Open-topped single mag pouches – in various guises – are the order of the day in tactical applications. And, while flapped double mag pouches have never gone away, it’s difficult to find decent flapped single iterations.
Why go with a single mag flapped pouch? Well, the flap is more secure, protects the mags from precipitation and crud, and are not significantly slower on the draw than open-topped pouches – if designed correctly.
Enter the Patrol Incident Gear (PIG) 556 Bomber Magazine Pouch (BmP) – single, which is available from Tactical-Kit.
The BmP distinguishes itself by being almost wholly composed of webbing. It’s not just an aesthetic touch – although it does look rather good. Webbing has excellent abrasion resistance and will last a lifetime.
The build is directly opposed to the current trend for 500D or lower deniers, but isn’t actually much heavier. It is, however, devilishly difficult to work with and I’m absolutely amazed by how high quality this pouch is.
On the whole, everything is squared off and the stitching is straight, true and numerous – the pouch exhibiting small, neat stitches (which is always a good indicator to benchmark against).
The BmP has an interesting trowel-like flap design which is really ergonomic in use. The pull tab is made from a Hypalon-like material, which is tactile and grippy. The tab is also long enough to be manipulated with gloved hands – and the velcro not so expansive that it’s a huge effort to open the pouch.
Discrete as the velcro is, it does make a sound when the pouch is opened – obviously – but it’s not as loud as some other pouches on the market.
The flap is also sized so that it subsumes a 556 Pmag with Ranger Plate:
The base of the pouch exhibits a grommit for drainage, although providing you don’t go for a dip, water isn’t going to get far past the flap:
It’s also really easy to insert a mag – a massive win – thanks to the design of the BmP’s mouth and its fitted but not too tight body. There’s also an element of vertical stiffness in the way the pouch is structured, which helps.
Something which may improve the BmP is a review of its attachment mechanism, because it relies on MALICE clip style fasteners.
This is a small point, but going with a more modern integrated MOLLE system (not just some PALS channels) would make the pouch easier to mount and shed some weight.
I’d absolutely love to know the OEM of this pouch because it’s a real peach.
SKD Tactical – which designs the PIG line – delivers innovative products and because of its excellent grasp of the marketplace through its retail arm, is always coming out with new gear which hits the sweet spot.
This pouch is no different.
The Reptile House 