matt7184
02-21-11, 23:40
Since about 2006, I have pretty exclusively been running Raven Concealment (I’ve had about 9 of their holsters and 2 magazine pouches) or Safariland Holsters (ALS and SLS models) and CompTac and Ready Tactical Magazine pouches. I also have/had an assortment of Kydex gear from Bladetech and CompTac which I have used for prior to acquiring Raven gear in 2006. All of my past gear has been used in training sessions, drills, and formal classes. Recently I received a T&E Magazine Pouch with Easy On and Off Cantiloop Clips from my friends at Cane and Derby Inc (CDI) and ever since I have been using this CDI magazine carrier pretty exclusively for concealed carry. From using it almost daily for the last 4 or so weeks, I really think it is the best set up out there for a concealment magazine pouch and it comes with easy on and off capability.
In essence, this magazine pouch gives me the best blend of convenience, security, and concealability. You know the saying do you want a car that is fast, good gas mileage, and affordable...well you can't have it now pick 2...well I have seen the same thing in terms of magazine pouches. Except now I do have all 3.
Convenience: I like easy on off clips because of convenience. I often need to get my gear on and off during the work week and for me, it is a requirement to have some type of easy on and off capability whether it is a Kydex Clip or Rubber/Leather Belt Loop (and with magazine pouches OWB, your main option is pretty much a Kydex or Metal Clip). I refused to use the past T&E CDI Magazine Pouches because they lacked this capability, because they were standard Kydex belt loops which need to be threaded [Note: If easy on and off does not matter to you, the CDI belt loop Magazine Pouches are the best out there in my opinion and ARE modular and can use the Easy On Off Cantiloop Clips or standard CDI Belt Loops). Some of my belts also make it very hard to thread through a belt loop. Easy on off clips allow me to get my pants on and then throw my pouches/holsters on. If I need to get it on or off, it isn't as easy as the single clip designs (such as CompTac or Ready Tactical), but it does give me more security and concealability.
The high convenience of getting the very easy on and off with a single clip design is nice and convenient, but also causes issues with Security and Concealability, which I would rather avoid if possible. With the two clip Cantiloop design, I have found that it is negligibly slower to get off or on. I simply clip one side in and then the other and in reverse to get it off.
Security: Because of the double hook design, there are now two points that need to fail rather than one to have the magazine pouch become inoperable. The single clip design while convenient, is not secure enough for me. I wear my belts rather tight and still have had the single clip pouches come off during speed reloads. I have had both CompTac and Ready Tactical mag pouches come off during speed reloads. It's quite embarrassing in front of a whole class while running an El Presidente...but in the real world, if my magazine pouch comes off with the magazine, it makes one more step for me to speed reload the gun (strip magazine pouch off magazine with one hand on the magazine). In a time is life situation, every second counts.
The one failure point also allows the clip to snap or bend and cause a magazine carrier to become totally useless. This is in part due to the bulky design of the single clip magazine pouches. This may not be a big deal for some who are willing to sacrifice concealability, but I have had issues because of my magazine pouch sticking out so much, such as in office chairs and with car seats. With cars with prominent side bolster seats, magazine pouches which stick out far cause me to be uncomfortable. I have also had a Ready Tactical magazine pouch bend when it hit the arm of my office chair while sitting down. That bend was enough to make the Ready Tactical Pouch useless.
Concealability: The CDI Easy On/Off Magazine pouches are lower profile and have a smaller footprint than the past concealability king from Raven Concealment, while not sacrificing convenience or security. I feel that Raven Pouches are secure due to the belt loop design and they are low profile compared to the single clip designs from CompTac and Ready Tactical, but they are not convenient for me to get on or off at all. To get my magazine pouch off, when carrying a firearm, I have to unthread the belt and place my firearms somewhere secure and then rethread the belt back. While not a big deal to some, it is to me. Also, the CDI magazine pouches offer a smaller footprint and the patent pending Cantiloop clip design also pulls the magazine pouch (or holster) in tighter than the Raven Concealment Pouches (or their clones). Without question, the CDI Magazine Pouches offer the flatest lowest profile of any magazine pouch I have used.
