I don't recall any discussion on this topic lately. Does anyone know wether or not a loaded magazine will stop a round? Does carrying the
mags on your chest provide any extra protection? Will there be any secondary explosions caused by impact?

Quoted: I don't recall any discussion on this topic lately. Does anyone know wether or not a loaded magazine will stop a round? Does carrying the mags on your chest provide any extra protection? Will there be any secondary explosions caused by impact?

A magazine, loaded or not, isn't going to stop a round any better than your shirt. Aluminum/steel magazines are made of thin metal, they contain cartridges made of thin brass. Combined they have about as much bullet stopping capability as a piece of paper.

The only secondary explosion caused by a round penetrating the mag before it hits you will be that same round exploding out of the other side of your body.

I don't know of any company that makes bullet resistant magazines.

I have heard the mags are stopping small arms fire. One empty mag might not stop a round but what about three loaded mags? Thats a lot of metal to travel through. Even though the metals are soft they will crush and absorb energy. I haven't shot a loaded mag pouch so thats why I'm asking. Maybe one of the members here could conduct an experiment.

Quoted: I have heard the mags are stopping small arms fire. One empty mag might not stop a round but what about three loaded mags? Thats a lot of metal to travel through. Even though the metals are soft they will crush and absorb energy.

The magazines wouldn't "crush" they would just get a hole. We're talking about bullets here, not car crash tests. One mag or three mags, I doubt that the bullet would even know the difference. Sure, there is that possibility that a bullet would hit at just the right angle and strike just the right part and be deflected by the magazines away from the wearer, but it's all luck. Odds are going to be near 100% that the bullet's going to cut through the mags and keep on going near it's same course.

I haven't shot a loaded mag pouch so thats why I'm asking. Maybe one of the members here could conduct an experiment.

I'd be willing to shoot some magazines with whatever caliber you'd like to see used. I'll even take pictures of the whole experiment and post them here for everyone to see. Please email me for the address to send the loaded mags and pouch to along with your desired weapon to be used.

Well, lets put it this way.  At 100 yards I have fired my AR15 at 1 medium guage steel 5 gallon bucket.  It went thru that damn bucket like a hot knife thru butter!.

I have shoot 2 liter ice bottles @ 100 yards....Explosion.

I have shoot 4" rocks....explosion.

I have shoot computer cases with multiple layers of metal inside.....like a hot knife thru butter I tell ya.

So, no...those mages ain't gonna help much.  Personnaly, I would put the mags whereever they are easies for me to reach.  

And focus more on shooting back then getting hit!!

Sgtar15

yea, what they said.
i would also worry about lots of little bits of metal and powder getting blown into the wound.

i think i would rather be hit with a .223 than a .223 that went thru a magazine.