How many magazines?

Contrast Man · March 22, 2012, 06:29 AM

I read about (and see) people who have countless magazines for most of their pistols. I'm wondering what's the benefit of having so many? I have two magazines for each of mine and that seems to work out fine for me. I've looked at buying more magazines, but for one magazine I could buy at least two boxes of ammo, so I take that route (BTW, I primarily shoot 9mm).

How many magazines do YOU have and why?

Double Naught Spy · March 22, 2012, 07:11 AM

I think most of us with multiple mags are folks who do a goodly amount of whooting when we go to the range. It is nice to be able to preload several magazines and work on a series of drills without having to spot to load mags.

Also, multiple mags allow us to not need to download SD ammo from our carry mags in order to practice. We just use the extra mags.

Some like to have multiples of magazines as part of the defense strategies and may keep loaded spares in multiple locations.

For semi-auto guns, I like to get 10 mags.,

Sparks1957 · March 22, 2012, 07:15 AM

I have anywhere from 4-6 mags for my semiautos, for all the same reasons in the post above.

lee n. field · March 22, 2012, 07:30 AM

Quote:

I read about (and see) people who have countless magazines for most of their pistols. I'm wondering what's the benefit of having so many? I have two magazines for each of mine and that seems to work out fine for me. I've looked at buying more magazines, but for one magazine I could buy at least two boxes of ammo, so I take that route (BTW, I primarily shoot 9mm).

How many magazines do YOU have and why?

Because magazines can fail, wear out, be damaged.

How many, depends on purpose of the gun they're for, and cost. For most, I try to end up with 8.

RUT · March 22, 2012, 08:05 AM

>>Because magazines can fail, wear out, be damaged.<<

And due to intrusive government regulations they can sometimes be hard to get.

Billy Shears · March 22, 2012, 08:07 AM

I got a boxful of those $5 Korean import Glock mags from CDNN solely for range purposes. That way I preserve my real Glock mags and importantly, like Double Naught Spy said above, I can preload all my range mags the night before so I don't spend half of my range time thumbing cartridges into my magazines. More time shooting, less time loading.

jcsturgeon · March 22, 2012, 08:12 AM

I don't think my gun club would like it if I showed up with full mags all ready to go...

Anyway, my dream is to be like Hickok45 and have a shooting table full of fresh magazines ready to go. Especially like in his Glock vids. Sometimes he's got what looks like 10-15 magazines out. I've got an LC9 (3 mags), a Beretta 92 FS (4), a Glock 22 (3), and a Beretta Neos (2). Seems like I have a decent number, but I'm always scanning armslist.com for FTF deals where I can buy more on the cheap!

Walt Sherrill · March 22, 2012, 08:13 AM

If you shoot competitively, as in IDPA or USPSA, having 5-6 mags for the guns you use in those venues makes things easier while competing.

I've got lots of magazines for some of my guns -- and I've come to realize some of those "many" mags are simply redundant and likely won't be used. That said, I feel ill-equipped if I don't have at least 4 mags each for most of my weapons.

GlockedNLoded32 · March 22, 2012, 08:53 AM

I have one pistol that I own and I have 2 15 round mags and 3 13 round mags 3 are always loaded with fmj's for the rang and the other 2 are my sd mags loaded with winchester PDX1's i try to shoot twice to three time a week i go through about 1,500 rounds a month

Mrgunsngear · March 22, 2012, 09:04 AM

I just don't like wasting time on the range loading mags. I preload them before I head out. It's not needed but it's convienient for sure.

jrothWA · March 22, 2012, 09:09 AM

dedicated three for range use only and other 10 for use and storage.
Also have couple S&W 9mm's that magazine are not readily available.
Whenever I see originals I buy them.

Have couple of Win 88/100 rifles, and those mag are dusted with GOLD$$$$!

Have you forgotten the Klinton mag ban??? NEVER AGAIN!

TunnelRat · March 22, 2012, 09:50 AM

Quote:

For semi-auto guns, I like to get 10 mags.

