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I am going to take the plunge and try a 3-gun competition at the end of this month, I want to come prepared and have a few questions.

 

1. My first and biggest issue is carrying mags, both for the AR and the Saiga, how do you guys do it? Is throwing them in cargo pockets acceptable? Are the stages generally setup in such a manner that reloads are minimal as to not have to carry tons of mags/ammo?

 

2. Is running a single stack 1911 going to be a problem in this type of competition? I got owned at the first steel shoot I went to because I didn't have a double stack with 10 magazines around my waist, do not want a repeat.

 

3. With regards to carrying ammo, does anyone use an empty plate carrier type vest to carry mags?

 

Any other tips before showing up for the first time, especially with regards to the Saiga?

 

Thanks!

 

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First, there is so much equipment required in 3 gun that is a good idea to shoot a few matches before you buy a bunch of stuff and then find out it doesn't work. Shoot what you have and then see what other people are using and then you can make an informed choice when purchasing new equipment. If possible, hook up with another local shooter or a buddy that can lend you stuff if need be.

 

As for Saiga mags, I purchased a leg pouch from The Vest Guy, he makes them custom so you can order it any way you want. I got a triple drop leg with open top and sized for 8 round mags so my 12 rounders would stick out enough so I could grab them easily. The video below show a good shot of the pouch starting at 40 sec. You can also buy the plastic belt hooks sold by R&R to hook mags to your belt, which can also be seen in the video.

 

 

Your single stack will be fine for a first match. You will be a little slower, but if you can make your hits and your gun runs 100% it will be fine. Your pistol is only 1/3 of the match so your gun handling with the other firearms will be more important than the pistol you use. A common gun to run is a 9mm Glock (17 or 34)because the ammo is cheaper and there is no manual safety worry about when abandoning the gun.

 

A plate carrier is fine to carry mags but most competitors do not use them. Belt carry is the most commom but you will see some guys with tactical drop leg holsters and other similar gear. I have a very nice 3 rifle mag drop leg carrier and never use, I just don't need that much rifle ammo to complete a stage but YMMV. You shouldn't need too many rifle mags, I usually have a double mag or other high cap mag (42, 52, 100 round) in my rifle to start and then carry a single back up rifle mag on my belt.

 

Doug

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I am going to take the plunge and try a 3-gun competition at the end of this month, I want to come prepared and have a few questions.

 

1. My first and biggest issue is carrying mags, both for the AR and the Saiga, how do you guys do it? Is throwing them in cargo pockets acceptable? Are the stages generally setup in such a manner that reloads are minimal as to not have to carry tons of mags/ammo?

 

2. Is running a single stack 1911 going to be a problem in this type of competition? I got owned at the first steel shoot I went to because I didn't have a double stack with 10 magazines around my waist, do not want a repeat.

 

3. With regards to carrying ammo, does anyone use an empty plate carrier type vest to carry mags?

 

Any other tips before showing up for the first time, especially with regards to the Saiga?

 

Thanks!

 

 

I agree with Doug run what you have to get a feel for it and then save up for what you feel you need.

 

1. You will want a high capacity 9mm pistol.

2. The clips R&R sells for Saiga mags work great just hang the mags on your belt. Works the best of any system I have seen.

3. The the AR you will seldom need to reload. Use a 48 round Nordic extention on your P mag for long hoser stages or a Surefrie 60. I also run a coupled set of 30 round P mags. I carry one 30 round mag on my belt as an oh crap mag. Its never needed unless something went wrong.

Pat

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Thanks for answering those questions!

 

So I do have a 92FS that I could use instead of the 1911, would be a bit cheaper too so I may consider using that. As far as the Saiga goes those videos make it look like a tame shotgun, but mine sure is not with standard Federal target loads. Do you guys reload extra light loads? I do have that option but would have to deal with getting the gun to run it. Any my last question, how does those mag clips attach to the mag?

 

Super excited after watching those videos!

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Thanks for answering those questions!

