Regardless of whether you carry a spare mag or not, you have to reload on the range. Why not learn to do it well? That’s why you need a magazine pouch. This JM Custom Kydex Magazine Pouch Review will show off my favorite magazine pouch for the range, and concealed carry.
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Spare Mag: To Carry or Not
Many would argue that carrying a spare magazine is not necessary for civilian concealed carry. I wouldn’t really argue that point. There are certainly pros to carrying a spare mag – more ammo, and an extra magazine should your mag fail. But there are also con, like bulk and weight. I carry a spare magazine much of the time because I carry a 1911. The 1911 has low capacity, but it also has very thin, flat, easily-carried magazines.
But sometimes I don’t carry a spare magazine. If my mode of dress or my comfort – or the situation – doesn’t warrant carrying a spare magazine I will omit it. Some of you may choose not to carry a spare magazine, either sometimes or not at all. That’s fine too – it’s all part of your personal calculus of the value you feel a magazine brings versus the added inconvenience of carrying one.
Regardless of whether you carry a spare magazine or not, you should have a magazine pouch (or two). A day may come when you need to carry a spare mag, and you’ll wish you had a pouch. If you attend a training course, you will probably need a way to carry spare ammunition. Since you have to reload your pistol at the range anyway, you might as well have a pouch to facilitate good reloading technique. And of course you need a magazine pouch to shoot many of the drills I demonstrate here.
JM Custom Kydex Magazine Pouch
If you’re going to purchase a magazine pouch, you could do a lot worse than the JM Custom Kydex Magazine Pouch. The first such pouch I ever encountered was a gift to me by a friend. The pouch in question was for my 1911. I like it so much that since then, then I’ve purchased multiple additional JM Custom Kydex Magazine Pouches. the specific pouches I’ve purchased are the JMCK Single Magazine Pouch V.2 and V.3.
These mag pouches are made from a single, folded piece of Kydex. The curve of the fold is on the leading edge, and the two pieces are held together via a tension screw (the v.2 has two tension screws). The tension screw can be used to adjust how tightly the magazine is held; loosening allows the magazine to be withdrawn more easily while tightening it improves security.
The V.1 and V.2 mag pouches are held to the belt by either a standard plastic clip or a “JM clip.” The JM clip sits closer to the pouch and is intended for use only on thinner belts. It works fantastically with the Patagonia Tech Web Belt I have worn for many years.
My Experience with JMCK Magazine Pouches
I have quite a bit of experience with these magazine pouches. I have worn them to several shooting courses, including the Cognitive Conclave and the Rangemaster Protective Pistolcraft course. At least two more pistol classes are planned with them this year. Additionally, I have hundreds of hours carrying these magazine pouches in daily life, and thousands of reps on the range.
I have JM Custom Kydex Magazine Pouches for my NHC 1911, Wilson Combat SFX9, Glock 48, and Sig P365XL. One of my favorite features about these pouches is the multitude of colors in which they are available – this helps me keep track of which pouch goes with which gun/holster combination.
These pouches carry magazines close to the body. They carry them with enough security that I never worry about dropping one, but release the magazine easily when I need it. Having a magazine pouch is a really good idea, even if you don’t carry a spare mag. The JM Custom Kydex Single Magazine Pouch V.3 is an outstanding one and I recommend it without reservation.
