A little over a year ago, the Marines adopted Magpul‘s Gen M3 PMAG as its official magazine. The only problem? The standard issue magazine pouches, made by Eagle Industries, are too small to comfortably fit two PMAGs; they’re designed to accommodate the legacy aluminum USGI mags. That’s obviously a big deal for Marines in the field.
Fortunately, Chief Warrant Officer 4, Jesse M. Schertz, 2nd Marine Division’s Gunner, has addressed the situation. In the video above, filmed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. as part of the “Gunner’s Underground” series, Schertz shows a simple way to make those mag pouches combat-ready using a water container and a spacer.
Essentially, Schertz dunks the mag pouch in the water. Then, he takes the pouch out of the water and inserts the two PMAGs. Next, he places a spacer in between the mags; he uses two pens, but a piece of wood works just as well. Finally, he advises that you let the pouch dry out in the sun for a little while. This process stretches the pouch’s fibers, making it possible to fit in two PMAGs.
“What we talked about today is just a quick fix that can make you more combat-effective,” Schertz says.
