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Guest Post: ‘Stripper Clips’ by Doc

Guest post from Doc, who was referred to in several of the recent AAR’s for the concurrent activity class he presented on TC3 during the Jungle Walk time slot on the  Dec 14/15 CRCD;

While attending a CRCD class, I noticed that the majority of participants were reloading mags from loose ammo in cans or boxes.  While this is fine in training, the time and mess involved is significant under more pressured circumstances.

The answer is stripper clips, the way the military reloads.  If you have plenty of ammo stored up for the future, and it is not loaded in strippers, then you are not really ready.  The principle is simple – ammunition is placed in (usually) 10-round spring-loaded clips that grip the base of the cartridges.  These are then stored in bandoleers holding 2 or 3 clips per pocket along with a stripper guide (or spoon) that is used to rapidly feed the rounds into an empty magazine.

As knowledgeable enthusiasts, we know that magazines are not called “clips” – doing so is the mark of a newbie or the uninterested.  Clips are (except for the Garand) open devices used for storing ammo outside of a magazine.  Stripper clips keep ammo organized and ready to load.  In fact, the M14 (M1A) has a clip guide for reloading a magazine without removing it from the weapon.  What could be quicker or more convenient?

Reloading with them involves using a spoon or stripper guide placed on top of an empty magazine, inserting a full stripper, and pushing down on the top round, thus forcing the line of 10 into the mag.  Repeat as needed.  Watch this video.

Strippers are somewhat hard to find, but they are out there – AR “repack kits” include strippers, cardboard inserts, and a reloading spoon with a bandoleer that will hold 120-150 rounds.  This is a very portable way to resupply yourself or a buddy.  Some sources are CTD and Amazon.

So, the final word is: get your ammo onto strippers in bandoleers and into ammo cans; and, know how to reload with them – it is easy and fast (10 sec per mag with practice),

Doc

Doc’s website is TACMEDICINE

25 responses to “Guest Post: ‘Stripper Clips’ by Doc”

  1. Point well taken..
    Most (but not all) of my SHTF Ammo is on stripper clips.
    But I had some problems in the past making it work on polymer Mags.

    Cheers,

    F.. : )

  2. I’ve had the same experience; I have issues getting stripper clips to work with PMAGS. USGI mags are no problem and I have 5.56 on strippers for them. But PMAGS are more reliable in all of my (key word “my”) AR’s so it’s a small dilemma. My solution is a shit ton of loaded mags.

  4. If you have the green cloth bandoliers, they are designed to carry the mags. 20 rounders, as is. If you have 30 rounders, grab one end of the white thread and pull. That’ll unblock the pockets so they’ll drop in.

    Keep the safety pin for other things. Cheapitude.

    • The older style 7 pocket bandoliers will hold more stripper clips than the new 4 pocket style. There are lots of these available on ebay and at gun shows.
      They won’t hold 30 round magazines, but they will hold 210 rounds vs 120 in the new style.

    • Yep, just loaded a couple of PMAGS with the Strip LULA tonight after reading this!

      I have a strip loader for the .308 mags that my RFB takes, but no clips. It is still much faster to just stuff a handful of rounds into the loader and shove them all in. You know, it may not even be for stripper clips, just shoving a handful in. Guess I need to find some .308 clips and see if they fit inside.

      • Hi ApoloDoc,

        Any comments on the RFB? Did you use it for CRCD?

        I am moving to the M1A in Rogue chassis for my bullpup. The RFSBs are a little hard to come by on Gunbroker.

        I plan on using the M1A in JAN PATROL.

        Joe

  7. SP; The “cardboard boxes” are there to keep down the clatter, click,rattle, clack, that ammo makes in bandoliers every time you move. Guys the POINT of using strippers is to NOT carry so many mags. If you carry clips in bando’s WITHOUT the cardboards you’ll make a shit load of noise in the woods.

    • The cardboard boxes are there to keep the strippers lined up and easy to withdraw. Thrown in loose, they’ll shift around and will be harder to pull out – something that can be bad if you’re in a hurry and seconds count.

      The really nice bandoliers are the British ones. they are made of heavier material and have five pockets, each carrying 30 rounds. They have a much longer life span. The American ones are designed to be disposable, something that isn’t good for the “supply train free” folks like us. They are a little harder to find.

      One five pocket bandolier takes up about as much room as two full magazines in your pack. They save weight and bulk.

    • Can’t say I’ve ever had, or seen anyone else, have a problem with any noise from bandoliers, whether they are slung around kit or stuffed into bergens. That said, there could be a style difference in the sort of bandoliers the British Army use.