 

So I do have a 92FS that I could use instead of the 1911, would be a bit cheaper too so I may consider using that. As far as the Saiga goes those videos make it look like a tame shotgun, but mine sure is not with standard Federal target loads. Do you guys reload extra light loads? I do have that option but would have to deal with getting the gun to run it. Any my last question, how does those mag clips attach to the mag?

 

Super excited after watching those videos!

I run Winchester AA Supersports, 1oz load of 7.5s going at 1350 (at least that's what the box says, probably more like 1150 from my R&R Open Saiga). The clips can be attached with double faced tape, or velcro. I use the double faced tape and then I put some duct tape around the mag to make sure it won't fall off and I use that special colored duct tape so that I know which Saiga mags are mine.

 

Doug

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I am also really interested in getting into competitive shooting after all my training classes are completed. I didn't want to go with a magwell because I couldnt find a universal one so I got the JTE Rock N Lock. works wonders for me in terms of fast mag swaps. Anyone have a list of what is allowed and whats not for saiga 12s? noobatron question here.

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I've been working towards getting a kit together too, so thanks for the thread.

 

What mag carriers do you guys like for your pistol mags? I've got a double stack 9mm, and just picked up a used bianchi duty belt with the velcro belt liner to carry everything on. I picked that because it is light and padded enough not to leave bruises when running around with a bunch of weight. I used to play pretty aggressive paintball, and hate having stuff flop around when I run. While the velcro feature is nice, I think I will want belt keepers too.

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I've found that even with a 2 belt system that attaches with velcro (I use a CR Speed belt), you still need a belt keeper to make sure the whole thing doesn't unravel on a stage because of all the gear we carry. It's very embarrassing having your belt around your knees while trying to shoot. The velcro systems work well until they don't.

 

Doug

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4th- That's basically what I have, just the bianchi brand. It is a big plus, but each thing on the outer belt takes surface area away from the velcro, and I want to be able to run and crouch, etc. without stuff moving. I'd say the Velcro does about 70% of the work, but still needs about 4 keepers. It is definietely more comfortable than keepers alone.

 

PB gear solves this with wide bands of elastic that compress in layers. It is a comfortable system and holds a lot of weight securely even while doing slides and dives, etc. I don't expect to do that in any competitions with firearms, but it sort of sets the standard to me for what gear should feel like. gear that flops around while you run robs energy and is distracting. Plus you want to reach and know where your stuff will be exactly by feel.

 

I reiterate the question about mag holders for pistol mags... What do you use for that Doug? I think I would like something similar to fobus that holds 3-4 pistol mags in one holder. 9mm DS.

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I reiterate the question about mag holders for pistol mags... What do you use for that Doug? I think I would like something similar to fobus that holds 3-4 pistol mags in one holder. 9mm DS.

In the past I have run CR Speed, Safariland and BladeTech mag pouches. The Blade Tech work fine but are not adjustable. The CR and Safariland give you more adjustment in terms of angle and retention. For Single Stack and Production Divisions I use the Blade Techs, on my 3 gun belt I run 3 CR Speeds single pouches. I do have a Blade Tech single rifle mag holder on the left rear of my belt. It has the old style belt loop attachment that I like a lot better than the new Tec Loc type because it has a wider base to prevent it from shifting.

 

Doug

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Like me a lot of my equipment is old and worn down plus in some cases no longer in production. This coupled with being left handed sometimes hampers my choices. One of the things I had encountered was some of the older leather angled mag pouches I have that work great with a production mag seem to have too much droop with a 170mm long open mag. Most likely just too much wear and tear on the old leather and no good way to tighten them up.

I’ve bought a few of the BladeTech pouches too for Glock and single stack mags after I got a holster and some pouches from them for my son they seem to work pretty well but all of them are straight up and down.

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Looking at the attached videos I wondered how you folks handle retrieving and grounding your magazine fed shotguns in a barrel.

 

With those long magazines, do they fit in the barrel? Or do you retrieve and place the gun in the barrel with no magazine in place?

 

Thanks for an interesting thread.

 

Bill

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