Combo rig: Low-Pro + Competition + HSGI Taco Review

[Dave_M]

Okay, so I've been wanted a modular low-pro rig for a long time. Until now, I had a dedicated AK low-pro rig and a dedicated AR-rig. I wanted something that would pull double-duty. Furthermore, I shoot competitively in assorted 3-gun and rifle matches. I was looking for a rig that would allow me to switch from competing with an AR or an AK with ease and still give good retention.

So, the base. That part was easy. I went with a Tactical Tailor single-piece MAV. I've always had good luck with Tactical Tailor so I figured it would be a good place to start. Pouches were more troublesome. Plenty of good AR shingles, not so much on the AK side. I prefer my AK pouches to be open-topped with exterior retention (as opposed to a shock cord or worse, flap, over the top). That's when I decided to go with the HSGI (another company that I love to do business with) Taco pouch.

http://www.hsgi.us/proddetail.asp?prod=HSG-TACO&cat=16

After seeing how versatile this pouch was, I went ahead and ordered six (they cost more than the average pouch though, $25 per). I've used a lot of HSGI kit, so I was pretty confident.

There are two points that I must say about the HSGI Taco pouch:
1) It holds a lot more than you'd think
and
2) They are a pain in the ass to install.

Attaching all six pouches to my gear took over an hour. There is a video (the second one) about installation which helped and that I highly recommend. I have 4 of the six, 'doubled up' and two stand alone. Now, you may be saying, "Geez Dave, six mag pouches? What kind of match are you shooting?" My response is thus:
1) Firstly, this is a combo rig of low-profile and competition. I want more than three magazines if I have to go out low-profile in a crisis
2) Not only do AR mags fit in the pouch, AK mags and evern Saiga-12 magazines will fit in the pouch.

Here's a picture:


Now, the photo is simply a representation of what can be carried in this rig utilizing these pouches. I can't imagine a situation where I'd be carrying both AR and AK magazines. During any given stage, there may be some shotgun, some rifle, and some pistol. With the HSGI Taco pouch, I can set it up (without removing any pouches) how I want before the stage. If I think I need 3 Saiga magazines and 1 rifle magazine, I can do that. Four AR mags and two Saiga-12 mags? The same.

I've also decided to put a triple-cell pistol pouch on my rig. This pouch is not intended for primary reloading but only to backfill the magazine holders on my hip. The utility pouch on the right side will probably hold essential items like chewing tobacco or my cellphone so I can have easy access during a match (not while shooting it!).

So, if you're looking for a single pouch that can hold multiple types of magazines securely, look no further than the HSGI Taco.

[Hoppy]

any concern about lugs on ak mags snagging on the side cordage?

[Chef]

Geez, Dave, I guess it's called a "taco" 'cause there's just a fold of heavy nylon laced together with shock cord and that's how it can expand to fit such a wide variety of magazines?

Got a shot of the back of one? What makes it so hard to strap on? MALICE? Some other weird PALS workaround? Can Gene do Natick snaps?

And what Hoppy said.

[Hoppy]

Geez, Dave, I guess it's called a "taco" 'cause there's just a fold of heavy nylon laced together with shock cord and that's how it can expand to fit such a wide variety of magazines?

Got a shot of the back of one? What makes it so hard to strap on? MALICE? Some other weird PALS workaround? Can Gene do Natick snaps?

And what Hoppy said.

obv not dave. but

MALICE clips with the annoying 3 rows of webbing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms37JsAWZtc

first time i had to used MALICE and not Natick i think i had a mental breakdown. now im at the point i just drink heavily, swear a lot and see what the end result is.

[Dave_M]

any concern about lugs on ak mags snagging on the side cordage?

No, there's a plastic side (which expands and contracts) so the shock cord never touches the lugs. Easy in, easier out.

Geez, Dave, I guess it's called a "taco" 'cause there's just a fold of heavy nylon laced together with shock cord and that's how it can expand to fit such a wide variety of magazines?

Got a shot of the back of one? What makes it so hard to strap on? MALICE? Some other weird PALS workaround? Can Gene do Natick snaps?

There is a plastic side--No, no nylon to snag on or shock cord to snag on. MALICE clips + really really tight PALS webbing = serious pain in the ass. The video shows some tips (like needle nose pliers) but this is definitely the hardest to attach pouch I've ever had.

[Hoppy]

cool. good write up dave. im going to be making up some bug out/ghb for friends. will probably consist of a county comm EOD bag to hold food and IFAK and now a TACO or 2 on the outside

[TDW586]

Not wanting to figure out how to set up a rig like this is exactly why I don't have an AK.

Looks nice though, should be perfect for 3-guns. I've seen the Taco pouch, but it's pretty amazing it can fit anything from an AR to a Saiga-12 magazine.

[ninja-elbow]

These (taco pouches) are awesome. I picked up a 3 mag shingle from AMICK late last year that I like but I kind of agree with the flap issue. The AMICK holds AK mags well enough with the flap undone and tucked back but these HSGI Tacos look perfect for what I want.

[Dragk913]

My only concern about the Taco is retention and stability.

Can you run around with AK mags and not worry about them falling out?
&&
Do the 'Doubled Up' pouches flop around when moving?
I ask because on CxS's video, they seem to flop pretty freely.


Thanks Dave!
-Austin

(If you mentioned these points in the OP, I'm sorry I can't read )

[flyingjibus]

My only concern about the Taco is retention and stability.