Lol. Now I understand the point of this, I really do. However, for some guns that's a bit impractical. I.E. H&K mags often run from $50 to $60. $500 in mags? At that point I could buy a second gun. If you have the cash go for it. Personally I think 5 is reasonable for range plinking, prob more if you're going to compete.

ScotchMan · March 22, 2012, 10:08 AM

My carry gun came with two. I bought two more, so I could have two for range use and two for carry. About once a month I switch them so they wear evenly. I am considering adding one more, because the classes I take usually want you to have one mag in the gun and two on your belt, in which case I need to use one of the SD mags for range use. With five, I could leave two loaded with defense ammo all the time regardless of the situation.

I am trying to find more mags for my HK45 and have been unable to at the price I want to pay (Midway has them for $54.99 but have been out of stock forever, HKparts has them for $65...). So stuck with two mags there.

geetarman · March 22, 2012, 10:16 AM

I only have two magazines for my PPK.

Everything else has a minimum of four and most have more.

For my rifles...well, I have a bunch.

Probably 16 for the M1A and about the same for the LR308 and ARs.

It does take a while to load them...

Geetarman

Hawg · March 22, 2012, 10:24 AM

Five.

Crow Hunter · March 22, 2012, 10:30 AM

Quote:

I read about (and see) people who have countless magazines for most of their pistols. I'm wondering what's the benefit of having so many?

I would guess that you are probably less than 25 years old? Either that, or you are older and got into handguns well after 2004.

Magazines are an expendable item. They eventually wear out, no matter how well you treat them, unless you just don't use them.

If you need a spare, and you can no longer get one because of some useless shortsight legislation, are you going to be willing to pay $75-150 or more for a replacement when one of yours fails?

I lived through the 1994-2004 "Assault Weapons Ban" and when it expired, I swore I would never again have to deal with semi functional magazines at less than designed capacity.

Last count I think I had around 60 G19 mags....

blackamos · March 22, 2012, 10:40 AM

I have many Glock mags, at least 10 per gun. Glock mags are cheap I get them for less than $20 per. My newer Sig p232 I have 4 but the cost more than $40 per. My Beretta 96 mags where cheap when I bought the gun over 18 years ago so I have 5 11rd's and 5 10rd's for it. I sold an HK P7M13 years ago and now the mags are over $100 per, for that price I would not have owned many.

Eppie · March 22, 2012, 10:52 AM

Contrast Man,
That is a good question and I certainly did not expect some of the answers you got.

I'm like you, most of my guns I have 2 mags. The exception being Glocks since through some trades I ended up with two extra ones.

Since I like to shoot a lot it seemed more logical to me to invest in a Uplula mag loader than additional magazines. It makes loading my mags a snap. At first I had doubts whether it was really worth the $34 I paid for it, but now a few years later seems like one of my smarter purchases.

I have six 9mm and with the exception of ccw each has 17+ round capacity, so taking a short break to reload the mags is actually beneficial to me, and the pistols barrels have a few minutes to cool off.

On one of my rifles (POF 308) I do have four mags for it, but I really only use two.

BleedinPurple · March 22, 2012, 11:05 AM

ive got 4 for my ppq 9mm...i got the 2 15 rounders that came with the gun and i bought 2 17 rounders about a week later...i would like to get at least 2-4 more, but they are going to have to be the cheaper version because my factory walther mags are 50 plus per mag...

my main reason is that it is nice to not have to reload as often on the range and when mags get harder to find and more expensive id like to not have to spend an arm and a leg for them

carguychris · March 22, 2012, 11:09 AM

Quote:

If you shoot competitively, as in IDPA or USPSA, having 5-6 mags for the guns you use in those venues makes things easier while competing.

I see your point for competition.

OTOH for regular range visits, as I wrote in another recent thread, I've started limiting myself to 3 mags per pistol after I left one at the range and some thieving SOB took it before I was able to go back and look for it.

The less "stuff" I have with me, the easier it is to keep track of it all.

BigJimP · March 22, 2012, 11:20 AM

I have 4 - 6 per gun ...

