How Many Magazines per Semi-Auto Smith Is Enough

[TTSH]

But I have three holdouts that screw up my average...

Yep, I know exactly what you mean. Just when you think you've achieved that baseline of 3 or 4 magazines (minimum) per gun for every handgun you own, suddenly you remember this or that obscure collectible in the back of the safe or that new mouse gun you bought that only came with one magazine. Or it may be one for which you thought spare magazines would be reasonably cheap & easy to find... until you saw them on an auction site going for $100 each! I feel your pain.

 

[GaryS]

Na your doing OK......

I decided I liked 3rd Gen Smiths.......... about 26-28 years ago........ and have accumulated a 'few". Smith has been really good about magazines 59, X59 and 59xx and X69, 69xx can all use the same magazines( Farrar made great collar for $6 a peice)......spend $45 to $60 bucks a year for 25 years....... that gives you a stash of 75-100 mags.

Single stack magazines from 1990- 2005...... were"please take them" priced!!!

The golden years were.... when Dept's were switching to Glocks....."used" $15 mags..... 3 for $40

Like TTSH, i was late to the 3rd Gen game. Part, actually most, of that was despite the desire to acquire various guns, I was short of money for most of the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. Not poor, but two kids, wife only working part time jobs, I'm sure many of you know the story.

My awakening to the beauty and functionality of the 3rd Gen guns started just about 10 years ago. Right about the time S&W decided that their mass produced like happy meal toy guns were the future.

I finally have enough magazines for the various guns to feel comfortable. Then again, if I see a bargain ($15.00 3913 mag at gun show) come along, I'll still snap it up.

There is another complication (inferred already) for pistols that share range and SD duty - I hate to have to unload my JHP then load it again when I get done shooting. Seems trivial, but us arthritis folks don't think so.

I try not to do that as well. Occasionally, especially if it's a new to me gun or different manufacturer, I'll put a magazine or maybe two of SD ammo through and then recharge the magazine. Still, I prefer to have range magazine that might get a bit of beating and SD magazines that don't.

 

[tkdguy]

If the gun is out of production and or the mags I'd buy 10-15 or more for safety and investment purposes.

 

[GaryS]

I've bought several for each 3rd Gen I own. I also rebuild them with springs when I get them. I also have spare followers, base plates, and magazine base plate catches. Just in case...

If the gun is out of production and or the mags I'd buy 10-15 or more for safety and investment purposes.

 

[Smoke]

MecGar makes 59 series magazines so you can get as many of those as you like.

Found this too


MAGAZINES - MAGAZINES - Smith & Wesson - Page 1 - Climags

 

[Rosco Shooter]

As many as you can carry without dropping them.

 

[Big Shrek]

Yep, I know exactly what you mean. Just when you think you've achieved that baseline of 3 or 4 magazines (minimum) per gun for every handgun you own, suddenly you remember this or that obscure collectible in the back of the safe or that new mouse gun you bought that only came with one magazine. Or it may be one for which you thought spare magazines would be reasonably cheap & easy to find... until you saw them on an auction site going for $100 each! I feel your pain.

Fortunately I'm also one of those evil rapscallions
that can take a mag that's Close...and mod it into
a FITS & WORKS perfectly

Part of that is blind luck, the other part is good luck

 

[wproct]

I'm a lightweight!

Wow, until I read this thread, I didn't realize what a lightweight shooter I am. First, I only own one Smith & Wesson semi-auto at this time, my model 41. However, in the past I have owned many 3rd generation centerfire pistols. Honestly, I never bought an extra magazine for any of them. I have never shot in competition, I'm just a casual/informal plinker and target shooter and I've always loaded them one at a time as I shot them. I'm ashamed to say that I only own one magazine for my model 41. Most of my centerfire pistols came with 2 magazines, so that's what I owned.

I have two MKII Ruger target pistols that each came with 2 magazines, so I have a total of 4. Been a gun enthusiast all my life but was always more interested in buying another firearm than buying more magazines for the ones I already owned. Like I said, I'm feeling like a real lightweight now.

 

[TTSH]

Fortunately I'm also one of those evil rapscallions
that can take a mag that's Close...and mod it into
a FITS & WORKS perfectly

Part of that is blind luck, the other part is good luck

There are folks like that here in MA who can make almost any double stack pistol work with a "pre-ban" Beretta 92 magazine. Just takes time and patience and a Dremel set plus a few files. The point, of course, is to make any double stack pistol work with a still-legal-in-MA "pre-ban" hi-cap magazine. They just need to watch out that they don't go so far as to have the magazine considered a newly manufactured hi-cap magazine, which would be illegal except for cops. The often repeated criteria is to make sure it will still work in the original (Beretta 92) pistol.

Wow, until I read this thread, I didn't realize what a lightweight shooter I am. First, I only own one Smith & Wesson semi-auto at this time, my model 41. However, in the past I have owned many 3rd generation centerfire pistols. Honestly, I never bought an extra magazine for any of them. I have never shot in competition, I'm just a casual/informal plinker and target shooter and I've always loaded them one at a time as I shot them. I'm ashamed to say that I only own one magazine for my model 41. Most of my centerfire pistols came with 2 magazines, so that's what I owned.

I have two MKII Ruger target pistols that each came with 2 magazines, so I have a total of 4. Been a gun enthusiast all my life but was always more interested in buying another firearm than buying more magazines for the ones I already owned. Like I said, I'm feeling like a real lightweight now.

Glad to see that there is still someone here who owns fewer magazines per pistol than myself. I need to do one more accounting exercise today to make sure there aren't any pistols left without at least one or two spares so I'll be able to sleep at night again after this thread.

