Traditionally, web gear out of the UK has been garbage. But it look like that changed at some point because I got my hands on some newer stuff, and the design is one of the best I've seen.
For the most part, it's your standard covered two magazine pouch for M16 (in this case SA-80) magazines. There's a flap, there are two straps sewn to the back that you interweave with your vest, belt or whatever. The straps ends snap to the bottom of the pouch. It's the way you open the flap that makes these so great.
The set I got is in the UK's Desert DPM camo pattern. Anybody who's ever used an old ALICE backpack should be familiar with the flap closure.
The tag on the back reads "POUCH AMMUNITION OSPREY MK II" along with part/stock numbers of some kind and date of manufacture (2006 on this one). The webbing you see for the straps to interweave through is the only one on the back of the pouch.
The MOLLE straps have stiff plastic inserts sewn inside to make interweaving fairly easy.
To open the pouch, you grab the tab that sticks out and simply pull up. That undoes the latch on the front, the strap falls free and you just pull free of the Velcro. All in one motion. Even with gloves the system is quick and easy. I'm holding the tab in two fingers, but when the pouch is on gear, you're going to wind up grabbing the tab in a closed fist.
Here's a side shot, you can see the tab tends to stick out. They all seem to do that, makes it easy to open the pouches.
The pouch is divided inside. I'm not a huge fan of dividing them; it limits their usefulness in my opinion. Some work with a knife will take care of that. The divider is better than you'd find in the old ALICE pouches. You had to cut those dividers out because they would snag the mags on the way out.
The front and top are rubberized inside.
All in all, this is a design I'd love to see the US adopt. It's faster than any other flap I've ever seen, and at least as secure. It's only slightly slower than those bungee-retained shingle style pouches.
You see these pop up from time to time at online retailers that deal in surplus stuff like Sportsman's Guide.
For the most part, it's your standard covered two magazine pouch for M16 (in this case SA-80) magazines. There's a flap, there are two straps sewn to the back that you interweave with your vest, belt or whatever. The straps ends snap to the bottom of the pouch. It's the way you open the flap that makes these so great.
The set I got is in the UK's Desert DPM camo pattern. Anybody who's ever used an old ALICE backpack should be familiar with the flap closure.
The tag on the back reads "POUCH AMMUNITION OSPREY MK II" along with part/stock numbers of some kind and date of manufacture (2006 on this one). The webbing you see for the straps to interweave through is the only one on the back of the pouch.
The MOLLE straps have stiff plastic inserts sewn inside to make interweaving fairly easy.
To open the pouch, you grab the tab that sticks out and simply pull up. That undoes the latch on the front, the strap falls free and you just pull free of the Velcro. All in one motion. Even with gloves the system is quick and easy. I'm holding the tab in two fingers, but when the pouch is on gear, you're going to wind up grabbing the tab in a closed fist.
Here's a side shot, you can see the tab tends to stick out. They all seem to do that, makes it easy to open the pouches.
The pouch is divided inside. I'm not a huge fan of dividing them; it limits their usefulness in my opinion. Some work with a knife will take care of that. The divider is better than you'd find in the old ALICE pouches. You had to cut those dividers out because they would snag the mags on the way out.
The front and top are rubberized inside.
All in all, this is a design I'd love to see the US adopt. It's faster than any other flap I've ever seen, and at least as secure. It's only slightly slower than those bungee-retained shingle style pouches.
You see these pop up from time to time at online retailers that deal in surplus stuff like Sportsman's Guide.
