I like my Skull Monkey Gear shooting mat a lot, and while browsing their Facebook page images, I noticed an ammo carrier that I thought would be perfect for my needs. To date, I’ve carried my ammo in one of those 50 round green plastic boxes with the snap lid. I can’t stand the rattling of the rounds in there and had been keeping an eye out for something better. I chose the pouch in digital woodland and three 20 rounds ammo cards in coyote tan to match my mat.
I called and placed my order late on Friday, and once again the package showed-up via Priority Mail on Wednesday. My cost was $35 for the pouch, and $22 for each Ammo Holder Card (ACH). Shipping was $5 via Priority Mail.
I was excited to get this pouch and the ACH’s. First glance showed great quality and attention to detail. Like everything else I’ve received from them, the pouch and ACH’s are made from 1000 denier Cordura. The pouch is smooth and plain on the exterior with the exception of the rear where the PALS and SMG tab are located. The bottom of the pouch has a standard black metal drain grommet. As with my mat, double and reinforced stitching abound, and I don’t foresee any longevity issues.
The pouch measures 8”H x 4”W x 3”D and has a YKK zipper with two sliders. I’ll probably add a short length of paracord to each slider just because I like that. When closed, the zipper is nicely covered by flaps on either side. As with any YKK product I’ve used, opening and closing is easy and smooth.
The ACH’s are also made of 1000 denier Cordura with 2” wide elastic and paracord handles at the top. They fit my 7m-08 rounds just fine.
While I really like the pouch and ammo card holders, they are exactly what I expected them to be – high quality materials, well made, and 100% functional. What impressed me most about this little package, however, was the new PALS attachment method – Molly Stix (and yes, it is Molly, not MOLLE, and Stix is used for both singular and plural).
It used to be a pet peeve of mine when pouches, etc. did not come with the traditional “Natick snaps” (or similar)on them, forcing me to buy another component before I could use it. In the past, I’ve bought Blackhawk STRIKE speedclips or Tactical Tailor MALICE clips – sometimes after the fact because I missed that no attachment method came with the pouch.
Cris from SMG had told me about the Molly Stix when I placed my order. I’d never heard of them before but Cris has not let me down yet. Since they were included in the cost of the pouch, I decided not to order any ‘backup’ clips from BH or TT. Sold separately, I believe they sell for $3 apiece. I believe SMG has them in black right now with coyote coming soon.
Molly Stix are made from polymer by National Molding and are part of their Duraflex line. After I played around with them a little, I realized how slick they really were. They are very rigid and thread between the PALS webbing easily with no snagging. Pressing the snap at the top locks the Molly Stix in place. The snap is firm with good positive feedback. Once locked, two small sharp points are driven against the webbing – it’s not going anywhere at that point.
Although Molly Stix are designed to fulfill the same function as many others, where they really differ and excel is when any sort of quick release function is desired. To open, simply unsnap the tab at the top using the supplied cord or your fingers. The Molly Stix will then slide right out of the PALS webbing. According to National Molding, a pretty good idea is to tie the cords on the Molly Stix together. That way, with a single tug, both pieces unlock simultaneously and can be slid right out of the webbing leaving the pouch completely free. Made sense to me, so that’s what I did.
The speed and ease at which this is done is where they really differentiate themselves from the other products I’ve used in the past. Even the BH speedclips tend to snag when removing them.
This seems like the perfect attachment method for something like my ACH pouch, or a non-tear away medical pouch, etc. They may also be perfect for gear where there’s a need to quickly reconfigure depending upon the situation or use. Once I convert my shooting pack to something with PALS (currently using an old IIFS combat patrol pack), this ACH pouch and my GSW trauma kit will reside on the outside. They’ll both be secured with Molly Stix. They are simple, strong, and just plain better than anything else I’ve seen – especially for anything where a rapid release is desired.
I called and placed my order late on Friday, and once again the package showed-up via Priority Mail on Wednesday. My cost was $35 for the pouch, and $22 for each Ammo Holder Card (ACH). Shipping was $5 via Priority Mail.
I was excited to get this pouch and the ACH’s. First glance showed great quality and attention to detail. Like everything else I’ve received from them, the pouch and ACH’s are made from 1000 denier Cordura. The pouch is smooth and plain on the exterior with the exception of the rear where the PALS and SMG tab are located. The bottom of the pouch has a standard black metal drain grommet. As with my mat, double and reinforced stitching abound, and I don’t foresee any longevity issues.
The pouch measures 8”H x 4”W x 3”D and has a YKK zipper with two sliders. I’ll probably add a short length of paracord to each slider just because I like that. When closed, the zipper is nicely covered by flaps on either side. As with any YKK product I’ve used, opening and closing is easy and smooth.
The ACH’s are also made of 1000 denier Cordura with 2” wide elastic and paracord handles at the top. They fit my 7m-08 rounds just fine.
While I really like the pouch and ammo card holders, they are exactly what I expected them to be – high quality materials, well made, and 100% functional. What impressed me most about this little package, however, was the new PALS attachment method – Molly Stix (and yes, it is Molly, not MOLLE, and Stix is used for both singular and plural).
It used to be a pet peeve of mine when pouches, etc. did not come with the traditional “Natick snaps” (or similar)on them, forcing me to buy another component before I could use it. In the past, I’ve bought Blackhawk STRIKE speedclips or Tactical Tailor MALICE clips – sometimes after the fact because I missed that no attachment method came with the pouch.
Cris from SMG had told me about the Molly Stix when I placed my order. I’d never heard of them before but Cris has not let me down yet. Since they were included in the cost of the pouch, I decided not to order any ‘backup’ clips from BH or TT. Sold separately, I believe they sell for $3 apiece. I believe SMG has them in black right now with coyote coming soon.
Molly Stix are made from polymer by National Molding and are part of their Duraflex line. After I played around with them a little, I realized how slick they really were. They are very rigid and thread between the PALS webbing easily with no snagging. Pressing the snap at the top locks the Molly Stix in place. The snap is firm with good positive feedback. Once locked, two small sharp points are driven against the webbing – it’s not going anywhere at that point.
Although Molly Stix are designed to fulfill the same function as many others, where they really differ and excel is when any sort of quick release function is desired. To open, simply unsnap the tab at the top using the supplied cord or your fingers. The Molly Stix will then slide right out of the PALS webbing. According to National Molding, a pretty good idea is to tie the cords on the Molly Stix together. That way, with a single tug, both pieces unlock simultaneously and can be slid right out of the webbing leaving the pouch completely free. Made sense to me, so that’s what I did.
The speed and ease at which this is done is where they really differentiate themselves from the other products I’ve used in the past. Even the BH speedclips tend to snag when removing them.
This seems like the perfect attachment method for something like my ACH pouch, or a non-tear away medical pouch, etc. They may also be perfect for gear where there’s a need to quickly reconfigure depending upon the situation or use. Once I convert my shooting pack to something with PALS (currently using an old IIFS combat patrol pack), this ACH pouch and my GSW trauma kit will reside on the outside. They’ll both be secured with Molly Stix. They are simple, strong, and just plain better than anything else I’ve seen – especially for anything where a rapid release is desired.
