Sitting duck, or paranoid?

[razorburn]

So I'm sitting around right now, completely out of ammo for my guns. As in, not a single round left. And it makes me feel strange, to be completely unarmed and know I'm nigh well defenseless against an armed person. Normally, I don't feel in danger at all. I often don't keep my gun with me when I could. But now, knowing I that even if I needed to, I would be completely unable to use the gun, makes me feel like a sitting duck. I sorely wish I had at least just 1 cylinders worth of ammo. Is this paranoid? I shot off the last of it this afternoon, and didn't buy more because the sale prices at the local store were over, and I wanted to wait until I could get to a cheaper place next weekend. How much ammo does everyone else usually keep on hand, at a minimum?

[Blackwater OPS]

Are you crazy?!??!?!

J/K, but I usually keep about 1500 rounds for each firearm on hand, and I know that a lot less then some folks here. In any case I have "range" ammo and "carry" ammo. I rarely shoot my ranger ammo for example, and I would never shoot it all before I bought more.

[marlboroman84]

I have 1 box of Federal 129 grain +p hydrashocks that stay in my hardcase with my .38 revolver. When I go to the range or wherever to shoot I always have something at the house. My rule of thumb is I always have ammo left over for 1. the house and 2. enough for the ride home (when I get my ccw)
Best way to remedy being out of ammo is buy 1 box of something for every gun you own and leave that ammo at the house! If you go out shooting buy yourself ammo at the range or store specifically for that day. If you're carrying also don't blow all your ammo at the range and leave with an empty gun. Not much good if you don't have ammo for them.

[Twycross]

It seems the trend here at TFL (and THR for that matter) is to hoard as much ammunition as possible. Some people have 10,000 rounds of varying types just laying around.

For myself, I don't keep very much. I have around 65 rounds for my pistol, 120 +/- for my shotgun, and 50 split between my hunting rifles. I don't think I've ever been completely out of anything.

[cscoios]

Is your life worth waiting for a sale? Go out today and buy something.

Since I CCW most always, I empty my GoldDot out of my magazine and set it to the side at the range. I then practice with my practice ammo, then reload my GoldDot before leaving.

I like to pinch pennies whenever possible, but I always have at least two mags full of ammo for each firearm I own.

[XavierBreath]

First, self defense is in the mind,not in the holster. I urge you to get a Ginsu knife out of the drawer and stick it in your pants right now. Bring the chainsaw inside assuming you have one in the garage, and place it beside your chair. You will feel a lot better!

Seriously, I keep a full magazine on my defensive weapons. These include six shotguns and several handguns for carry. Past that, I keep approximately 100-200 rounds of buckshot on hand for those HD shotguns if needed, as well as the same amount in SD ammo in .45ACP and .38 Special. On top of that I keep about 400 rounds each of target ammo in 45, 38, 9mm, 357, 7.63X36, then about 6-10 boxes of bulk pack .22 ammo. I do that to keep myself from running to the store.

[Hemicuda]

Buy spare mags for your semi autos, and speedloadesr for your revolvers...

load them with carry ammo, and DON'T SHOOT IT UP AT THE RANGE!

then grab a box or 10 of spare ammo for all calibers you own, and keep them dry and safe... when you go shooting, buy replacement ammo BEFORE YOU GO and put it in the dry safe place, and shoot up the older stuff...

then you ALWAYS have ammo!

[GUNSMOKE45441]

I always have at least one full magazine for the trip home.
Out of ammo?? NEVER!!!

[springmom]

At least keep one mag unshot at all times. Archerandshooter and I always have about 150 rounds per handgun in the house. If I can't shoot all the bad guys in a home invasion with 600 rounds of ammo (I'm not counting the Sig Trailside's .22 box of 500 here) then I deserve to be shot, LOL

But no, never go home unarmed. Handguns make remarkably bad throwing weapons, which is all they're good for if you dont' have bullets.

Springmom

[Big Calhoun]

I rarely let myself run out. It's just the way things go with my luck; I run out and that's the night some little thug decides to pay a visit. Typically I pick up ammo at gun shows. I usually save a dollar or two a box. So as it stands, between 3 guns:

Beretta - Two loaded magazines with 10 rounds each, one spare magazine.
Springfield - One loaded magazine with 13 rounds, one spare.
HK - Two loaded magazines with 10 rounds each, no spare.

Then in an ammo box, I have about 60 rounds of .40 ammo (Hornady and Federal) and about 115 rounds of .45 ammo (Hornady, Federal, and a box of Glasers).

This I find gives me various advantages. At home, there's always a firearm that is ready to go and there is always extra ammo. At the range, I'm always able to keep one gun fully loaded with defensive ammo while I shoot another with range ammo.

[pickpocket]

At the ABSOLUTE VERY LEAST - you need to have ONE round!

SOP for my guys was to carry ONE 9mm round in their pocket....to be used in an emergency as the individual saw fit.

[Mikeyboy]

Paranoid is keeping thousands & thousands of rounds at all times to hold back who knows what. Otherwise if you have a car, you always keep some gas in it if you need to use it, right? Same thing. I usually keep a least a box of ammo around for my defensive weapons (making sure I buy a box on the way out of the range) , while I may let some of my hunting rifles sit dry. I don't get nuts if I forget .410 or even 30/06 ammo, I would get a little squirrelly if I had no 9mm,12 gauge, or .38 ammo in the house.

[Capt. Charlie]

Sitting duck. Having a firearm without ammo is not having a firearm . Actually, it's worse than that. If the worst happens and you need a weapon, your training will instinctively have you reaching for a gun. That's time lost until you remember, and try to think of another weapon.

