HSGI'S Taco Magazine Pouch

[calicojack]

After a lengthy discussion with Gene over at High Speed Gear Inc yesterday, we made the determination that I would proceed with my "review" of his new Taco Pouch. All pictures contained here-in are the sole property of urbantacticalgearreview.com and should not be used without expressed written permission by the owner.

There have been several beta testers, and I know at least one of them posts on this board, so NCPatrolAR i'd like you to post up in this topic as well.

First a little back ground on the pouch:
One of our (the United States of America) Special Forces guy approached High Speed Gear with a unique, but not uncommon issue. He needed a pouch to carry both M1A magazines as well as m4 magazines. The fast mag just would not fit the M1A .308 sized magazines. So the guys sat down and came up with this pouch. However they took it one step farther. It fits almost every rifle caliber magazine known to man.

To the guys in the field:
Imagine your MBR crapping out on you in the most in-opportune time. Gotta do a battle field pick up? maybe grab some magazines off a dead haji? this pouch would fit your bill. remove your MBR magazines, put em in your third line (or drop them) and insert new battlefield pickup magazines. that simple.

[calicojack]

This is the new HSGI Taco Pouch. I lovingly refer to it as Topher's Taco.




The Taco Pouch is basically a piece of double layer codura folded in half with kydex riveted onto it. It uses three methods of retention. The first line of retention relies on shock cord, which is woven in between the pals channels on the front and back of the pouch. The second level of retention is hook and loop on the interior of the pouch. It is to be used with a 1" square mounted on your magazine. The third, should you desire it, is bungee pull tabs that go over the magazine. While not a stock option, they can be readily added, as the loops are sewn into every model.




The rivets are kydex as well, and are secured on the bottom of the pouch, where a drain hole would normally go. This pouch does not have a drain hole due specifically to the design of the pouch.


While the sides are constructed out of kydex, and firmly held in place by the shock cord, you will notice some space in between the front, back, and sides depending on what type of magazine you use. the thicker the magazine, the wider the gap. This directly relates to why there is not a drain hole. as gene put it last night, easy in, easy out.



As you all have read in the past, i'm always looking for a good alternative magazine pouch for AK magazines, as that is what i currently run. My favorites are the DBT short m4 pouches, which i've yet to find a flaw with. The Taco pouch is a direct competitor to that pouch. The size of the pouch is almost the same size as the dbt pouches, and are well suited for 20 round ak magazines.


There are a few things that bother me about this pouch.
1) first and foremost being the shock cord retention being the way that this pouch is held together. It's not the tolerances at which the cord is manufactored. The breaking strength of shock cord exceeds 4000 lbs. My concern was what happens when it encounters a sharp edge (broken glass, razor wire, etc). After i got to thinking about it, most everyone packs at least a little paracord with them, or can take some shoe laces off the enemy to repair it with. just tie it off until you can get back to base and properly repair it.
2) Being a couch commando i can and will bitch about the aesthetics of this pouch. it's down right friggin ugly.
3) not every magazine is the same size. whether they are wider or taller. at some point you will have to adjust the length of the shock cord. if you need to really cinch it down, it's not easily done. the shock cord's ending point is on the back of the pouch, under the malice clips. so you can just grab a hold of them and yank.

4) because of the shock cord terminating behind the malice clips, it does push downward on the clips. on both the pouches i received for this testing, where the malice clip folds over it is putting a bit more stress on the pals webbing, and in turn the stitching holding on. I have yet to have a failure with it (there again i'm not out jumping over walls or low crawling every day), but should that failure occur, that isn't something that is easily repaired.


To the shock cord issue, I've suggested maybe including those cord thingies that are on the UMMPS, and installing them on when your weaving the cord upwards after the first pals channel from the bottom, on the front. then when you bring the shock cord back down run it back through the do-dads. making cinching it down a little easier.

Like i said, i hope NCPatrolAR posts here as he has some, as well as stickman. and i'm interested to hear what they have to say on it.

[exitinyourhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DzgIUDnd3k

[militarymoron]

The breaking strength of shock cord exceeds 4000 lbs.

good overview of the pouch. just wanted to point out that typical 1/8" shock cord minimum tensile strength is about 100 lbs, not 4000 lbs.

[custom-x_sponjah]

As you can see from the YouTube video posted above, I have test fit every loaded Magazine I own in it. (Including a 40rnd RPK Mag not shown) And ALL have stayed in place.
I have the Shock Cord Adjusted so that I can switch between different types of Magazines easily. I know one tester who has his Tightened down a lot more as he's only using M4 Series Magazines. (Lancer, Tapco, P-Mag, USGI, ect)
I am going to be setting up one of my EPC's with a load out of 3 Taco's along the CB Flap, and 1 UMMP on the Right CB to "Down Stock" from. I chose the UMMP as it is also Universal. So in reality I will have 1 rig to run all weapon platforms that I wish.
In the event that a bungee does break/cut a temporary knot will hold it till you have time to fully repair it.
I also like the fact that it only takes up 2 Columns of PALS webbing unlike the fast mag which needs 3 columns, and makes running three shingles on your Flap possible.

CXS

[militarymoron]

I also like the fact that it only takes up 2 Columns of PALS webbing unlike the fast mag which needs 3 columns, and makes running three shingles on your Flap possible.

fastmags will fit on two columns - it's cramped, but when worn on a chest rig, the curvature 'spreads' them out a bit. my current range rig has two layers of three (six total) gen 3 fastmags, each taking up two columns of PALS.

[custom-x_sponjah]

fastmags will fit on two columns - it's cramped, but when worn on a chest rig, the curvature 'spreads' them out a bit. my current range rig has two layers of three (six total) gen 3 fastmags, each taking up two columns of PALS.

I knew the curvature would be key to the fitment, All I have are the Gen1 DEI Fast mags as reference. Are the Gen3's skinnier?

CXS

[militarymoron]

I knew the curvature would be key to the fitment, All I have are the Gen1 DEI Fast mags as reference. Are the Gen3's skinnier?

CXS

yes, they're not as wide as the gen 1s. i don't want to hijack this thread, but you can find more info on the gen 3s buried in this thread:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...860#post441860

[custom-x_sponjah]

Here are some more pics of my Training/Go to rig, now set up with High Speed Gear, Inc. Taco Mag pouches.

I will most likely be using this rig with my M4gery or AK47.
But its nice to know that I can pick up an AK74, G3, or M1A and be able to use the same rig without modification.

Eagle Plate Carrier W/Cummerbund (ESAPI Plates inside, No Side Plates)
4 HSGI Taco Mag Pouches
1 HSGI Universal Modular Magazine Pouch (On the far Left)
2 HSGI Pistol Mag pouches
1 HSGI Mini Modular EOD Pouch (Med Kit) w/1 HSGI Tall Pistol Mag pouch (CAT Tourniquet in it and Trauma Sheers Behind It)
1 HSGI Mini Modular Admins Panel
Pair of HSGI Wa/Wee Shoulder Pads


Here's an over all Pic of my rig


Pic of my AR Loadout


Pic of my AK47 Loadout


Pic of the modularity of the rig


CXS

[NCPatrolAR]

I need to tuck the strings in on the front pouch. I'll be adding a cord lock to it soon to solve that issue though.