How Many Reloads...

[parrothead2581]

How many extra magazines or speedloaders (if any), do you guys carry? I've been carrying one, mostly in case of a failure from the one in the pistol. The double magazine pouches are virtually the same price as the singles, and would seem to be a good idea...

[ATW525]

I always carry an extra gun. Extra speedloaders/moonclips/magazines/or slowstrips are carried as my manner of dress and comfort allows. I usually don't carry more than a single reload per gun.

[Archie]

and normal conditions, I carry one full reload for my sidearm.

I really don't envision a full division of Red Chinese Army comong over the hill in mass attack formation. And frankly, if you've fired your gun empty twice and still haven't solved your problem, you don't need another reload. You need an air strike or a priest.

[parrothead2581]

What made me ask this was reading a letter to the editor in the latest G&A mag. The writer states he sees no reason for a carrying citizen to carry even a single reload. Potential magazine failure is enough to make me carry one, not a potential alien invasion.

[ATW525]

Magazine failure isn't normally an issue, since I'm more likely to be packing a wheel gun instead of a shell chucker. The main reason I see for carrying a reload is for the time after the initial shooting stops and before the poilce get there. You never know if the lowlife you just sent to early retirement has a friend or two near by, and if he does I would personally want to greet them with a full load of ammo.

[skeeter1]

For the semi-auto, I've got two extra magazines. For the revolvers, one speedloader each. That strikes me as enough.

[Ifishsum]

For my everyday CCW, a PT140 pro, the 10 in the mag better be enough. I can't imagine packing around an extra magazine and don't see the need.

When I'm in the woods I carry a revolver and another cylinder full in strips or a speedloader, or in a cartridge belt depending on the revolver.

[WESHOOT2]

I carry the another-gun reload.

If limited to only one gun worn (not) I wear two 'rechargers'.

[cheygriz]

What made me ask this was reading a letter to the editor in the latest G&A mag. The writer states he sees no reason for a carrying citizen to carry even a single reload. Potential magazine failure is enough to make me carry one, not a potential alien invasion.__________________

I agree with the writer. Since retiring, I carry a SIG P239. With 8 rounds in the magazine, and one in the chamber, I don't feel the need for extra ammo. And with a SIG, I'm not concerned with magazine failure.

When I was working, I went looking for trouble, and carried spare ammo, and a level ll vest, and an AR-15, and pepper spray, etc.

Now that I'm retired, I try very hard to AVOID:p trouble! I figure that anything I can't stop with 9 rounds of 9MM JHP, well..... the Good Lord probably didn't intend for me to stop it!:D

[Hard Ball]

Two in a double madazine pouch.

[tlm225]

Off-duty I carry one reload (revolver or auto). On duty, two reloads for the duty weapon, a BUG and one reload for the BUG.

[cheygriz]

Off-duty I carry one reload (revolver or auto). On duty, two reloads for the duty weapon, a BUG and one reload

That's what I carried before retiring. Plus, a small can od pepper spray.:D

[scsov509]

Two in a double magazine carrier, and two reasons why:


The weight of two magazines an my weak side makes wearing my gun more comfortable on the strong side.
Double magazine pouch is how I train in IPSC and such, so I carry exactly as I train.

[fastbolt]

When I'm on the clock I'm required to carry 2 spare magazines in uniform (but may carry more) and 1 spare when wearing plainclothes (but may carry more).

On my own time it depends what I'm carrying, what I'm wearing and what activities are planned.

When carrying a semiauto pistol I commonly will carry 1-2 spare magazines (of course, they're small magazines, not full-size).

When carrying one of my revolvers I'll carry at least 1-2 speedloaders and/or speedstrips. My chosen method of carry and clothing will affect this decision to some degree.

If I'm going to be far away from home for any length of time, or traveling the backroads, highways, etc., I'll generally carry more ammunition. Old habits. When I worked a rural patrol area as a young cop and carried an issued revolver, I was only required to carry 12 spare rounds, but I carried more than the required minimum. Lots of other fellows did the same thing. Knowing your only cover may be up to an hour away, even rolling Code, can make you a bit cautious and influence you to take some extra precautions.;)

Speedstrips are handy, as are speedloaders ... presuming the user is familiar with them and has some skill and experience in using them, of course.

Magazines? None of the them are immune to failure. Things happen out in the real world. Pick a major popular brand of pistol in use by LE, and I can think of a functioning problem that occurred with a magazine used in that brand. I've sat through more than a Baker's Dozen of LE armorer classes for some of the major brands, and I've listened to the instructors discuss potential problems and how they might occur (and be prevented to the degree possible when it comes to pistols placed in the hands of different people, using various ammunition, in various conditions and cirucmstances, etc., etc.). Listened to other instructors and armorers for other agencies openly discuss their experience when it comes to problems occurring in the real world, too.

I carefully inspect and maintain my magazines. They are at the heart of reliable functioning when it comes to pistols, after all. I have a high level of confidence in my carefully inspected and maintained magazines. If I don't I repair them, replace necessary components, or discard and replace them. Doesn't mean problems still can't happen.

