Carrying extra mags for CC pistol

[JBBURCH]

I have been reading about carrying extra mags with my CC and it has been a back and forth thing.

Trying to get input on the subject, what do you guys think?
Carry one mag in the gun or more with you

[Woody55]

I don't.

It's enough of a pain to carry the loaded weapon. And considering where I live and work, who I associate with and what times I go out, the chances of anything happening are vanishingly small. So I see no reason to be prepared for something that is even less likely.

[sgms]

No right or wrong answer here it is all personal preference. I am comfortable with 2 reloads for anything I am carrying (revolver or simi-auto), some carry one reload, some none, and some carry lots. Find what you are comfortable with and go with it. Every one has to decide what fits there life style.

[Spats McGee]

I almost always carry extra mags when I'm carrying a semi-auto. First, it's more ammo. Second, several varieties of malfunction can be cleared by swapping out mags. Third, it helps balance the load on my belt so that carry is more comfortable.

[Skadoosh]

When carrying a bootom feeder, I always carry a spare mag in case I have a magazine related failure with what is already in the gun. Easy enough to carry...especially if it's a single stack.

[Mike Irwin]

I normally carry a revolver. I MAY carry an extra speedloader or a speed strip.

May.

When I'm carrying a semi-auto, unless I'm wearing a shoulder holster and it has an off-side pouch for another magazine, I don't carry a reload.

[ClydeFrog]

To me, "rounds count"(pun intented) .

It surprises me how many forum members/gun owners have the "hey, so what" or I never carry spare ammunition mindset.
Depending on the uses(field, duty, concealment, etc) & type of sidearm(# of total rounds) I'd opt for at least one fully loaded semi auto pistol mag & at least one speedloader/speed strip for a 5/7 shot wheel gun.
To conceal or carry one pistol magazine won't break you. You may also need a extra pistol magazine in a real lethal force incident.
If the semi auto holds 16-18 rounds like a few newer models that may seem like a lot but a spare magazine should also be handy.
I used a mag holder with my S&W Military and Police full size(17rd 9x19mm).

When I toted my Taurus Protector snub in .357magnum & my DA only SP101 revolver, I had a Bianchi speed strip or 2 with me. Sometimes I used a Altoids mint box, .

To pack 2/3 full size pistol magazines in uniform is becoming more common with armed security & sworn LE. Safariland, Bianchi, Unkle Mikes & Tuff Products all market new slim type 3 magazine holders that reduce the size on the duty belt but allow quick access to the pistol magazine.

Clyde

[TailGator]

I'm another who pockets a spare mag every time I get dressed. I doubt I will ever need it, but it is easier to carry than the pistol itself. Primary reason is the possibility of failure, but no survivor of a gunfight that I heard of ever regretted having extra ammo, either.

[KMAX]

I carry either a LCP or S&W 642 (38SP). Neither holds a lot of rounds or is massively powerful. I usually carry an extra mag for the LCP or a speed strip for the 38. It doesn't take a lot of space for the extra security it provides. I might feel a little differently if I carried a high capacity gun, maybe not.

[Glockstar .40]

i always have a an extra mag on me. imo you never know what situation you may face today. you may need that extra mag for malfunctioning reasons. it all comes down to personal preference but i think its wise if your gonna decide to carry a gun find a way of carrying at least 1 extra reload.....ive never heard anyone who's been pinned down in a gunfight complain they had too much ammo.

I don't.

It's enough of a pain to carry the loaded weapon.

if you feel this way get a new gun or try a new way of carryin. it may help

[WC145]

I always carry at least one spare load regardless of the gun. I do it for several reasons-
1. No one ever died because they had too much ammo.
2. The magazine is the part most likely to fail or cause a malfunction in any semiauto or automatic weapon.
3. Should I ever be involved in a shooting I don't want to be left with an empty weapon after the shooting stops, you never know when it might start again.

[JC57]

Depends on the gun, and what I'm wearing. If I carry a 5-shot .38 revolver then I drop a speed strip with 6 more in my back pocket. It's not that I think I might need to reload, but it's such a minor additional thing to carry that why not?

Same with my 380 auto - the spare mag is not much bigger than a pack of gum, so it goes in a pocket.

Double-stack autos, no, I normally don't carry a spare on me but I might leave one in the car.

[Kreyzhorse]

I occasionally care a spare mag. More often than not though I do not carry one.
It's never a bad idea to have a spare of course, I just don't feel that it is very likely that I'll ever need a reload.

I'd suggest trying it and see if you like carrying a spare yourself.

[tlm225]

When I carry a signle stack, I always have a spare magazine. The same thing applies if I carry a revolver, I'll have a speed strip or speedloader. On the occasion I carry my Glock 23, I sometimes carry a spare. Why not all the time? Mainly because my Glock has never failed me, not once, and I figure 13 rounds will probably be enough.