For just general range training --- I will go to the range with 3 mags ..one in the gun ...and 2 on my belt mag holder for reload drills.

For formal classes - I want the extra 2 or 3 mags ...loaded and ready to go in my back pocket...so if the class permits, I can spend more time on the firing line running drills...than reloading mags.
--------------
But a lot of my guns are the same platform ( 1911's - in .45 acp or 9mm ...so I have about 10 of each caliber for 1911's). Then I have some Sigs - each with its own unique mag..and some rimfires...( I have at least 4 mags for each gun ...like a Buckmark, a .22 conversion kit for my 1911's, etc ...) so the grandkids can have some fun ...

If a mag starts giving me an issue ...I mark it with a permanent marker - with an X on the body ....and clean it good - and run it again - or rebuild it - or toss it out and replace it...
-------------------
mag storage - pouch - carriers...help me stay organized...

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=4...-STORAGE-POUCH

some hold 4 double stack mags ...and 8 single stack mags...etc....but they're handy ( if you take 3 or 4 guns to the range - to keep things organized)...and you can buy this stuff at gunshows, brownells, etc..

psyfly · March 22, 2012, 11:28 AM

For me, they just seem to multiply for some reason. I don't consciously try to collect them, but it seems there are more every year

.

Like coat hangers which, I suspect, morph from the socks that go missing.

I have no idea how many magazines I have nor where they all are.

Best,

Will

jimbob86 · March 22, 2012, 11:38 AM

Because range time is too expensive to spend most of it loading magzines......

Because happiness is having enough, so get plenty.....

Because competition stages usually require at least a couple mag changes....

aarondhgraham · March 22, 2012, 11:44 AM

For my 10 shot rimfire pistols,,,
It allows me to load up an entire box of ammo.

For my centerfire pistols,,,
Because the slick little range bags I buy,,,
Come readily equipped with five magazine slots.

Aarond

.

BigJimP · March 22, 2012, 11:53 AM

I have more guns than I need....but ...

in terms of storing extra mags...( or extra holsters, etc ) ...I just use a 5gallon rubbermaid storage bin with a lid. It'll store 40 or 50 mags really easily and just sits on a shelf....and I rubber band the Sig 226 9mm mags together, the kimber 1911 9mm mags together, etc...

Same thing for holsters....some for long revolvers, etc...stuff I don't use too often...just put them in a storage bin...so they're all together.

Otherwise, I'd have stuff scattered all over ...or a big shelf littered with stuff...and I can't find anything ..and it aggravates me...

March 22, 2012, 06:29 AM	#1
Contrast Man Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 178	How many magazines? I read about (and see) people who have countless magazines for most of their pistols. I'm wondering what's the benefit of having so many? I have two magazines for each of mine and that seems to work out fine for me. I've looked at buying more magazines, but for one magazine I could buy at least two boxes of ammo, so I take that route (BTW, I primarily shoot 9mm). How many magazines do YOU have and why?

March 22, 2012, 07:11 AM	#2
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,716	I think most of us with multiple mags are folks who do a goodly amount of whooting when we go to the range. It is nice to be able to preload several magazines and work on a series of drills without having to spot to load mags. Also, multiple mags allow us to not need to download SD ammo from our carry mags in order to practice. We just use the extra mags. Some like to have multiples of magazines as part of the defense strategies and may keep loaded spares in multiple locations. For semi-auto guns, I like to get 10 mags., __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

March 22, 2012, 08:05 AM	#5
RUT Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2004 Location: NH, USA Posts: 812	>>Because magazines can fail, wear out, be damaged.<< And due to intrusive government regulations they can sometimes be hard to get. __________________ Liberals don't care what you do... as long as it's mandated.