But I know what you are saying about preferring to pickup a new pistol vs. buying more magazines for your existing pistols. That is a constant battle for dirt poor old me with so little money to spend. I finally had to set-up two separate budgets: One for new acquisitions and one for parts, magazines and accessories for existing firearms. Even then, it's a struggle.

 

[Arik]

Wow, until I read this thread, I didn't realize what a lightweight shooter I am. First, I only own one Smith & Wesson semi-auto at this time, my model 41. However, in the past I have owned many 3rd generation centerfire pistols. Honestly, I never bought an extra magazine for any of them. I have never shot in competition, I'm just a casual/informal plinker and target shooter and I've always loaded them one at a time as I shot them. I'm ashamed to say that I only own one magazine for my model 41. Most of my centerfire pistols came with 2 magazines, so that's what I owned.

I have two MKII Ruger target pistols that each came with 2 magazines, so I have a total of 4. Been a gun enthusiast all my life but was always more interested in buying another firearm than buying more magazines for the ones I already owned. Like I said, I'm feeling like a real lightweight now.

Lol that not a problem. If it works for you roll with it. It's just that between lemons, laws, and out of production spending $100 on 5 extra mags doesn't really take a bite out of any funds. When I got into guns there was the 94 AWB that restricted magazine capacity. Pre 94 mags were outrageously expensive. Along with new laws in states like NY, CO and CT and the preban lunacy in Ma.. having extra is always a good idea. And then what recently happened with S&W 45XX and 10XX where the mag production stopped and suddenly​they went from $25 to $100. However, if one or two works for you rock on!,,,!,

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[cmcinc]

My minimum is 5, but prefer at least 10!

 

[sasu]

For the pistols I use for IPSC and IDPA I feel less than ten is not enough. Especially for those pistols where the mazagine production will end someday.

As I saw warnings about S&W 3rd Generation magazines getting scarce, I managed to locate new original 5906 and 4506 magazines and ordered many more. I should still have a few decades to live and I would hate to lose the use of those beautiful pistols because of a lack of magazines.

 

[FUBAR-M1A]

For subcompacts, like the Glock 26, I'm happy with 3 mags. For full size pistols the minimum is 10 but I try to get at least 25. A lot of older pistols like the 3rd gens and H&K's are hard to find now or are really expensive.

 

[trbomax]

My 39-2 only has 3,because thats what my dad had for it when he passed and I got it.I carried it (off and on) from 1980 untill this year when I bought the shield 9.I have 3-8's and 3-7's for it one is a dedicated edc mag loaded with critical defense rounds.The round carried in the pipe is a 115gr fmj.The logic there is that I dont have to rack a cd out(and then deal with a loose round)So no matter what my intended purpose for the first "triple tap",the first one down the pipe is always a fmj,and the gun always has the mag capacity +1,ready to go.I dont disassemble and clean my guns after every range session because my range is only 10 steps out my door and I can stop for 3 minutes at a time and maybe dump 4 mags per day.There is rarely a day that I dont empty it at least once.My new .22 compact (which I REALLY like except for the saftey)still only has the 2 that came with it,but that will change as I shoot it more.My wife shoots a ruger sr22 and has 5 or maybe 6 mags for it.We both step out the door and burn ammo regularly.My Korean Conflict bring back is a Reminton Rand 1911.It has about 10 mags,but its a safe queen anymore along with the S&W 4576 ss which is just too big and heavy for my old arthritic hands !

 

[Wee Hooker]

I generally store 2 mags with each handgun in it's case. If I want more mags for a shooting session, I go to my reserve bin where I keep the spares in ziplock bags. Ideally, for range guns that "may" see some sort of organized shooting sports, I consider 5 spare mags to be minimum. For self defense handguns, 2 spares above the 2 with the gun would be minimum.

 

[sw44spl]

I buy my 3rd gen s&w mags mostly at gun shows from small tables found most in odds and ends boxes.when I got my 4506 it had 2 mags over the past 3 years I have built up mags for it 2 being the 2nd gen flat metal floor plate one. didn't pay over $20 for each one. same with my at mags I get the used gi mags and inspect them and get 4 or 5 at a show for $20 a set of 4 some do 5.been doing that for many years. 5906 mags I have a lot. and glock mags I have a lot per gun.

 

[dave1918a2]

For SD guns, how many rounds do You need to solve the problem. If You need more than one full magazine You probably won't survive the conflict. If, and a big if, You are able to duck and cover immediately, You might get by with one spare, praying that the LEO's get there in time. If You know the conflict is eminent You aren't going out the door with just a handgun anyway.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

SWaMPy 9c Two twelve rounders and three seventeen rounders, two grip adaptors for the long magazines. I got the spares for about $22 a piece on sale.
SW9VE, four fifteen rounders I bought three spares on sale awhile back for about $21.

Years back I kept about ten, eight round competition magazines for my 1911s. They got dirty a lot playing King of the Swampy Desert.

Geoff
Who has four for his relatively new Walther Creed, they were on sale for $19 and change from CDNN, marked PPX, work just fine.

 

[bcarroll]

After reading colt saa post? I feel has the best answer! Than just saying 5 min. His breakdown is more realistic. So sit back and think it out?

 

[Smoke]

For SD guns, how many rounds do You need to solve the problem. If You need more than one full magazine You probably won't survive the conflict. If, and a big if, You are able to duck and cover immediately, You might get by with one spare, praying that the LEO's get there in time. If You know the conflict is eminent You aren't going out the door with just a handgun anyway.

It always helps to actually read the question. The OP isn't asking how many magazines you should carry he's asking how many you should buy to keep the gun running long term.