Introducing the Snagmag
Designed to look like a knife riding in your support-side front pocket along the outside seam, the Snagmag enables the user to carry a spare magazine comfortably and discreetly, while still allowing for a fast draw.
Many of us who carry a concealed firearm as part of our daily wardrobe also carry a spare source of ammunition. For us semi auto folks a spare magazine is always a good idea. A magazine malfunction can render your expensive pistola useless and leave you in deep kimchi unless you are trained to remove said magazine and replace it with a fresh new one. The key is you need to have one on your person in order to get your gun back into the fight. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains nine months out of the year. This means I grow moss on my back and wear layers like an onion. That being said, I can usually carry a full sized firearm and one to two spare mags on my belt and no one is the wiser. As the temperature warms up and the amount of clothing I wear goes down, I will usually switch to an in the waistband (IWB) holster to provide better concealment and less chance of printing. During those warmer months even though I carry my firearm in an IWB holster I inevitably will still run my spare mag outside the waist band (OWB). It’s not because I always want to, rather it is because I didn’t have many other options. Until now.
I received a small package the other day that contained a nifty little device called the SNAGMAG™. The SNAGMAG is a very simple kydex holster for your spare magazine. It grabs onto the magazine on three sides and wraps under the feed lips of the magazine providing some protection to the rounds so they are not knocked out of battery during every day carry. The SNAGMAG is designed to fit in your pocket in the same way you would carry a folding knife meaning it clips onto your pocket. This makes it appear to be a standard blade that everyone is so used to seeing. In reality it houses your spare mag and no one is the wiser. They come for a variety of calibers and models of hand gun. The one I received was for a full sized Smith and Wesson M&P in 9mm/.40/.357 Sig. Mine was a right handed version which means it was designed to fit into my left pocket. It has a little kydex hook that “snags” the back of your pocket as you draw the magazine. This keeps the SNAGMAG in your pocket and the magazine in your hand as you draw.
The process takes a little getting used to at first, but with practice it becomes second nature. Simply put your magazine into the SNAGMAG with your bullets facing forward. Remember bullets to belly and you will be fine. The magazine will slide easily into the SNAGMAG. (My M&P base plate would not slide past the top of the SNAGMAG so I needed to bend the top slightly to allow the base plate to bypass and allow the magazine to fully seat in the SNAGMAG.) Next, insert the SNAGMAG into your support hand pocket, making sure it is all the way to the rear of your pocket so the hook will get “snagged” during the draw. When it is necessary to draw you spare magazine slide your index finger down the front of the magazine and grab the back of the mag with your thumb. Apply rearward pressure as you draw the magazine. This will hook the SNAGMAG on the back of your pocket allowing the magazine to be released.
During some practice sessions, I found that the SNAGMAG would come part of the way out of my pocket during the draw especially when I was trying to go fast. This wasn’t a big deal as all I really cared about was getting the mag out. There may also be a point in time when the user forgets to apply that rearward pressure to hook the SNAGMAG. This will result in the magazine and the SNAGMAG coming out of the pocket. If this happens a simple swipe of the hook on a belt or outer garment will be enough to strip the SNAGMAG off of the magazine.
I also tried carrying it IWB for deep concealment. This worked fairly well, however my draw times were significantly affected. I found that the only semi-comfortable way to carry the SNAGMAG IWB was via appendix carry (for me anyway). I carry my handgun this way often so I am used to the way it feels, but I know this isn’t ideal for everyone. I don’t see this being the primary mode of carry, but it can be done very discreetly if desired.
A few things to note before you rip open the package, shove your magazine into the SNAGMAG, clip it on and walk out the door. You should practice before you carry this way. Make sure you practice using an empty magazine and gun. Even better, use inert rounds like Snap Caps or a training gun and magazine like my favorite SIRT pistol. Practice slowly drawing the magazine and applying that rearward pressure. You will notice the way your hand grasps the magazine will be a little different than if you were drawing from a traditional magazine holster. You will not have as full of a grip as you may be used to. This will affect your body mechanics somewhat while reloading your gun. Not super dramatic but enough to screw you up if you don’t practice. Another thing I noticed is all of you guys like me who carry their wallet in their front support side pocket may have problems accessing said wallet with the SNAGMAG installed. Unless you have large pockets, you will have to carefully squeeze your wallet out to avoid pulling the SNAGMAG out at the same time. Then there is the clip. It is held in place by a rivet. This allows the magazine to slide past very well, however if you inadvertently snap off the clip you may have a hard time replacing it. These are not deal breakers, just things you need to be aware of.
Overall, this is a creative solution for the concealed storage of a spare magazine. It’s not obvious to the onlooker yet, your magazine is readily accessible when you need it. For me, it is nice to know I have another 17 rounds on deck. Just in case.
The SNAGMAG can be purchased for $34.95 plus $1.00 shipping and handling. They are made in the U.S.A. and come with a lifetime warranty. They also offer a 10% discount to LEO and Military. Check them out at http://www.snagmag.com.
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