Need advice on Eagle FB vs Regular Flap Type?

[Redhat]

All,

I am trying to decide on which M4 pouches to get but I'm stuck between the Eagle FB or the normal type with the flap.

The flap type is the only one I have experience with. What are the pros / cons of the FB type?

Thanks

[matthewdanger]

Speed! Speed is the biggest advantage that the open top designs like the FB have going for them. Your hand goes to the pouch, indexes the magazine, and then it is straight to the magwell. With a flap, you have the added step of clearing the flap.

The cons of open top pouches would be less retention than a covered pouch and I suppose stuff (mud, dirt, etc) could get into the pouch more easily.

[Failure2Stop]

The Eagle FB fills a specific pouch use- what is commonly called the "speed reload pouch". The idea is to have a pouch that is dedicated to be the primary go-to pouch when you need a magazine NOW. As such, retention is secondary to access. That does not mean that it is acceptable that the mag fall out on it's own weight, but rather that immediate access to a single magazine is more important than the magazine staying inside the pouch in it's speed configuration during a HALO jump. The FBs do have a flap that you can flip over the mag to increase retention, but it will only work with GI-length mags (no ranger plates, HK mags or PMAGs). Those still work fine in the pouch, but you will not be able to close the retention flap.

As far as the Speed Reload Pouch is concerned, the Eagle FB is the bench-mark. I have found several pouches that are amost as good, or better in one or two aspects, but I have not yet used a pouch that is better overall than the FB as a Speed Reload Pouch.

The relative down-sides of the FB are somewhat high price, limited availability of certain colors, and a somewhat thick profile for a single mag pouch.

I personally have at least one on my gear at any given time. They are superb on a PALS belt. I highly recommend that you pick one up and become familiar, even if only to have something to compare other options to.

[militarymoron]

i didn't have a good experience with the FB M4 pouch - the FB pouches i had didn't want to let go of the mags. i was using them with USGI mags, and they were very tight. i could not use PMAGs with mine. i'd pull on the mag and it'd lift up the whole belt or rig with it. i let the mags sit in there for a few weeks, but they were still tight.
failure2stop - did you have to break yours in or did they work just right from the start?
between the FB pouch and the ITW FASTmag - i prefer the FASTmag, epecially the gen 3. keep in mind that i'm just a civvie/hobbyist, and i just use them on the range for drills - i'm not subjecting them to extended use under harsh conditions.

[Failure2Stop]

MM- good point, they do need to be broken in.
Same thing with the FB pistol pouches.

I stick a mag in them and leave them there for at least a week, and then work them in. In my experience, it takes a few weeks to a month for them to be broken in to the level that I like. It was about the same with PMags. If they get loose, just take the mag out for a few days to a week. I generally leave them with an empty mag inserted.

I am always looking to find the pouch that is better than the FB, and I really want to try the ICE Single Quickdraw Pouch (http://www.icetactical.com/pouch-singlem4quickdraw.html) on armor and the Single M4/Double Pistol Quickdraw (http://www.icetactical.com/pouch-m4doublequick.html) on my belt setup. They are definately priced competitively.

[LOKNLOD]

I'm not a go-fast guy nor do I play one on TV (just the internet ;)), but in my limited experience F2S's assessment is pretty well spot on. I've got 3 of them on my belt rig and while they're fast and pretty secure, they are bulky and take up a lot of space for how much they carry. Part of that is a function of the irregular spacing on the ICE belt I'm using, though.

I'm kind of considering trying out something else, but I'm not sure enough about my own needs yet to really veer off the beaten path too far. I wonder how one of of the BlueForceGear Ten-Speed mag pouches would work on a belt? I could fit three mags in the space currently occupied by two, it'd be lighter, and flat when I'm not using it, plus it'll hold random other things if I decide to stick them in there in a pinch. Also considered just a typical 3-mag shingle there, with the bungie retention, but I think they're a pain in the ass to try to put mags into, especially one-handed and/or without looking (like at 8 o'clock on my waist).


i'd pull on the mag and it'd lift up the whole belt or rig with it. i let the mags sit in there for a few weeks, but they were still tight.


I had the same issue -- on my ICE belt and especially on the section with an open bottom for drop hangers (gives even more slack). I left PMAGs in them for a while and that helped, but what really seemed to help was that I left the whole rig (with mags) in my truck on a hot day and that seemed to really loosen them out. But if MM is located where I think he's located, they've probably seen plenty of heat...

