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How Do You Measure a Mag Pouch?


Duane Thomas

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Okay, I understand the "baseplates don't count" thing, but I note, on my Blade-Tech double mag pouch, if I measure along the front of the mag, the pouch covers more than 50 percent of the tube. If I measure along the back of the mag, however, it doesn't. Is there any well-established, generally recognized procedure for how the "must cover 50 percent" measurement is made?

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Duane

it's really pretty easy to do this correctly

take a glass of water mark your water starting point and put a mag in it till it reaches the baseplate and mark the water level, now measure the difference of the two levels on the glass and divide by 2 and then mark that 50% level on the glass now reinsert your mag into the glass and mark the mag where the water reaches the 50% level, now go insert your mag into your mag pouch and see if you can see the line.....

LINE=illegal

NO LINE=legal

Bob

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Duane,

It looks as if the definition will have to come from IDPA HQ because I don’t find anything similar with USPSA, the Polite Society or the 1911Society. The only real guide line I can see is the method used to measure magazines in Appendix F1 (page 102) of the new USPSA handgun rules. They measure along the back of the magazine from the bottom of the base pad to the top edge of the magazine on the back side.

Given past practice I don’t see IDPA using USPSA for a reference but at least the measurement can give us a starting point.

geezer

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take a glass of water mark your water starting point and put a mag in it till it reaches the baseplate and mark the water level, now measure the difference of the two levels on the glass and divide by 2 and then mark that 50% level on the glass now reinsert your mag into the glass and mark the mag where the water reaches the 50% level, now go insert your mag into your mag pouch and see if you can see the line.....

It's so clear now. Thanks!! ;)

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They [uSPSA] measure along the back of the magazine from the bottom of the base pad to the top edge of the magazine on the back side.

If the new IDPA rulebook is anything like the old one, they will want you to measure anywhere BUT the rear of the mag, just to show that they're different from USPSA. :huh:

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Duane,

You got me thinking a little (and I have some UM pouches that I hoped are legal)

1) Measured a LOADED (makes the mag a little longer) CMC 8rd mag from top of cartridge to the base plate (not including the baseplate). Length is about 4.75"

2) 1/2 of 4.75 is 2.375. I measured up from the base plate and marked the mag with a pencil mark that went all the way accross the mag - parallel to the base plate and 90 degrees from the sides.

3) Inserted the mag into the UM pouch. Drew a line on the mag just as it comes out of the carrier. Funny enough, this line was parallel to the first one.

4) The line was about 0.45" past the 1/2 line (the pouch covered 0.45" more than was necessary). This is about 60% of the tube.

Guess I better get out the dremmel and cut it down to 51% so I can game it!

Thanks for the water tip snokid ;)

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but also my post on the water measurement isn't meant to be a joke either, since the rule book doesn't allow you to just measure the mag how you feel like measuring it, then you must measure it by some means that takes into account for the internal dimenstions of the mag. The book doesn't say to measure the outside of the back of the mag does it?

Bob

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hmmm,

50% by volume or 50% by length? Now is that loaded volume or unloaded volume. Must be loaded - when the mag is carried it will be loaded, right?

We could also do it by finding the center of gravity (50% by mass distribution)! Seems like we could game things by adjusting the powder charges in each round :blink:

:o:o:o:P:D

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The latest...from Bill Wilson on the IDPA site:

Mag Pouches.

Regarding changes to the rules for mag pouches, most of those products previously approved are still legal. IDPA requires the magazine to be measured along the front from the topmost portion of the basepad to the top of the tube itself, excluding the follower. Holster and mag pouch manufacturers were questioned on the aspect of a coverage/retention criterion and several of them suggested the 50% coverage as being more appropriate for equipment that is to be used in a potentially hostile or demanding environment (ie: suitable for daily concealed carry wear).

NOTE: Constructive suggestions have been received on the mag pouch issue and we are in the process of reviewing this issue.

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If the new IDPA rulebook is anything like the old one, they will want you to measure anywhere BUT the rear of the mag, just to show that they're different from USPSA.    :huh:

Garrett,

I thought you might be correct, but darn! :huh::rolleyes:

L

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