Can you run around with AK mags and not worry about them falling out?
&&
Do the 'Doubled Up' pouches flop around when moving?
I ask because on CxS's video, they seem to flop pretty freely.


Thanks Dave!
-Austin

(If you mentioned these points in the OP, I'm sorry I can't read )

I am using a Taco as my primary reload pouch on my belt. I use it for both AK and AR mags. It does not flop at all in that position and absolutly retins both mag types. Pretty awesome pouch. Yes, a serious bitch to install.

[Dragk913]

My only concern about the Taco is retention and stability.

Can you run around with AK mags and not worry about them falling out?
&&
Do the 'Doubled Up' pouches flop around when moving?
I ask because on CxS's video, they seem to flop pretty freely.


Thanks Dave!
-Austin

(If you mentioned these points in the OP, I'm sorry I can't read )

I am using a Taco as my primary reload pouch on my belt. I use it for both AK and AR mags. It does not flop at all in that position and absolutly retins both mag types. Pretty awesome pouch. Yes, a serious bitch to install.

Are you running two Tacos, doubled up (stacked on each other)?
That's the main thing I'm worried about.

The more I read about this pouch the more I want it.

[Enganacious]

If you want to up the retention, as an alternative to running shock cord bungee tops, you can put 1x1" squares of male velcro on your mags as the pouches are lined with female velcro.

This will keep and accidental slipping up and out from happening.

I fell in love with the design the first time I saw it, very, very clever.

[Dave_M]

If you want to up the retention, as an alternative to running shock cord bungee tops, you can put 1x1" squares of male velcro on your mags as the pouches are lined with female velcro.

This will keep and accidental slipping up and out from happening.

I fell in love with the design the first time I saw it, very, very clever.

I kinda wish the pouches were about an inch taller. For AR mags it's gravy but they're a tad short for AK mags. Haven't had too many problems with mags flopping out though

[Enganacious]

I think they went with the height because it's the tallest you want it for the shortest mags (20 rounders), albeit at the cost of some stability for the larger mags (especially those Siaga 12's).

But if the Siaga-12's aren't having any issues, I seriously doubt any mag would.

Although the Siaga-12's do have the advantage they're probably squeezed very tightly in there, I think a good test would be some 40-round AK mags.

[Haji]

Can Gene do Natick snaps?

As I understand the law, the only way to do that is as a condition of filling a contract for DoD. For commercial sales, using the Natick attachment method (the patent is owned by the giantly hugely large BAE Systems now) is a patent violation. BAE defends that patent; its very risky to attempt to sell pouches that use that attachment system. Remember how many companies Armor Holdings had under them, including a bunch of armor companies, Safariland, Hatch, Kleen Bore and a bunch of other big 'uns? BAE Systems, who's divisions makes big stuff like submarines, bought Armor Holdings. They have 100,000 employees worldwide. They're kinda big in this industry.

[Enganacious]

Granted you could just do regular tab and snap attachment, there's dozens of companies that do that.

But Malice clips for TACO pouches have the advantage that they keep the back of the pouch rigid, which for open top with rigid sides would be advantageous.

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

A little bit of thread necromancy going on here, but what are your opinions on their double decker value combo? I'd switch one of the pistol tacos for a full double decker rifle magazine, but other then that it looks pretty ideal for a good price.

$190



http://www.hsgi.us/proddetail.asp?prod=DDCombo&cat=16

[Murph]

A little bit of thread necromancy going on here, but what are your opinions on their double decker value combo? I'd switch one of the pistol tacos for a full double decker rifle magazine, but other then that it looks pretty ideal for a good price.

I doesn't have any hydration on it. That's always something I look for.

[Big B]

A little bit of thread necromancy going on here, but what are your opinions on their double decker value combo? I'd switch one of the pistol tacos for a full double decker rifle magazine, but other then that it looks pretty ideal for a good price.

$190

I like it, but I wish it had another rifle mag pouch or two. Not really a big deal as long as you can add pouches or move stuff around on it.

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

A little bit of thread necromancy going on here, but what are your opinions on their double decker value combo? I'd switch one of the pistol tacos for a full double decker rifle magazine, but other then that it looks pretty ideal for a good price.

$190

I like it, but I wish it had another rifle mag pouch or two. Not really a big deal as long as you can add pouches or move stuff around on it.

Well I could just trade one of the pistol pouches and put a rifle pouch in it's place, adding another $25 to the cost. That's what I had in mind. Then maybe rig up a camel pak.

[Big B]

A little bit of thread necromancy going on here, but what are your opinions on their double decker value combo? I'd switch one of the pistol tacos for a full double decker rifle magazine, but other then that it looks pretty ideal for a good price.

$190

I like it, but I wish it had another rifle mag pouch or two. Not really a big deal as long as you can add pouches or move stuff around on it.

Well I could just trade one of the pistol pouches and put a rifle pouch in it's place, adding another $25 to the cost. That's what I had in mind. Then maybe rig up a camel pak.

Sounds good to me! If you get it let us know how you like it.

[praharin]

I've noticed MALICE clips tight with several HSGI pouches. I think it's a result of trying to lower the footprint as much as possible. Running the shock cord through it obviously didn't help.

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

Necro-ing this thread again for a simple question that wasn't worth a new thread. Can a rifle-taco hold two pistol tacos on it?

[Dave_M]

Necro-ing this thread again for a simple question that wasn't worth a new thread. Can a rifle-taco hold two pistol tacos on it?

Do you mean can a rifle taco hold two pistol mags in it?