March 22, 2012, 08:12 AM	#7
jcsturgeon Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2009 Posts: 291	I don't think my gun club would like it if I showed up with full mags all ready to go... Anyway, my dream is to be like Hickok45 and have a shooting table full of fresh magazines ready to go. Especially like in his Glock vids. Sometimes he's got what looks like 10-15 magazines out. I've got an LC9 (3 mags), a Beretta 92 FS (4), a Glock 22 (3), and a Beretta Neos (2). Seems like I have a decent number, but I'm always scanning armslist.com for FTF deals where I can buy more on the cheap! __________________ The Beatles were wrong, happiness is not a warm gun. It's a new gun.

March 22, 2012, 08:53 AM	#9
GlockedNLoded32 Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2011 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 129	I have one pistol that I own and I have 2 15 round mags and 3 13 round mags 3 are always loaded with fmj's for the rang and the other 2 are my sd mags loaded with winchester PDX1's i try to shoot twice to three time a week i go through about 1,500 rounds a month __________________ GLOCK 32 .357 SIG With Hogue Grip,Trijicon Ghost Ring Night Sight, 3.5 Ghost trigger, Weatherby Vanguard .308 1:12 twist with Blackhawk Bipod and a Barska 6x24x60 IR SWAT SCOPE. - 168 Hornady AMAX loaded at 46 gr Stoeger M2000 Max 4 SA 12 gauge

March 22, 2012, 07:15 AM	#3
Sparks1957 Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,552	I have anywhere from 4-6 mags for my semiautos, for all the same reasons in the post above.

March 22, 2012, 08:07 AM	#6
Billy Shears Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2011 Posts: 606	I got a boxful of those $5 Korean import Glock mags from CDNN solely for range purposes. That way I preserve my real Glock mags and importantly, like Double Naught Spy said above, I can preload all my range mags the night before so I don't spend half of my range time thumbing cartridges into my magazines. More time shooting, less time loading.

March 22, 2012, 08:13 AM	#8
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	If you shoot competitively, as in IDPA or USPSA, having 5-6 mags for the guns you use in those venues makes things easier while competing. I've got lots of magazines for some of my guns -- and I've come to realize some of those "many" mags are simply redundant and likely won't be used. That said, I feel ill-equipped if I don't have at least 4 mags each for most of my weapons.

March 22, 2012, 09:04 AM	#10
Mrgunsngear Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2011 Location: Carolina Posts: 3,415	I just don't like wasting time on the range loading mags. I preload them before I head out. It's not needed but it's convienient for sure. __________________ Mrgunsngear Youtube Channel

March 22, 2012, 09:09 AM	#11
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	Most inexpensive and replaceable item for a semi-pistol. dedicated three for range use only and other 10 for use and storage. Also have couple S&W 9mm's that magazine are not readily available. Whenever I see originals I buy them. Have couple of Win 88/100 rifles, and those mag are dusted with GOLD$$$$! Have you forgotten the Klinton mag ban??? NEVER AGAIN!

March 22, 2012, 10:08 AM	#13
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	My carry gun came with two. I bought two more, so I could have two for range use and two for carry. About once a month I switch them so they wear evenly. I am considering adding one more, because the classes I take usually want you to have one mag in the gun and two on your belt, in which case I need to use one of the SD mags for range use. With five, I could leave two loaded with defense ammo all the time regardless of the situation. I am trying to find more mags for my HK45 and have been unable to at the price I want to pay (Midway has them for $54.99 but have been out of stock forever, HKparts has them for $65...). So stuck with two mags there.

March 22, 2012, 10:16 AM	#14
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	I only have two magazines for my PPK. Everything else has a minimum of four and most have more. For my rifles...well, I have a bunch. Probably 16 for the M1A and about the same for the LR308 and ARs. It does take a while to load them... Geetarman

March 22, 2012, 10:24 AM	#15
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Five.

