Magazine Retention
 

Question:

Why is there such a fixation on retaining empty magazines in Army units? Guys will spend a whole bunch of time trying to stuff empty magazines into their pockets or back into pouches when the situation dictates to just drop them and continue to shoot.

Not sure how this way of doing business came about and am trying to influence commanders to emphasize the soldiers life over holding on to a fifteen dollar empty magazine.

What happened over the years? :confused:

Thank you

Gene

Gene:

Actually, last time I checked, mags were more like $6 each.

I think the issue is because they are organizational issue accountable property and do not come in Class V the way bandoliers do.

If you think about it, who do you go to for more, and when was the last time you saw them being dropped off in a resupply?

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR

Commanders may be afraid of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Agree that an empty mag is a low priority and should be dropped in dire situations. I don't know if it is logistically feasable to drop and go. Also, I've seen ammo drops that are just cases of ammo and no mags.

Lotta different ways to peel this onion. :eek:

Gene,

The situation should determine what is done. But I can see retaining magazines. A rifle is no good with out them. A full magazine is best, a empty one can be reloaded, NO magazine means rifle don't work. When I was overseas, magazines were in short supply. I saw were soldiers today shared a common opinion that we had. They wanted to carry more ammo.

If you drop a magazine, you may not be able to go back and retreive it later when it is OK to do so. I bet if Ammo came already in magazines, you would not see them concerned about trying to keep empty magazines. I carried 35 magazine (20rds).

You can have all the ammo in the world but with out a magazine, a M16/m14 etc is almost worthless.

Sirs, wouldn't it take up much more space to haul magazines than bullets in resupply?
Perhaps that could be an issue, especially with resupply air drops.

Martin

My CO was death on this in the 82nd
 

He had served in Somalia with 10th MT and said they couldn't get mags resupplied to save their lives...literally. So I know his take on it, then too, what about the old scenario of being trapped in a firebase (FOB, whatever...) and needing aerial resupply. Those ammo cans don't come with their own magazines.
Seems like a good policy to me.

If you want mags (or better yet loaded mags) in your bundle, you have to pack the bundle yourself and one of your kind has to bring it.

I will drop one on the ground in a heartbeat.

The only reason I can see for not is you don't want to supply the enemy, but with the enemies we have today, I doubt mags are much of a problem for them.

Fellows:

You all have given me some good insight into the thinking behind this topic. Honestly, I have been involved in this type of thing for more than a few years of my life and at times I have to ask again -- kind of like a different set of eyes. Well, I can't see as well as years past but your input shows that things haven't changed and that is of value.

This one is a simple fix.

Gene

whatever happened to the polycarbonate magazine-bullet combination that the Germans were experimenting with...22 years ago...?

Maybe because they're in bed with the mag dump mag manufaturers... have you seen the price of dump bags lately?! ;)

Get an EGL Low Profile Folding dumper. Takes up very little space until you need it, is PALS compatible to fit just about anywhere, and can be used for a host of functions besides dumping empty mags.

Second to that!

TR

Third - I have one too.

Guys

Thanks for the plug re: Loppys, sorry I havent been on the last few months.

EGG

Hey! Get your butt off the computer and get back to your sewing machine! :D