Whether you keep a spare magazine on you as part of your daily carry or need to carry a few for a class, you need a good magazine holster. If you’re considering just sticking your spare mag in your pants pocket, please don’t. There are far better (and safer) ways to carry a magazine, such as mag pouches. You’ll find magazine pouches in a wide variety of materials, sizes, and designs. To help you find the right pouches for you, we’ve narrowed down our top 5 picks for magazine pouches for 2024.
Galco Concealable Magazine Carrier
As you might have guessed by the model name of this particular magazine pouch, manufacturers do have a lot of different names for them. Galco designs and manufactures some of the best holsters in the industry, and that includes these magazine carriers. The Galco Concealable Magazine Carrier is made to hold a single spare magazine on the user’s belt. It features a tunnel loop that fits belts up to 1.75 inches. This is a slim magazine carrier specifically made for ease of concealment.
The Galco Concealable Magazine Carrier is made from premium steerhide, although it can also be made from exotic leathers if you go through their custom shop. It’s offered in tan, black, or brown. The carrier is ambidextrous by design and can be carried on either side of the user’s body. Galco offers it in a lot of different sizes to fit a broad number of magazines, so the odds are good they have a pouch that’ll fit your needs.
Safariland Model 73 Open Top Double Magazine Pouch
Sometimes, you need to carry two spare mags rather than only one. While you could simply holster up with a pair of single magazine holsters or pouches, it’s simpler and more tactically effective to use a double magazine pouch. The Safariland Model 73 Open Top Double Magazine Pouch is available in a variety of sizes to fit a whole host of magazine models. This magazine pouch is designed to hold the mags securely in place, keeping them in a predictable spot on your belt until you need them. And if you want to, you can adjust the tension via a tension screw to increase or decrease the retention level.
The Model 73 Open Top Double Magazine Pouch is offered in three materials: Hardshell STX, Leather Look Synthetic, and Nylon. Available colors include black, Flat Dark Earth (FDE), Foliage Green, and OD Green. This particular pouch is sized for up to 2.25-inch belts and can be used vertically or horizontally on the belt line. A gap is left between the pouches to allow the user’s fingers to close on the magazine in question without struggling to get a grip on it.
DeSantis Holster Mag-Packer
For gun owners who prefer carrying their spare magazine in their pocket, there’s the DeSantis Holster Mag-Packer. This magazine holster is specifically designed for pocket carry. This magazine pouch is crafted of a flexible material and double-stitched for durability. It fits snugly into the corner of the user’s pocket thanks to its shape and holds the magazine in a reliable spot for easy access. If you’re concerned the Mag-Packer is only sized for pocket pistols, don’t worry. This magazine holster is offered for a variety of guns including full-sized handguns and double-stacks.
It does take some practice to get used to utilizing a pocket magazine pouch, but that’s no different than any other mag holster (yes, you should be practicing). DeSantis created the Mag-Packer after their Nemesis holster became popular. The Nemesis is made for pocket carry as well, only for handguns, not magazines. Both the Mag-Packer and the Nemesis are designed with a core that’s meant to help break up the outline of the magazine or gun so it isn’t obvious what’s in the user’s pocket.
Bladetech Velocity OWB Multi-Fit Mag Pouch
There are situations where it’s useful for your magazine pouch to be positioned at an angle, and that’s something the Bladetech Velocity OWB Multi-Fit Mag Pouch offers. This magazine pouch is held at an angle and speed cut to allow proper indexing and a quicker draw. Thanks to the mag pouch’s design you can position the pouch on your belt so that when you reach for your spare magazine it’s at a more natural angle rather than being straight up and down.
Bladetech manufactures this mag pouch using injection-molded, heat-resistant polymer, which is the rugged material they’re known for. The Velocity OWB Multi-Fit Mag Pouch has adjustable tension from front to back and side to side so it can be adjusted to meet the user’s needs and personal preferences. This also helps it fit an incredible variety of magazines, because it can simply be fine-tuned for the ideal fit. There’s a fit list on the company’s website so you can confirm that it will, indeed, be compatible with your magazine.
Blackhawk Double Mag Case Double Stack
For gun owners with double stacks, there’s the Blackhawk Double Mag Case Double Stack. Further, this magazine holster is made specifically for double-stack magazines. It has a slight curve to its design so it more closely fits the user’s body which is great for both comfort and concealment. According to Blackhawk, it’s compatible with double-stack mags in 9mm, .40 Smith & Wesson, .45 ACP, .357 SIG, and 10mm. It’s available with a clip for easy attachment to belts of various sizes.
The Blackhawk Double Mag Case Double Stack is an injection-molded, hard holster made for durability. It holds two double-stack magazines in an upright position. Blackhawk makes it in black. A tension spring is built into the holster to keep the magazines tightly in place. If you’re wondering how to place a pair of magazines, the rule is bullets to belt buckles, meaning the nose of the bullet should be aimed at your belt buckle. Using this rule helps you keep magazines facing the same direction and makes magazine changes a lot smoother—and faster. This magazine holster is a great option for gun owners with Glocks or double-stack 1911s.
