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Posted: 7/25/2014 12:48:34 PM EDT
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Does anyone have a tutorial on how to make kydex inserts for magazine pouches to aid in retention of the magazine? Tips and tricks on how to keep it in the pouch?
Thanks. |
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It shouldn't be too hard to get some fairly thick kydex, and make an insert, using a heat gun. The trick is to make sure the insert stays inside the mag pouch, instead of being withdrawn along with the mag.
A possible approach, assuming your mag pouches have drain grommets centered on the bottom of each pouch, is to make the kydex insert first. I'd use some fairly wide kydex, I think, maybe 2" or so. Once you have the insert(s) the way you like them, place the insert into the pouch, and use a scribe or sharp pencil to mark out the inside of the drain grommet onto the kydex. You'll invert the pouch, and use the drain grommet as a scribing template. Then, drill two small holes within the scribed outliine of the inside of the drain grommet. Thread a short length of Accessory cord through the holes. thread the loose ends through the drain grommet. Fabricate a disc of kydex about 1-1/2 times the diameter of the drain grommet, and thread the loose ends of accessory cord through that, and then tie in a double overhand knot. This will keep the kydex insert in place when withdrawing the mag. If your mag pouches don't have drain grommets, you can install no-rust brass grommets, but at that point, perhaps buying pouches that already have kydex inserts might be the thing to do. It might be a lot easier to wrap a length of thick shock cord around the pouch, and secure the ends with a simple double overhand knot. Or, if the pouch has PALS webbing on the front, rig up a top-bungee with shock cord. |
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I bought 4 Esstac Kywi inserts from SKD and cut them to fit in the pouches on my D3CR.
Figured Esstac had already done the work of designing them for good retention so might as well go ahead with it. There is a row of PALS webbing at the top of the mag pouches where the bungees used to be attached and it has done a good job of keeping the kydex in place. |
| Did you use elastic cord or a band? I think I'm understanding that you made an elastic cord to hold the mag in place at the top of the opening. That's probably the route to go if there's molle straps to tie around. If there's no molle, you could get a dark elastic band and sew it to the pouch in a tight enough way to really hold the pouch against the carrier, yet still loose enough you can insert a mag one handed. |
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