I'm guessing I have between five and six thousand rounds of various and sundry caliber factory ammo around somewhere, not counting the loose rounds lying on the laundry table, nightstand, kitchen counter, and everywhere else I happen to empty my pockets . If the reloads drop below about 3000, it's time to start cranking the Dillon again (which I need to do right now, if I could just find the time ). Understand, the purpose of all this isn't soley defensive. I just hate taking the time to stop by Wally World on my way to the range .

One thing I got in the habit of is having all of my guns loaded, all the time. They're loaded going to the range; there's always one loaded mag on the range; they're loaded going home, and they're loaded at home. That's everything from the wall-mounted Win. 94 in my den to the 1911 in my desk drawer to the Colt snubbie hidden by the front door. They're dispersed throughout the house so that I'm never more than two arms reach from one, but then, I live alone, so I don't have to worry about young and curious minds poking around.

[DonR101395]

If you have no ammo, all you have is some very expensive clubs. Go buy some ammo.

[Leif]

I usually keep at least a box of decent .44spl ammo and a few boxes of assorted shotgun shells on tap. I don't think I'll ever get to the point of storing thousands of rounds of ammo 'just in case', although with .22lr ammo that's pretty easy, but I think it can't hurt just to have a least a little bit in case you need it. I can't remember the last time my well ran completely dry. Close, but not quite dry.

[Gazpacho]

Paranoid sitting duck.

Go out and buy a box of ammo. Is your life really worth the two or three dollars you are saving?

[Blackwater OPS]

One thing I got in the habit of is having all of my guns loaded, all the time. They're loaded going to the range; there's always one loaded mag on the range; they're loaded going home, and they're loaded at home. That's everything from the wall-mounted Win. 94 in my den to the 1911 in my desk drawer to the Colt snubbie hidden by the front door. They're dispersed throughout the house so that I'm never more than two arms reach from one, but then, I live alone, so I don't have to worry about young and curious minds poking around.

I am glad I'm not the only one doing this, I feel less like a "gun-nut" now

[OneInTheChamber]

What's out of ammo mean ?

I'm "out of ammo" when my closet ammo storage no longer weighs more than me!

[beenthere]

I guess that means you don't even own a 22LR. There's no excuse for not spending $1.50 on a box of 22's.

[razorburn]

Ordered a bunch of .38's and .357's online today. I guess I should also go out and pick some up just to keep on hand for now. I'm moving a lot of my things back to where I'm staying for the summer. It'll be a 7 hour long road trip this Friday through all kinds of unfamiliar places, and I'll still be on the road deep into the night. Before, this is kind of stuff I never thought about, but now I think I'd feel very strange driving a car full of electronics, cash, and valuables across unknown roads at 1 am with just a bunch of empty shells.

[Arizona Fusilier]

I guess "out of ammo" is relative to how many guns you have. I couldn't take all my firearms to the range and shoot them all in any meaningfull way in one day, so I guess as long as I have a box for each, I'd be safe.

When I do have a range session, I have a designated carry gun that normally is not fired at all, and if it is, it's topped off before I leave.

Other than that, 500 per pistol and shotgun, 1000 per battle/assault rifle, 2000 per full auto, and 100 per turn-bolt are the normal "minumum" rounds I like to keep on hand.

No, I ain't running out.

[roscoe]

Didn't you see 'Winchester 73'? Always save one bullet, in case the Apache get you!

[Rangefinder]

I don't remember a time when I was completely out of ammo. At bare minimum I have one full mag for my handguns, and I don't think there has ever been a time when I don't have at least a box of shotgun shells kicking around. Never been a packrat for ammo--when I have excess laying about I can usually find an excuse to go "enjoy the weather" and make some noise---excess never lasts long around the house.

However---for home defense, my house itself isn't exactly intruder friendly. One way in, basement level, and I call my stairs the local "field sobriety test". I pitty someone breaking in armed--they'll shoot themselves during the half-gainer they do on the way down. If an intruder isn't armed (anyone breaking into my house NOT armed would just be suicidal) and doesn't break his own neck trying to negotiate my stairs in the dark, he's at least going to be in too rough of shape or a little too distracted to be very threatening before he's either a line-drive to 3rd-base with a metallic "thunk", skewered on a rapier like a pealed shrimp, getting an apendectomy from my K-bar, missing teeth from a close encounter with a 9-iron chip shot, etc... A firearm is only one of MANY things available for home defense.

I've always been of the mind that if you become TOO reliant on one thing, you become too vulnerable without it and fail to make use of alternatives before it's too late to make a difference. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

So...
A) set yourself a minimum inventory, and maintain it.
B) look around, identify options, find alternatives, and become familiar with them.---ALWAYS have a plan B (and C, and probably D, too).

[tlm225]

Like Capt Charlie, some of my guns are unloaded only when cleaning them. I always have 50-100 rounds of dedicated defensive/duty ammo for each caliber I carry and generally have a few hundred rounds of practice ammo on hand. Go pop a few dollars for some ammo.

[Wisby]

I keep 250 rounds of FMJ per Pistol and at least a 20 round box of JHP for HD.

and if there is a Sale I'll buy alot more than that. I bought a Couple of boxs of 9mm WWB 100 round at Wal-Mart, just because it was a good deal. I don't even have a 9mm yet but I only got 200 bucks left and I can pick up my PX4.

and I very rarelly shoot up my HD stuff, it's just to expensive.