60 rd drums should be more than adequate

 

[trackskippy]

I looked into the Redimags when they first showed up but didn't like the idea they were attached to the gun.

What you see in the pic above is one of a couple of versions of the Israeli mag carriers that allow you to carry a loaded mag "on" the gun, but not in a condition that would likely be considered "loaded" in most places if you using a double mag type set up. Theres nothing to it really and it doesn't do anything to modify or interfere with the gun. Just as quick and easy as the Redi-mag, and the carrier itself can be removed with a yank if you don't want it on there after the mag is loaded.

Ive used a couple of different carriers in the past, mostly pouch type things, that were more of a PITA than anything else. Double mags look cool and all (and triple mags really make you an operator ), but they are more of a PITA as well and basically unbalance the gun.

These carriers work really well and are readily swapped from gun to gun as needed, simply by dropping the mag from one gun and putting it on another.

They make a couple of versions. I prefer the vertical over the horizontal, but both work the same.

FAB Defense AR15/M16 Polymer 5.56x45 NATO Horizontal Magazine Carrier

The FAB Defense AR15/M16 Polymer 5.56x45 NATO Horizontal Magazine Carrier provides you with an external, parallel, weapon-mounted magazine carrier...WORLDWIDE SHIPPING

zahal.org

 

[DustyGmt]

Sorta. But the redi-mag looks a little more sensible than this, no offense intended. I'm not an infantryman and I think a couple mag couplers would be more practical. Carry a mag carrier on your person or on your belt, looks like bad news in certain instances..20rd couplers, 30rd couplers and 40rd couplers along with 60 rd drums should be more than adequate

I would never carry an onboard mag carrier that blocked any major functions (like ejection). That looks like a terrible product.

 

[trackskippy]

It doesnt block anything "when" the mag is inserted. There is no mag "in" the gun when its mounted, its just a "carrier" that lets you have a loaded mag on/with the gun.

 

[Boom Vang]

Redi-Mag should be called Redi-Fail. We tried them about 30 years ago and exactly one operator out of 2 dozen liked it. Adds unnecessary weight, has quirky operation and controls, and saves you - with a lot of practice - about 3/4 of a second on a mag change as opposed to reloading from a open-top retention mag pouch. Maybe if you were reloading from canvas pre-ALICE gear you might think Redi-Fail is some great invention.

Even if I had to just grab a rifle and go, I'd rather take 2 seconds to shove a couple spare mags into my pockets than deal with nonsense.

 

[trackskippy]

I see this as more a safety thing than anything else. It lets me safely keep a gun handy and ready to go without it being "loaded".

I don't have to fish around for a mag in a pouch or pocket, or go look for one, or wonder where I left it, its right there on the gun, in a ready access position. Just push the mag release, slip the mag over and in, and charge the gun. It doesn't get much easier than that and it doesn't alter or interfere with the gun in any way.

 

[bearcreek]

I see this as more a safety thing than anything else. It lets me safely keep a gun handy and ready to go without it being "loaded".

I don't have to fish around for a mag in a pouch or pocket, or go look for one, or wonder where I left it, its right there on the gun, in a ready access position. Just push the mag release, slip the mag over and in, and charge the gun. It doesn't get much easier than that and it doesn't alter or interfere with the gun in any way.

Just keep the mag in the gun and the chamber empty.

 

[trackskippy]

Just keep the mag in the gun and the chamber empty.

Yea, you could, but it drops that level of safety a notch. Is the gun loaded or not? I consider a gun with a mag in it "loaded", loaded chamber or not. This is a visual, like a chamber flag of sorts, that lets me know the gun isn't loaded but its still handy and ready. And of course, I still clear the gun when I handle it (besides just moving it), when dry firing, etc.

One other advantage to them is, if someone were to pick the gun up and try and charge it, unless they know what was going on, would need to figure things out. Just stroking the charging handle wont do you any good. Again, the added safety level.

Hey, we all need to do what we think best. If you're uncomfortable with something like that, then by all means do something that makes you comfortable. This works for me, and was a cheap, simple, and effective solution that doesn't modify the gun in any way.

 

[W.E.G.]

Every one of these looks like a concept that was invented by somebody who had no idea what an actual gunfight would be like.

First, if you need more than 30 rounds in a gunfight, you're in a HEAP of trouble.

Second, if you blow through 30 rounds in a gunfight, and you aren't leaking, you're amazing - So whatever you're doing, KEEP DOING IT.

If you have access to a rifle, you probably have access to a belt or vest that carries magazines (and other battle gear) way better than some weirdo contraption added to the rifle. And allow me to suggest that if you are "going into combat" where you need more than 30 rounds, you probably need more battle gear than just one more magazine. You can't strap all of it to the rifle.

If weirdo contraptions strapped to the rifle were even remotely a good idea, you would see them in common use with the military ande the police. Crickets.

 

[trackskippy]

Well, the crickets in Israel are pretty quiet.

And you have to love Israel too by the way. What you're about to see would put much of the US into the vapors.

These things, among others, have been in real-world use for quite a while now and are certainly an improvement to the old O ring., vacuum cleaner belt type setups, and innertubes used before them. Ive tried most of those as well and these are certainly an improvement.

If you get to looking around, there are a ton of other pics showing the same thing.