Company Webpage: http://www.caneandderby.com/
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7628/img20110221235925.th.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/img20110221235925.jpg/)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1853/img20110222000036.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/img20110222000036.jpg/)
From Left to Right: Comp-Tac, CDI, Ready Tactical
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/8518/img20110222000935.th.jpg (http://img823.imageshack.us/i/img20110222000935.jpg/)
In essence, this magazine pouch gives me the best blend of convenience, security, and concealability. You know the saying do you want a car that is fast, good gas mileage, and affordable...well you can't have it now pick 2...well I have seen the same thing in terms of magazine pouches. Except now I do have all 3.
Convenience: I like easy on off clips because of convenience. I often need to get my gear on and off during the work week and for me, it is a requirement to have some type of easy on and off capability whether it is a Kydex Clip or Rubber/Leather Belt Loop (and with magazine pouches OWB, your main option is pretty much a Kydex or Metal Clip). I refused to use the past T&E CDI Magazine Pouches because they lacked this capability, because they were standard Kydex belt loops which need to be threaded [Note: If easy on and off does not matter to you, the CDI belt loop Magazine Pouches are the best out there in my opinion and ARE modular and can use the Easy On Off Cantiloop Clips or standard CDI Belt Loops). Some of my belts also make it very hard to thread through a belt loop. Easy on off clips allow me to get my pants on and then throw my pouches/holsters on. If I need to get it on or off, it isn't as easy as the single clip designs (such as CompTac or Ready Tactical), but it does give me more security and concealability.
The high convenience of getting the very easy on and off with a single clip design is nice and convenient, but also causes issues with Security and Concealability, which I would rather avoid if possible. With the two clip Cantiloop design, I have found that it is negligibly slower to get off or on. I simply clip one side in and then the other and in reverse to get it off.
Security: Because of the double hook design, there are now two points that need to fail rather than one to have the magazine pouch become inoperable. The single clip design while convenient, is not secure enough for me. I wear my belts rather tight and still have had the single clip pouches come off during speed reloads. I have had both CompTac and Ready Tactical mag pouches come off during speed reloads. It's quite embarrassing in front of a whole class while running an El Presidente...but in the real world, if my magazine pouch comes off with the magazine, it makes one more step for me to speed reload the gun (strip magazine pouch off magazine with one hand on the magazine). In a time is life situation, every second counts.
The one failure point also allows the clip to snap or bend and cause a magazine carrier to become totally useless. This is in part due to the bulky design of the single clip magazine pouches. This may not be a big deal for some who are willing to sacrifice concealability, but I have had issues because of my magazine pouch sticking out so much, such as in office chairs and with car seats. With cars with prominent side bolster seats, magazine pouches which stick out far cause me to be uncomfortable. I have also had a Ready Tactical magazine pouch bend when it hit the arm of my office chair while sitting down. That bend was enough to make the Ready Tactical Pouch useless.
Concealability: The CDI Easy On/Off Magazine pouches are lower profile and have a smaller footprint than the past concealability king from Raven Concealment, while not sacrificing convenience or security. I feel that Raven Pouches are secure due to the belt loop design and they are low profile compared to the single clip designs from CompTac and Ready Tactical, but they are not convenient for me to get on or off at all. To get my magazine pouch off, when carrying a firearm, I have to unthread the belt and place my firearms somewhere secure and then rethread the belt back. While not a big deal to some, it is to me. Also, the CDI magazine pouches offer a smaller footprint and the patent pending Cantiloop clip design also pulls the magazine pouch (or holster) in tighter than the Raven Concealment Pouches (or their clones). Without question, the CDI Magazine Pouches offer the flatest lowest profile of any magazine pouch I have used.
Company Webpage: http://www.caneandderby.com/
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7628/img20110221235925.th.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/img20110221235925.jpg/)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1853/img20110222000036.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/img20110222000036.jpg/)
From Left to Right: Comp-Tac, CDI, Ready Tactical
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/8518/img20110222000935.th.jpg (http://img823.imageshack.us/i/img20110222000935.jpg/)