CC, how many spare magazines do you carry?

[smee78]

I carry one mag/reload for the weapon I'm carrying. In the unlikly event I need it, it will be there just in case.

[Spats McGee]

I carry either 1 or 2 backups, depending on what I'm carrying. Single-stack gets 2, double-stack gets 1.

And in addition to the two issues already raised (mag-related malfunction & number of rounds on hand), to be quite honest, I just find carrying much more comfortable if I carry an extra mag or two. It balances out the load on my belt.

[Moomooboo]

Yea i prepare for it, i chamber another round, then throw the gun if that fails. Im not going to go around in life with guns hidden everywhere scared to die from an attack which will most likely never happen.

[OldMarksman]

Posted by Moomooboo:

Yea i prepare for it, i chamber another round,

Experienced trainers tell us that clearing a malfunction quickly is best done by dropping the mag and putting in another one.

Those of us who have trained and who have watched others train know that.

...then throw the gun if that fails.

How would that help?

Im not going to go around in life with guns hidden everywhere scared to die from an attack which will most likely never happen.

That's off topic, but understand this: if you ever do need to use your gun, the estimated likelihood that that need would ever have materialized will become completely irrelevant. That's a very basic tenet of risk management.

Semiautomatic firearms do fail to feed or eject. That's a fact.

What one should consider is how quickly one can clear a malfunction under stress without looking at the gun. That takes practice--a lot of practice.

For many, a "New York reload" is a better solution.

[Spats McGee]

Thread cleaned up.

Enough of the bickering and personal attacks.

[Frank Ettin]

I always carry at least one, more often two.

[manta49]

My thinking would be if you carry a firearm, even though the odds are that you are unlikely to ever need to use it. Then the same would go for carrying an extra mag you are unlikely to need it but why take the chance. You wouldn't want your last thoughts to be I should have listened to the guy on the internet saying carry an extra mag.

[Flapjack23]

When I used to have a MI CPL I had 2 handguns I would carry. Glock 22 and a Kahr PM 40. The Kahr held 6 (5+1) so I would carry the extra extended mag in my pocket with an additional 6, with the Glock (usu under a sweatshirt or coat) I would not carry an additional mag. In the very rare circumstance that I went into a less than ideal area I would carry a spare Glock mag, likely out of some misgiven threat of being involved in a hollywood style gunfight.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Glock and one mag. I've seen most common EDC guns fail and jam. You can say your gun is perfect till it goes bad when you need it.

I'm pretty fast on clearing most malfunctions but every once in a while you get a really weird one that can't be cleared easily. Watch the empty rotate around and then get squished back into the barrel. The new round mates with it. Not a quick fix.

[pete2]

I don't carry a reload, 5 or 6 in the gun if it's a revolver, 7 or 8 if it's an auto.

[manta49]

I don't carry a reload, 5 or 6 in the gun if it's a revolver, 7 or 8 if it's an auto.

What's your reasoning for that. ?

Two examples one here and one in America where one mag would not have being enough.

Ex-UDR man recalls gun battle with IRA gang - News Letter

“I swung round quick and pushed the door into the other guy. He had the rifle round his neck on the string and was going to use his hands to get me out of the van but he ran off.”

Eric took cover behind the front wheel of the van and opened fire on two further gunmen armed with Kalashnikov-type rifles behind a low wall no more than 20 metres away.
When one moved position and appeared at the side of the house, Eric took careful aim and pulled the trigger only to find he was out of ammunition.
“The magazine was empty but I had another one in my coat which was in the van.”

Eric would have to place himself in direct line of fire, running back around the open van door to retrieve his spare magazine. “I pulled out the coat, got the full mag and whacked it in to the gun.”

Why one cop carries 145 rounds of ammo on the job

Why one cop carries 145 rounds of ammo on the job

Before the call that changed Sergeant Timothy Gramins’ life forever, he typically carried 47 rounds of handgun ammunition on his person while on dutyAt the core of his desperate firefight was a murderous attacker who simply would not go down, even though he was shot 14 times with .45-cal. ammunition — six of those hits in supposedly fatal locations.

[OldMarksman]

Two examples one here and one in America where one mag would not have being enough.

You are speaking of capacity, and as has been said by others, that is not the primary reason for having an extra magazine.

I got the point when I was watching a video in which Rob Pincus was demonstrating something entirely unrelated to tho subject.

His Glock provided an unexpected and unscripted failure to function. Relying on his training, Rob changed magazines almost stately without taking his eyes off the target and went back to the demonstration.

I'm not that good.

[manta49]

You are speaking of capacity, and as has been said by others, that is not the primary reason for having an extra magazine.

You would see it as a primary reason if you run out of ammo. It just shows there is more thane one good reason for extra ammo or mag.

[Skadoosh]

One in the well, one on the belt.