March 22, 2012, 10:40 AM	#17
blackamos Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2000 Location: Michigan Posts: 580	Depends on the cost. I have many Glock mags, at least 10 per gun. Glock mags are cheap I get them for less than $20 per. My newer Sig p232 I have 4 but the cost more than $40 per. My Beretta 96 mags where cheap when I bought the gun over 18 years ago so I have 5 11rd's and 5 10rd's for it. I sold an HK P7M13 years ago and now the mags are over $100 per, for that price I would not have owned many. __________________ Know of that you speak, Amos

March 22, 2012, 10:52 AM	#18
Eppie Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 802	Contrast Man, That is a good question and I certainly did not expect some of the answers you got. I'm like you, most of my guns I have 2 mags. The exception being Glocks since through some trades I ended up with two extra ones. Since I like to shoot a lot it seemed more logical to me to invest in a Uplula mag loader than additional magazines. It makes loading my mags a snap. At first I had doubts whether it was really worth the $34 I paid for it, but now a few years later seems like one of my smarter purchases. I have six 9mm and with the exception of ccw each has 17+ round capacity, so taking a short break to reload the mags is actually beneficial to me, and the pistols barrels have a few minutes to cool off. On one of my rifles (POF 308) I do have four mags for it, but I really only use two. __________________ "Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care)

March 22, 2012, 11:05 AM	#19
BleedinPurple Member Join Date: January 17, 2012 Location: Maryland Posts: 91	ive got 4 for my ppq 9mm...i got the 2 15 rounders that came with the gun and i bought 2 17 rounders about a week later...i would like to get at least 2-4 more, but they are going to have to be the cheaper version because my factory walther mags are 50 plus per mag... my main reason is that it is nice to not have to reload as often on the range and when mags get harder to find and more expensive id like to not have to spend an arm and a leg for them

March 22, 2012, 11:20 AM	#21
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I have 4 - 6 per gun ... For just general range training --- I will go to the range with 3 mags ..one in the gun ...and 2 on my belt mag holder for reload drills. For formal classes - I want the extra 2 or 3 mags ...loaded and ready to go in my back pocket...so if the class permits, I can spend more time on the firing line running drills...than reloading mags. -------------- But a lot of my guns are the same platform ( 1911's - in .45 acp or 9mm ...so I have about 10 of each caliber for 1911's). Then I have some Sigs - each with its own unique mag..and some rimfires...( I have at least 4 mags for each gun ...like a Buckmark, a .22 conversion kit for my 1911's, etc ...) so the grandkids can have some fun ... If a mag starts giving me an issue ...I mark it with a permanent marker - with an X on the body ....and clean it good - and run it again - or rebuild it - or toss it out and replace it... ------------------- mag storage - pouch - carriers...help me stay organized... http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=4...-STORAGE-POUCH some hold 4 double stack mags ...and 8 single stack mags...etc....but they're handy ( if you take 3 or 4 guns to the range - to keep things organized)...and you can buy this stuff at gunshows, brownells, etc.. Last edited by BigJimP; March 22, 2012 at 11:26 AM.

March 22, 2012, 11:28 AM	#22
psyfly Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 932	For me, they just seem to multiply for some reason. I don't consciously try to collect them, but it seems there are more every year . Like coat hangers which, I suspect, morph from the socks that go missing. I have no idea how many magazines I have nor where they all are. Best, Will __________________ Show me the data

March 22, 2012, 11:38 AM	#23
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	Because range time is too expensive to spend most of it loading magzines...... Because happiness is having enough, so get plenty..... Because competition stages usually require at least a couple mag changes....

March 22, 2012, 11:44 AM	#24
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	I like 5 magazines for each handgun,,, For my 10 shot rimfire pistols,,, It allows me to load up an entire box of ammo. For my centerfire pistols,,, Because the slick little range bags I buy,,, Come readily equipped with five magazine slots. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

March 22, 2012, 11:53 AM	#25
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I have more guns than I need....but ... in terms of storing extra mags...( or extra holsters, etc ) ...I just use a 5gallon rubbermaid storage bin with a lid. It'll store 40 or 50 mags really easily and just sits on a shelf....and I rubber band the Sig 226 9mm mags together, the kimber 1911 9mm mags together, etc... Same thing for holsters....some for long revolvers, etc...stuff I don't use too often...just put them in a storage bin...so they're all together. Otherwise, I'd have stuff scattered all over ...or a big shelf littered with stuff...and I can't find anything ..and it aggravates me...

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search