1911 Dual Mag Carrier Help Please

[Shooter McGavin]

I've got a couple people wanting dual mag carriers for single stack 1911's. Everything I draw up just seems way to big. I'm leaving 1" between the mags, which are riding straight up and down. The stitch lines for the mags are 1.9" apart. The centerline for the belt slots are .9 inches from the outside stitch line for the mag body.

I know it will shrink some when I wet form it to the mags, but it just seems bulky.

Wondering if anyone can provide some guidance on this. Maybe theres a much simpler, more compact solution.

Thanks!

[troop]

not sure i'm understanding you correctly. are you saying you have a 1" gap in between the two mags? that is way too much. a 3/8" gap is plenty to allow a walking foot machine to sew between and keep the unit compact enough. are you molding the top and keeping the back flat or are you splitting the leather even on both sides of the mags. i don't have pics of ones i do with belt slots but on this one you can see the 3/8" gap between the mags. this one has clips on the back side and not belt slots. when i do slots i sew up in between the mags instead of using a tension screw.

Tony

[Rayban]

I stitched the line down the middle, then molded the mags to either side....worked out ok.

[Shooter McGavin]

What do the belt loops look like on those? Flaps folded over from the top and stitched at the base to form a belt tunnel? Thanks you two!

[Rayban]

[Sixer]

This was my first attempt at a double mag carrier. I like the above design better... less stitching

[Reaper]

I like the way Rayban did it if using a strap type attachment for sure. Using the two gives you the ability to run the belt through one and then through a belt loop and then the other keeping it from slipping around out of place.

Edited April 18, 2011 by Reaper

[Lobo]

I also receive many requests for double mag pouches. Personally, I never liked double pouches, especially for concealed carry. They can be very bulky, difficult to conceal, and are frequently uncomfortable. When I felt the need to carry two spare magazines I usually use two single pouches, which are much easier to conceal and can be worn in any comfortable and accessible location on the belt.

Still, the demand exists and making what the customers want is how we generate a profit. So, after pondering this little problem for some time I started experimenting with a design that is more compact, takes less space on the belt, rides high for comfort and concealability.

The basic pattern is T-shaped and a single piece of leather (I used 6/7 oz. on the pouch shown). The outer ends of the"T" are folded in to the center. A small welt is cemented in place, then the "T" ends are cemented over the welt, then stitched together. The tail of the "T" is then wrapped under the bottom and up the back and stitched along the top line. Belt slots can be cut into the back (prior to assembly and stitching, of course) for whatever belt width is required.

The welt between the magazines provides the necessary space between the magazines so that they can each be easily accessed. Width and thickness of the welt permit adjustment of the basic pattern for different size magazines. I have found that two patterns are all I need for most applications, one for single-stack magazines and one for double-stack magazines, with welts of different width and thickness allowing considerable flexibility in final sizing.

The pouch shown is for 1911-type magazines. The prototype for this design was made for Glock .45 magazines, just about the largest pistol magazines in common use, and the customer reported that it is very comfortable and reasonably concealable.

For those requiring a double mag pouch I think this is about the minimum in bulk that is possible. I suppose that it would be possible to use tensioning screws rather than the welt, but that would require a different method of connecting the outer ends of the "T" forming the back of the pouches.

Best regards.

[Sixer]

Here's one I made... it was a PITA!

As you can see I messed up my maker's stamp on the back.

Kind of a neat design though.

[Big O]

Early attempt:

Made from one piece of leather (which was entirely too thick):

[Shooter McGavin]

So heres what I eventually came up with. I decided to do a pancake style with belt slots. I wish I would have had 2 mags to take the photo with.

[troop]

Shooter, you hit a home run with that set up. my hat's off to you, very well done!

Tony

[Shooter McGavin]

Thanks Tony

[Reaper]

Very sweet, I'm betting the customer will be more than happy for sure...