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Mag pouch comparison:
• Comp-Tac single mag pouch (with Tek-lok)
• Comp-Tac single mag pouch (standard clip)
• Hoffners double mag pouch
• Kytac single mag pouch
• Ready Tactical single mag pouch
Here is what I found:
Comp-Tac single mag pouch with Tek-lok
I am a Comp-Tac holster junkie so when I went looking for mag pouches, I had to see what they had to offer.
I didn’t really like the Tek-lok feature. I found no personal value in it and because the design makes the back of the clip ride higher than the top of the belt, I thought it might be uncomfortable against the skin if worn all day long. I did not wear it long enough to find out. The pouch has adjustable retention but even with the screw backed out and loose, drawing the magazine was sluggish compared to the other pouches. The pouch extended only slightly lower on the belt than the Kytac pouch.
$30 at Comp-Tac
Comp-Tac single mag pouch
I found this pouch quite different than the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. This highlights the fact that these pouches are handmade (as are the other pouches in this comparison test) and not stamped out by some machine where they are all exactly the same.
This particular pouch sat closest to my body due to a slight inward cant. I contacted Comp-Tac to ask if this was an intentional design characteristic and was told that it was not. Some might find this advantageous for concealed carry, but I don’t need it to sit that close so I will probably send it back. Its position on the belt was comparable to the other Comp-Tac pouch (slightly lower on the belt than the Kytac). The draw was almost as good as the Kytac and much better than the other Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. You can adjust the tension to find the fit most desirable.
$25 at Comp-Tac
Hoffners double mag pouch
I have always been intrigued by this design so I wanted to try it out. I was hoping to try their single mag pouch, but only a double mag pouch for a MP45 was available to me. With the tension cranked up, it worked quite well with the .40 mags.
The draw was nice and possibly the second fastest among the models tested. That may have been because it was a .45 pouch, but I actually attribute it to the design. Of the pouches tested, this pouch easily allowed the fastest, easiest storage of mags. I also attribute this to the design and not the fact that I was not using .45 mags. You would probably have to try it yourself to see what I mean. This double mag pouch sports independent adjustable tension so that each mag can be fit exactly how you want it. Of the pouches tested, only the improperly made Comp-Tac pouch rode closer to the body.
This double mag pouch rides quite low on the belt so it may not be as concealable as the other pouches tested, depending on your cover garment. That also made it a little more difficult to get a good grip on the mag in order to load quickly. However, from the pictures on Hoffners website it appears their single mag pouches ride higher.
I was impressed with this pouch enough that I wanted to contact Hoffners to ask a few questions and possibly place an order for a single mag pouch to test further. I sent an email on Sept. 7th and I still haven’t received a reply. I also called the internet ordering number but could not get my questions answered and was told to call the factory where I left a message on Sept. 10th - I’m still waiting for a call back. Another mp-pistol.com member had a similar experience with Hoffners “couldn’t care less” attitude.
I give the Hoffners pouch a DNF since their company was not interested in doing business with me, but their gear is worth considering. I just wonder how their single mag pouch would have faired in this comparison test.
$25 (single) or $55 (double) at Hoffners
Kytac single mag pouch
This pouch was the shortest on the belt of all pouches in this comparison test. That makes it arguably easier to conceal if you don’t have a longer cover garment. Where the pouch rides in relation to the body is about the same as the Ready Tactical and the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. It has adjustable tension and the draw is a lot faster than the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok, and slightly faster than the standard Comp-Tac mag pouch, but not as fast as the Hoffners and Ready Tactical pouch.
The Kytac was a late addition to the comparison test and takes 2nd place overall.
$27.50 at Kytac
Ready Tactical single mag pouch
I was initially drawn to this pouch due to its innovative design which is similar to the iSHOT mag pouch. The pouch is self-tensioning which securely holds the mag but makes for a lightning fast draw. Because there is no retention screw, its “footprint” on the belt is basically the same as the mag itself. The bottom of the mag pouch extends lower than the Comp-Tac and Kytac pouch, but I did not see that as a negative since I can still get a good grip for the draw and will not be using them for concealed carry with a short cover garment. Its clip design was a cross between a clip and a paddle and featured “wings” on the bottom that wrap around the pouch body to secure it on the belt. Because of this it’s best to thread the pouch on and off the belt rather than trying to put it on or take it off with the belt cinched up.
I would personally like to see a little less space between the pouch body and the clip. I’m not exactly wearing a double thick leather belt, I wear a Liger belt, so I don’t need that extra space. But its not that big of a deal as the pouch I tested against the others still held the mag similar to the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok and Kytac pouch in relation to the body.
Back to the issue of being handmade, I found more variation than I would have liked. The clip designs differed somewhat but comparing them back to back I thankfully found it did not significantly alter how they sat on the belt. I might have someone work on the clips for me. Not because its necessary, but because I can. There was some variance in the level of retention as well. Because they are self-tensioning it had everything to do with fit. None were too loose but some were a little tight. But again, because of their design I believe that it is easily remedied.
The Ready Tactical pouch takes 1st place in my comparison test.
$20 at SKD Tactical exclusively.
***************
Because all the pouches I tested are handmade with kydex, it was hard to get an apples to apples comparison, when even those from the same manufacturer varied. All of these pouches were somewhat similar and anyone purchasing any of them would probably be happy with them, but I’ve tried my best to describe their subtle differences and present my findings according to my impressions of each.
A big thanks to utarch00, YukonGlocker, and Welder for being so generous and helpful, making this comparison test possible.