It's a risk assessment issue. Predictable can be preventable, to a great degree.

[Edward429451]

Used to carry 2/2, went to 1/2, now I'm down to 1/1. I know that 1/0 would work for me but I cant help thinkin about Murphy.

[David Armstrong]

When I was on the job it was 2 spare reloads, but now it is usually just what is in the gun.

[Dave R]

I carry 5 in the cyinder, plus a reload.

Oh, wait, its a semi-auto and it holds 10+ 1 of .45acp. So I just carry what's in the gun.

[doncameron]

1 pistol, 2 mags.

[oldbillthundercheif]

With my 1911 I usually carry two or three extra mags. My carry 1911 needs a new barrel, though, so I've been sporting a Hi-Power recently.

With the Hi-Power I only carry one reload, but it's a Mec-Gar 20 round magazine. With 15+1 in the pistol, I figure 36 rounds total of Win.Ranger 124gr +P+ should get the job done.

[BikerRN]

I carry two Revolvers, an N-Frame and a J-Frame with at least one reload each.

That's my Off-Duty carry.

Biker

[BouncerDan]

I am a bouncer and therefore know a lot of cops (or at least the one that work downtown) and when I pose this kind of a question to them they tell me if you shoot someone more than 3 times chances are charges are going to be filed against you for using excessive force. That being said it depends on where I am going to be sometimes I carry only the mag and one in the pipe. However if I am going into a bad neighborhood or a liquor store convenience store or a pawnshop (Somewhere that a major confrontation may occur) I slip the extra mag I keep in the car in my pocket.

[Doug.38PR]

I carry at the very minimum 2 speedloaders. Ideally, I carry 4 speedloaders and a cartridge loop slide of 6 on my belt for a little extra ammo. Between 18 and 36 rounds on my person.

[junkpile]

I think it really depends on what you're expecting.

Walther PPK, 6+1, with a 6 round mag in tow. In terms of the probability of what will occur, I can see myself having to discharge several rounds into an assailant in a defensive setting. Perhaps two. If I'm firing and reloading more than twice, I'm in a long shootout. Maybe it's living in a city, but I believe the chance is small enough that I won't be needing it. (Same reason I don't wear a bulletproof vest when I go to the mall).

The greatest marginal increase in your gun's protective nature comes from just having it. After the first four or five, I think the marginal return for each bullet begins to plummet.

I recognize there are guys who disagree, I think they're preparing for something different than I am currently, and for that I respect them. My uncle once summed it best, when he was analyzing people who wanted to use the 15+1 Beretta 92F for carry back when it came out: "If you need to use more than 15 bullets to solve your problem, best to go back to the drawing board." (I recognize that this is not the case in military or police situations, but it's a nice line, at the very least).

[AZGunLover]

Glock 19 with 15+1, two G17 mags on opposite side 17rnds each, and a G26 in an ankle rig with 10+1 for a grand total of 61 rnds. Both spares work in both my guns. It sounds like a lot but it is easily concealed with a button down shirt. Im not LE just a well prepared citizen. (I also have a benchmade knife, ASP keydefender pepperspray, and a Surefire E2D)

[MacGille]

Walther PPKS no reloads, sometimes .38 Derringer no reloads. I think of my carry gun as a last resort. If possible I will run, or hide. A gun will get you into trouble much faster than it will get you out of trouble.

[CCMO]

One pistol (6+1) and two magazines.

Spouse carries one revolver. Since she doesn't have to worry about a magazine malfunction, she often carries no spare ammunition. One speed strip at most.

[SpiritWalker]

One pistol, 2 mags unless I'm stealth camping, then I carry a couple/three extra mags in my ruck in addition to the double pouch on my belt.

[exprt9]

If going to a bad part of town, two reloads and a BUG. Close to home, at least one reload and a BUG. Quick run to the grocery store, BUG with one reload. If going out of town or state, same as going to bad part of town. :)

[Bob42]

To those that carry no reloads, how would you deal with 2+ bg outside of 7ft? It would be really embarrassing (not to mention fatal) to get into a gunfight and then run out of ammo.

Many people will say that "most" encounters are with a single person, at close range ect. But if you carry a gun, you are preparing for something is statistically unlikely in any case. So why only be ready for the normal encounter?

It is better to have and not need then need and not have.

[David Armstrong]

To those that carry no reloads, how would you deal with 2+ bg outside of 7ft?
Well, if I have a 5-shot snub with me, I guess I could shoot two of them twice each and still have a round left over. Or if I'm carrying a Glock I'll have lots of rounds left over.
Nothing wrong with carrying lots of spare ammo, but I do think it is somewhat deceptive to try to think it will matter.

[parrothead2581]

I think what Bob was getting at was, what if you miss or run out of ammo? Say the BGs are on something and aren't stopped? That being said I would run like h***, watching my back, to get out of there.

This time of year, in the south, a J-frame plus one reload is what I carry 95% of the time.