[ST911]

I like the FB pouches, and have found them to be very secure.

Flapped pouches are fine, too. Keep in mind that the holding ability of hook and loop can be adversely affected by moisture, dirt, etc.

On flapped panels, I insert the flap into the pouch and put the mag in over the top of it, for my primary (and secondary, depending) reload.

[militarymoron]

F2S - thanks for the reply.
loknlod - i think i just lost patience with the FB pouches and moved on. i just felt that mag pouches shouldn't need THAT much of a break in to work from the start. also too bulky for what they held.

[subzero]

I am always looking to find the pouch that is better than the FB, and I really want to try the ICE Single Quickdraw Pouch (http://www.icetactical.com/pouch-singlem4quickdraw.html) on armor and the Single M4/Double Pistol Quickdraw (http://www.icetactical.com/pouch-m4doublequick.html) on my belt setup. They are definately priced competitively.

How about a Fast Mag?
http://www.itwmilitaryproducts.com/fast_mags.html

I haven't tried one yet, but I'm looking for something better than the FB as well. Like MM said, the break-in is annoying.

[Failure2Stop]

How about a Fast Mag?
http://www.itwmilitaryproducts.com/fast_mags.html


I tried it out about 3 years ago.
It just never tickled my fancy. I can't really put my finger on it, but I just didn't like it that much. It just seemd clunky, and I am prejudiced against plastic pouches.
I know guys that beat the shit out of their gear and like them, but I just didn't.
I would try it out again if ITW would send me a free T&E one.

ETA- Just for clarification, I am not looking for a pouch to replace the FB because the FB has some glaring fault, but rather that whatever is better than the FB is going to be one awesome bit of kit.

[militarymoron]

I tried it out about 3 years ago.


if it was 3 years ago, chances are that it was the 1st gen FASTmag (or could have been the 2nd gen). i did not like the 1st gen enough to even feature it on my website (same complaint - too bulky), but when the 2nd gen came out, it was much improved. the gen 3 FASTmag just got introduced, and it's better than the gen 2, and also stackable.
check out my writeup - there are pics of both gen 1 and 2 - you can see which one you tried out.

http://www.militarymorons.com/equipment/2ndline2.html#fstmag3

[Failure2Stop]

MM-

After your PM I checked out your site and saw that you had a write-up of the new Gen 3 as well as the Gen 2 with the comparision to the Gen 1. I can definately say that the one I tried was a Gen 1, and it looks like there has been significant change to the design to bring it fully into the "lookin' good" category.

I will have to get my mitts on one if these for T&E.


if it was 3 years ago, chances are that it was the 1st gen FASTmag (or could have been the 2nd gen). i did not like the 1st gen enough to even feature it on my website (same complaint - too bulky), but when the 2nd gen came out, it was much improved. the gen 3 FASTmag just got introduced, and it's better than the gen 2, and also stackable.
check out my writeup - there are pics of both gen 1 and 2 - you can see which one you tried out.

http://www.militarymorons.com/equipment/2ndline2.html#fstmag3

[Redhat]

Thanks to all who replied for complicating my decision...now I get to decide on the Fastmag vs the FB :D

[Gutshot John]

Thanks to all who replied for complicating my decision...now I get to decide on the Fastmag vs the FB :D

I'd definitely go with the FB. The Fastmag seems to wobble a lot when attached to MOLLE gear and doesn't seem as secure as the FB.

I ditched mine and went with the FB on the recommendation of vaspence and never looked back.

[Titleist]

I find a good tip with the FB pouches is to use a hair dryer or heat gun, heat the FB pouches up to the point the kydex insert start's feeling flexible. Insert the magazine (pmags in my case) in, and let it cool. Try this a couple of times on the mag pouches and you'll end up with a really rigid but form fit pouch that holds the mag securely but doesn't bind like most FB pouches do at first.

[rob_s]

Another FB fan here, bigtime, and being a non-LE civilian even more so. I've been using one version or another of the M4FB chest rig since they first came out.

They can be tight at first, but wedging Pmags in there and leaving them for a week worked great to break them in for GI mags, and then using the hell out of it with GI mags made the Pmags work great too.