• Comp-Tac single mag pouch (with Tek-lok)
• Comp-Tac single mag pouch (standard clip)
• Hoffners double mag pouch
• Kytac single mag pouch
• Ready Tactical single mag pouch
Here is what I found:
Comp-Tac single mag pouch with Tek-lok
I am a Comp-Tac holster junkie so when I went looking for mag pouches, I had to see what they had to offer.
I didn’t really like the Tek-lok feature. I found no personal value in it and because the design makes the back of the clip ride higher than the top of the belt, I thought it might be uncomfortable against the skin if worn all day long. I did not wear it long enough to find out. The pouch has adjustable retention but even with the screw backed out and loose, drawing the magazine was sluggish compared to the other pouches. The pouch extended only slightly lower on the belt than the Kytac pouch.
$30 at Comp-Tac
Comp-Tac single mag pouch
I found this pouch quite different than the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. This highlights the fact that these pouches are handmade (as are the other pouches in this comparison test) and not stamped out by some machine where they are all exactly the same.
This particular pouch sat closest to my body due to a slight inward cant. I contacted Comp-Tac to ask if this was an intentional design characteristic and was told that it was not. Some might find this advantageous for concealed carry, but I don’t need it to sit that close so I will probably send it back. Its position on the belt was comparable to the other Comp-Tac pouch (slightly lower on the belt than the Kytac). The draw was almost as good as the Kytac and much better than the other Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. You can adjust the tension to find the fit most desirable.
$25 at Comp-Tac
Hoffners double mag pouch
I have always been intrigued by this design so I wanted to try it out. I was hoping to try their single mag pouch, but only a double mag pouch for a MP45 was available to me. With the tension cranked up, it worked quite well with the .40 mags.
The draw was nice and possibly the second fastest among the models tested. That may have been because it was a .45 pouch, but I actually attribute it to the design. Of the pouches tested, this pouch easily allowed the fastest, easiest storage of mags. I also attribute this to the design and not the fact that I was not using .45 mags. You would probably have to try it yourself to see what I mean. This double mag pouch sports independent adjustable tension so that each mag can be fit exactly how you want it. Of the pouches tested, only the improperly made Comp-Tac pouch rode closer to the body.
This double mag pouch rides quite low on the belt so it may not be as concealable as the other pouches tested, depending on your cover garment. That also made it a little more difficult to get a good grip on the mag in order to load quickly. However, from the pictures on Hoffners website it appears their single mag pouches ride higher.
I was impressed with this pouch enough that I wanted to contact Hoffners to ask a few questions and possibly place an order for a single mag pouch to test further. I sent an email on Sept. 7th and I still haven’t received a reply. I also called the internet ordering number but could not get my questions answered and was told to call the factory where I left a message on Sept. 10th - I’m still waiting for a call back. Another mp-pistol.com member had a similar experience with Hoffners “couldn’t care less” attitude.
I give the Hoffners pouch a DNF since their company was not interested in doing business with me, but their gear is worth considering. I just wonder how their single mag pouch would have faired in this comparison test.
$25 (single) or $55 (double) at Hoffners
Kytac single mag pouch
This pouch was the shortest on the belt of all pouches in this comparison test. That makes it arguably easier to conceal if you don’t have a longer cover garment. Where the pouch rides in relation to the body is about the same as the Ready Tactical and the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok. It has adjustable tension and the draw is a lot faster than the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok, and slightly faster than the standard Comp-Tac mag pouch, but not as fast as the Hoffners and Ready Tactical pouch.
The Kytac was a late addition to the comparison test and takes 2nd place overall.
$27.50 at Kytac
Ready Tactical single mag pouch
I was initially drawn to this pouch due to its innovative design which is similar to the iSHOT mag pouch. The pouch is self-tensioning which securely holds the mag but makes for a lightning fast draw. Because there is no retention screw, its “footprint” on the belt is basically the same as the mag itself. The bottom of the mag pouch extends lower than the Comp-Tac and Kytac pouch, but I did not see that as a negative since I can still get a good grip for the draw and will not be using them for concealed carry with a short cover garment. Its clip design was a cross between a clip and a paddle and featured “wings” on the bottom that wrap around the pouch body to secure it on the belt. Because of this it’s best to thread the pouch on and off the belt rather than trying to put it on or take it off with the belt cinched up.
I would personally like to see a little less space between the pouch body and the clip. I’m not exactly wearing a double thick leather belt, I wear a Liger belt, so I don’t need that extra space. But its not that big of a deal as the pouch I tested against the others still held the mag similar to the Comp-Tac pouch with Tek-lok and Kytac pouch in relation to the body.
Back to the issue of being handmade, I found more variation than I would have liked. The clip designs differed somewhat but comparing them back to back I thankfully found it did not significantly alter how they sat on the belt. I might have someone work on the clips for me. Not because its necessary, but because I can. There was some variance in the level of retention as well. Because they are self-tensioning it had everything to do with fit. None were too loose but some were a little tight. But again, because of their design I believe that it is easily remedied.
The Ready Tactical pouch takes 1st place in my comparison test.
$20 at SKD Tactical exclusively.
***************
Because all the pouches I tested are handmade with kydex, it was hard to get an apples to apples comparison, when even those from the same manufacturer varied. All of these pouches were somewhat similar and anyone purchasing any of them would probably be happy with them, but I’ve tried my best to describe their subtle differences and present my findings according to my impressions of each.
A big thanks to utarch00, YukonGlocker, and Welder for being so generous and helpful, making this comparison test possible.