[Onward Allusion]

Usually at least one spare mag when carrying a semi.

[TimSr]

I don't carry a reload, 5 or 6 in the gun if it's a revolver, 7 or 8 if it's an auto.

I'm with you. When somebody can show me all the cases where civillans have successfully reloaded and prodcued a different outcome, I might consider changing my mind.

[manta49]

I'm with you. When somebody can show me all the cases where civillans have successfully reloaded and prodcued a different outcome, I might consider changing my mind.

I posted 2 examples of where people reloaded and it saved their lives, the fact that they were not civilians is irrelevant. Maybe the people that did not have a extra mag are too dead to say if an extra mag would have saved them.

[Moomooboo]

Originally Posted by manta49

I posted 2 examples of where people reloaded and it saved their lives, the fact that they were not civilians is irrelevant. Maybe the people that did not have a extra mag are too dead to say if an extra mag would have saved them.

Possibly true. But it could also be a possibility that there only have been .001 cases where a reload was required. And ill take my chances on that. I feel like if an extra mag was required it would make big news throughout these forums.

[OldMarksman]

Posted by TimSr:

When somebody can show me all the cases where civillans have successfully reloaded and prodcued a different outcome, I might consider changing my mind.

All the cases? Really? How would anyone ever do that?

One would be hard pressed to show you any:

• One would start with incidents in which civilians have fired firearms at others; lawful uses are actuallly rather infrequent
• One would then have to look at the subset in which the defender did reload; probably a small number
• Then one would have to look at the incidents about which that fact is known; such details are very seldom recorded, unless there is an indictment
• Then one would have to obtain a compendium of such cases; they do not exist

Personal stories on the Internet? Don't look for them. Anyone who has ever fired a gun at anyone has been responsibly advised to say nothing about it.

No, a prudent person would not base a decision of that kind upon the absence of data.

One can look at how often semi-autos jam; the are thousands of days of training sessions very year, and one can participate in or observe a few. Frankly, my observations have been alarming. Do not look for comprehensive data.

One can look at the best way to address jams very quickly.

One can train to do so.

One can observe how quickly a practiced individual can clear a malfunction without looking at his gun.

And then one can make an informed decision.

There is a reason why most of the more experienced members here and on other boards, many of whom are trainers, do make it a practice to carry extra magazines.

[TailGator]

I carry one spare mag for the dual purpose logic previously stated. If others don't want to do so, no problem, but I don't understand why some are so adamant about it. Who am I hurting by carrying a spare?

[Moomooboo]

Originally Posted by TailGator

I carry one spare mag for the dual purpose logic previously stated. If others don't want to do so, no problem, but I don't understand why some are so adamant about it. Who am I hurting by carrying a spare?

Youre not. Its when those who are adamant about carrying a spare and aaying others who dont, dont have common sense and are stupid. That is when one affects others.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The issue is when someone says they don't carry a spare because of the average gun fight is X rounds or they don't go into bad areas.

Both of those have little logic behind them when you look at reasonable risk management for the 'what can go wrong with a significant but perhaps small probabllity).

Then folks start to argue. The real answer is that carry extra is a modest pain but not that much. Do what you want as you take the risk.

[zincwarrior]

One spare mag for 30 rounds in total. Like my driving, anyone who has more is crazy, and anyone who has less is an idiot.

And in addition to the two issues already raised (mag-related malfunction & number of rounds on hand), to be quite honest, I just find carrying much more comfortable if I carry an extra mag or two. It balances out the load on my belt.

This. I find my belt is much more balanced and worth the extra weight.

[zincwarrior]

None. 13 in the gun is enough for me.

If my murdered body's found with the slide on my BHP locked back on an empty chamber then I was wrong

Thread win.

[colbad]

No matter what you say there are those who will always respond that you are wrong because you are not prepared enough because you must prepare for the worst possible scenario "just in case". Kind of like criticizing the President and getting the stock answer "your just prejudice" when logical arguments fail.

There are some very peculiar individuals on this forum that think they need to prepare for "the attack" at any moment "just in case". I have read where people (non LE) have 2 or 3 guns on their person, guns in their toilets, showers, couch cushions, 4th point of contact (just kidding on this one) and extra ammo for each "just in case". Actually kind of sad someone is that scared.

Well, if that is what it takes to calm their delusions, God bless them....carry your arsenal. However, when it comes to taking tactical advice off the internet...take that with a grain of salt! Not everyone is....well, lets just call it "extreme" as some on this site. Take a class or ask some individuals you can verify are actually professionals.

Lastly, all the chatter about justifying extra mags in the event you must "dump" to clear jams is just poor tactics. Almost any jam can be cleared quickly without giving up a mag by dumping it on the ground. Also, comparing LE scenarios where cops intentionally go into harms way is sooooo different than SD situations....but that just my 29 years of LE experience, what do I know.