Old school

This really isn't anything new and been going on since the giddy-up, but apparently, by some of the comments, not something thought about by some.

 

[Walkalong]

It doesnt block anything "when" the mag is inserted. There is no mag "in" the gun when its mounted, its just a "carrier" that lets you have a loaded mag on/with the gun.

That's actually pretty cool.

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

Excuse me....was there something gun related in post # 18? I may have missed it. My Dr. said I have a touch of ADD.

 

[benEzra]

Well, the crickets in Israel are pretty quiet.

And you have to love Israel too by the way. What you're about to see would put much of the US into the vapors.

These things, among others, have been in real-world use for quite a while now and are certainly an improvement to the old O ring., vacuum cleaner belt type setups, and innertubes used before them. Ive tried most of those as well and these are certainly an improvement.

If you get to looking around, there are a ton of other pics showing the same thing.

Old school

This really isn't anything new and been going on since the giddy-up, but apparently, by some of the comments, not something thought about by some.

I think the primary objection to the Redi-Mag and similar is in using one to store a second magazine on the gun as a reload, where it adds extra weight and gets in the way.

The Israeli use of similar gadgets to store a single mag on an unloaded gun, for situations in which IDF doctrine calls for the rifle to be unloaded and visible as such but to have a mag present and ready for use, is a rational tool to support that specific readiness scenario.

Like the IDF doctrine of carrying pistols in Condition Three/chamber empty outside of combat, it is specific to the IDF’s specific needs/doctrine and is not necessarily applicable to others, especially civilians with rifles set up for defensive purposes.

If one keeps a defensive carbine secured in a safe, having the magazine inserted in the magwell makes more sense to me than using a gadget to store the magazine next to an empty magwell, though it could be useful when transporting a rifle in jurisdictions that prohibit having a mag in the magwell during transport.

And I do agree that storing second mags as reloads on the gun is useful only in very specific use cases, and detrimental in most.

 

[shafter]

There are several different options. They don't make sense for several reasons. For one they add weight and bulk to a rifle that should be light and maneuverable. Secondly, that weight can work against you when trying to do fast reloads as you have to be even more deliberate about really seating your mag with some authority. Slings get tangled more easily which is also not good.

I can't think of a single scenario where a civilian is going to need more than 30 rounds from an AR15 to win a fight. I can't even think of many scenarios where an LEO is going to need that many. I'd much rather store a spare mag in my back pocket if I'm not utilizing a plate carrier with mag pouches.

Perhaps some competition guys utilize them as they do tend to add just a fraction of speed over other reloads.

 

[trackskippy]

It sounds like theres some differing ideas as to why and whats going on too.

The carrier Im using isn't for a "reload" or extra ammo on the gun to be used as a reload. Its there so I can have the gun unloaded and in a visibly safe condition, but still have ammo with the gun, and as readily available as basically carrying a mag in your hand.

Others seem to be thinking this sort of thing is for extra ammo on the gun for a reload. Or maybe that's what they want. Thats not something I would want, and for a number of reasons, but whatever. You do you.

As far as keeping a loaded mag, in the gun, Im not totally against that, as long as its in your control and youre careful with it. Just be aware that even though the chamber is empty, a gun in that condition can still sorta "load itself" in the right instances.

I know someone who had it happen. He kept his Mini 14 in that condition (loaded mag in gun, empty chamber) and had just put up a wall rack for it and hung the gun in the rack. Instead of screwing it into a stud or even using the butterfly anchors, he used those expanding drywall anchors used for normal things that arent heavy. He went downstairs and a little while later heard a crash upstairs. Went up and found the gun and rack on the floor. He picked the gun up and while checking it to see if it was OK, pulled the mag, and worked the bolt, and a round flew out. Seems it must have landed on its butt and there was enough force that the bolt rebounded and loaded the gun. Kinda weird, but weird stuff does happen.

 

[shafter]

There are nylon buttstock pouches that hold a 20 round magazine. I'm not a fan since they can impede with the charging handle unless the stock is fully opened.

Personally I'd just keep the magazine in the gun and the bolt down on an empty chamber. If I need a safe way to store my rifle that's what I'm doing. If I was dead set against any type of magazine in the gun then I'd just pick up my rifle and my magazines from their storage locations at my leisure since this more of a storage method than a "duty ready" method.

I keep my rifles as simple as possible and avoid gimmicks. Optic, light, sling, and maybe backup irons optic permitting. That's all I want. I'm not using pressure switches, BAD levers, offset optics, lasers, folding stocks, mag couplers, vertical foregrips, or any of that crap.

 

[Whiskeyhotel2020]

IMHO If the IDF developed it its probally going to work. Let's face it these men and women grow up to fight. They live in a world that hates them for whatever the reason maybe. Sure some of it is gimmicky (the hand howitzer Desert Eagle) but most of the stuff I've seen/used has been great for the intended purpose. It seems to me that for the purpose of keeping a weapon ready to deploy at a moment's notice in the event of something dumb happening and yet safe-ish this device beats all the other devices tried.

Just a side note I'm not bashing the Desert Eagle. I just think they are not very practical. Unless you mount it to a radio flyer and tow it behind or are super human big like The Rock or Arnold.

Happy shooting and stay safe.