      • It a difference in era I think. I shoot M-1903s, M-1 Garand’s, SMLE,s No.4 L.E., stuff like that. If you put them in a cloth US bandolier without cardboards, they rattle like dice in a Tin Mug. I don’t own a SA carbine So 5.56 is something I haven’t carried since the ’70s. I haven’t a clue about current re-packs. I love the Brit bandoliers but they are as rare as gold coin around here.

  8. Good point on the bandos. I prefer loaded P-mags, but the time may come when bandos are required, out of necessity. Good to be flexible enough to use different methods.

  9. My system is a little different. I try to buy my bulk ammo already on stripper clips but I have a source for “free” clips that I use to repackage loose ammo. It goes right back in the manufacturer’s cardboard boxes they came in and then into GI ammo cans with a couple or three speedloaders and some dessicant packs. My ready ammo is on my warbelt and chest rig. My resupply is 6 each USGI mags in MOLLE bandoliers that can be tossed in a ruck or assault pack.

  10. FWIW: Official British infantry ‘first line scale’ for ammo is (was?) 330 rounds per man. That is 180 rounds in 6 mags. 150 rounds in 10 round stripper clips in a bandolier. I don’t recall there being boxes in the pockets, just 3 stripper clips (30 rounds) per pocket.
    Why only 6 mags? Because Her Majesty is a cheapskate? It’s clearly not the answer, and troops will carry more if they can. This first line scaling relies on an energetic platoon sergeant cutting about handing out ammo resupply.
    Bandoliers and stripped clips are great for fast mag reloading. I would carry perhaps 12 filled magazines split between my person and my patrol pack, with the bandolier for additional beyond that.

  11. I have used strippers with my Czech 58 rifle, the “spoon” is built into the bolt face. The M1A also has a built in “spoon” machined into the receiver.

    As strippers are mass produced formed sheet metal channels to grasp the rim of the cartridge, the fit between the clip and the cartridge rim can vary tremendously. If the cartridges don’t slide on to the stripper fairly easily, they won’t slide off the clip into the magazine easily or possibly at all. I tested all my clips, ~10% needed to be reworked to insure reliable stripping.

    Using strippers to dynamically reload is somewhat of a fine motor skill as compared to mag changes. It does take practice to become proficient. I consider strippers to be orderly ammunition storage devices, not a tool to reload under pressure. FWIW.

    Joe

  13. Great field items for sure. I’ve been putting 3 loaded stripper clips in heavy mil ziplock bags. They can be stacked up tightly in an Alice 3 AR mag pouch or equivalent molle pouch. A piece of 550 cord to dummy string the stripper guide to the pouch. I can mount the pouch to any of my load levels. I find it better in regards to having extra loads that aren’t hanging off my neck on a narrow strap swinging around fouling my other gear.

  14. Beta Co. produces a speed loader for 10-round USGI stripper clips. It is heavy, bulky and runs $20.00 or so. With its integral magnet, it easily extracts spent metal stripper clips.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvY2lt5LnSM

    We had a .50 cal. can containing 600 rounds of Canadian SS109 rounds from the early 90’s which contained six 4-pocket bandoliers, three with 3 X 10-round loaded Thermold strippers and one 10-round Thermold stipper in an FAL-style Thermold loader, each in a cardboard sleeve. The bandoliers expand to hold a 30-round magazine.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEHPHnmod3E

    Best prices I have found:

    http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/57911

    http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/57912

    Whilst we have far more USGI stripper clips, we much prefer these. They last longer in repeated use; have no brass tabs to break; do not rust; and, yes, they burn and can be used to start a fire. The loader works better than a USGI spoon for loading PMAGs.

    The complete contents of the bandolier can be stowed in a 100-round SAW pouch.

  15. We run AK’s (for now) and carry 8 mags on tier 2 gear loaded. For reloads, we have on the tier 3 ALICE pack 240 rounds on strippers, in two 4 pocket bandoliers, each in a one gallon ziplock bag. These bandos and an AK mag stripper clip guide are all inside a Belgian surplus gas mask bag. This we found fits very nicely in the small of the back, strapped into ALICE frame between the frame bars, the kidney pad and the frame flats. Keeping it low, in the small of the back helps a lot with weight distribution and balance. The gas mask bag allows us to remove it and sling it over the shoulder in an “OH SHIT” moment where we have to drop packs and boogie, but might still want to have extra dope at the carry.

  16. Another use for bandoliers is as first aid kits or weapon cleaning kits. Even mini wash bags. Pretty much anything really. I’ve even modded a bandolier into a makeshift SA80 dust cover when I was in Iraq. Didn’t work though, as anyone who has ever been in a desert can testify, sand will get into every nook and cranny no matter what you do.