[mySig229]

I always carry an extra magazine. I carry a FN FNX-40 with 14+1 and another 14 in my pocket. You never know if you're going to need covering fire to get to good cover. We don't plan for a shoot out, but what if you were in the open and had ground to cover? I always wear for the most part Blackhawk or 5.11 cargo/tac pants. Just incredibly comfortable and room for other goodies.

Just my opinion though, to each his own

[nikdfish]

I put together leather/kydex pocket mag holders for spares for my usual carry items. I carry one extra mag when carrying a double stack (the spare is usually in the left front pocket) or two if carrying a single stack (the spares usually in the left back pocket).

It's just become the usual routine, I don't even think about it these days, it's simply part of getting dressed.

Nick

[Dave Chuppa]

2 guns with reloads every day all day.

[9mm]

I keep my spare magazines by my phone on the left side, gun @ 4 mags at 9 phone at 10 or so.

To the folks who say its a "pain" no its really good and keeps the weight even, 2 magazines left side + gun right side = good weight.

[Fredo Batali]

With the increased use of body armor by the bad guys these days, you may need extra rounds to end the fight. I always carry extra mags or speed strips/loaders. Woody55, as the man says, "carrying a firearm should not be comfortable, it should be comforting." If it's such a pain for you to carry a firearm, you should probably leave it at home and depend on the police to save your bacon. Just sayin.

De Oppresso Liber

[gunhand]

Fighting against an assailant armed with a long gun and body armor is likely to be a losing battle if you only have a handgun. I don't think that an extra mag of any common caliber is going to "save your bacon". Fire and retreat if possible. If retreat is not possible then it comes down to shot placement and luck I guess.

That said, I carry a 5 shot revolver and 1 speed strip reload. Would I prefer to carry my XD 45 every day? Yes. But is isn't practical in Georgia during several months of the year.

[Webleymkv]

As far as capacity is concerned, that's a personal decision that no one can make for you. The number of rounds that may be more than enough for one person may be totally inadequate for another and vice versa. Because we do not know you, there is no possible way for us to tell you how many rounds is "enough" for your circumstances.

That being said, when I carry a semi-automatic I always carry a spare magazine regardless of capacity. This is because, in my experience, magazines are second only to ammunition as far as being the most frequent cause of a semi-automatic handgun jamming. Because of this, I feel it prudent to carry a spare magazine so that you can get your gun back into action should the magazine in it prove to be problematic. While I almost always carry at least one reload for any gun, I'd actually be more comfortable carrying a revolver with just the rounds in the gun than I would a semi-automatic.

[fastbolt]

Over the years I've worked as a firearms instructor, having worked with LE and non-LE shooters, I've long since lost count of the magazine-related problems that have occurred during some course-of-fire and rendered someone's pistol inoperable.

Ever see the look on someone's face when the ONLY pistol magazine they thought to bring to a qualification course-of-fire stops working, or comes apart and is now inoperable? Inconvenient on the range. Conceivably worse if it were to happen elsewhere.

Capacity is another issue, and one which concerns me much less than the ability to resolve a magazine-related problem by having another magazine at hand.

Whenever I carry one of my pistols as a retirement CCW weapon, I usually have 1-2 spare magazines on my person. A little prudent risk assessment, combined with balancing my clothing choices against desired comfort levels, are things I do when selecting a pistol from my safe and reaching for either a single or double magazine carrier.

The magazine capacities of the various pistols I own/carry nowadays include 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12-rd capacities. I carry a spare magazine, regardless of capacity, in the event I experience a magazine problem. I may carry a pair of spare magazines if I feel like upping the ammunition amount, for whatever reason.

Whenever I carry one of my 5-shot J's, I typically carry 1-3 speedstrips (sometimes speedloaders), depending on the pockets of whatever I'm wearing that day/evening.

I remember carrying a 6-shot revolver and a pair of speedloaders as a young cop, giving me a total ammunition load-out of 18 rounds on my gunbelt. I occasionally carried a pair of speedstrips in addition to the speedloaders, giving me 30 rounds, but that was when I was working a uniformed patrol assignment and was being sent to all manner of potentially dangerous situations all the time (or proactively looking for them).

Suit yourself.

Decisions can have consequences.

Life is all about choices, right?

[Nanuk]

Fastbolt

Excellent post!

[fastbolt]

Thanks Nanuk.

These things aren't exactly rocket science, are they?

[markallen]

I carry two speed strips with the same ammo that's in my revolver. And one speedloader with hard cast SWC. You never know when you might have to go through something to reach the other side