Pitbull Tactical Universal Magazine Carrier: 6 years and still going strong
There is an old adage that says “Beware the man with one gun for he knows how to use it.” I get the intent behind it, but the simple fact is that many of us have more than one carry gun and they have different purposes behind them. That’s a topic for a whole other article…..
With different guns often come different holsters and different magazine carriers. So-called “universal” holsters are never a good solution, but one company has come up with an answer to a nearly universal magazine carrier that I’d like to talk about.
What does the company say?
Pitbull Tactical says that its Universal Magazine Carrier (UMC) “Fits any pistol magazine from a single stack 9mm to a .45 double stack.” It does note that the UMC will not work with the Kahr PM9, Sig 938, Kimber Micro 9, Ruger LC9, FN 5.7, and Ruger 5.7. The UMC can be worn either outside the waistband (OWB) or inside the waistband (IWB) and is completely ambidextrous.
What is it?
Essentially, the UMC is two halves held together in a clamshell-type configuration with surgical-grade silicone bands (not rubber). It expands and contracts based on the size of the magazine being inserted. The belt clip is fixed and not adjustable. It’s deceptively simple.
What has my real-life experience been?
In a word: Excellent. I’ve been using the Pitbull Tactical Universal Magazine Carriers on a daily basis for 6 years now after a friend recommended them to me and they’re going strong. I was concerned that the silicone bands would stretch out and lose their retention capabilities. 5 years in, that is still not a problem. I carry it exclusively in the OWB manner, usually paired with a 1.5-inch Warrior Poet Society-branded Titan Gun Belt by Nexbelt. I always have one on me and a second is ready to slide on my belt is circumstances warrant it. I’ve had zero malfunctions, zero issues and zero complaints with the UMC.
Aside from not having to buy a bunch of different magazine carriers, I’ve found these to be a real advantage at the range when I’m shooting more than one gun that I want to do some reloading work with. They hold the mags securely, but don’t interfere with the draw at all. You can orient them for either hand, bullet forward or backward, depending on your preference.
How “universal” is it really?
I originally bought my first Pitbull Tactical UMC to carry mags for a Smith & Wesson Shield 2.0 in 9mm. As I write this, they hold my 12-round mags for my Sig P365. Some other magazines I’ve had the UMC securely hold:
- Glock 17/19
- Ruger P-85 and P-90
- Glock 21/30
- 1911 in .45
- CZ 75B
- Taurus PT 957
- CZ40B
- HK VP9
- Canik SFx Rival
- Canik TP9SA
- Taurus PT 145
- Smith & Wesson Shield Plus
- Glock 43x
- Sig P320
- Ruger Security 380
- Springfield Armory Echelon
- Walther PDP
- Canik Mete MC9
And others……
I did try a couple of .380 magazines in it. The Ruger LCP mags are too short for the carrier and the Makarov mags did work, but they have a metal tab that sticks out and often would catch on the carrier when I tried to remove them, so it’s a no-go. Later edit: I recently tried it with a new Ruger LCP Max extended mag (12-round). I’m actually wearing it as I edit this. It may not be made with the LCP Max in mind, but it works well. It also works for the Ruger Security 380.
Bottom line:
I absolutely recommend the Pitbull Tactical Universal Magazine Carrier. At $20.00, they are competitively priced with other choices, but they eliminate the need for multiple carriers. Pitbull Tactical runs sales often, so getting them even cheaper is a very real possibility. Mine are all black, but they also offer the UMC in OD Green and Flat Dark Earth (FDE). Check them out here.
To be honest, if they broke on me today, I’d still recommend them. I’ve had 6 years of good use out of them and feel like I got my money’s worth and then some.