How many mags do you buy for your pistols?

[scoobysnacker]

I tend to go overboard because I'm a big believer in what Clyde the one armed deputy in "Unforgiven" had to say. He said he didn't want to get killed for lack of shooting back. Of course he did get killed by Eastwood who killed 6 men with one loaded revolver. So if you take movies halfway serious having more rounds won't help a whole lot against a shooter who has the stuff to nail you on the first round.

But still I think about the gangs I've ran up against and the groups of 2 legged skunks way out in the woods by myself and I figure more may be better. I sure hope it doesn't come to that but still.

I tend to carry at least 2 extra mags on me and I have 5 loaded mags for my truck gun all ready just in case. They hold 16 rounds each so I'll probably melt the barrel before I shoot them all. But a person just never knows what might come up. I realize I go overboard. Maybe I just like buying gun stuff. I guess I got in the habit when I was carrying a Sig P220 which only held 8 rounds in a mag. That never seemed liked enough to me.

Anyone else carry a lot of mags?

Carry? Maybe 1 spare.

Buy? If I come across a mag that fits a gun I have, I will get it if it's not exorbitant. I have 6 for my CZ 75, 4 for my Beretta 92FS, 4 for my S&W 915, 4 for my Sig P226, and I want at least 2 or so for every other gun.

There are exceptions to that; I only have 1 each for my old, antique 32s. That goes back to the price issue, and also hard-learned lessons about replica mags.

I do like finding cross-fit mags... I have, for example, a Zastava CZ99, and picked up a Beretta 92S for my son. These all have the same dimensions, just different slots for the magazine catch. I found some cheap Taurus mags with the hole in the heel, they fit the 92S. I put front notches too, so now they fit in the CZ99.

I've bought "unknown" mags in the hope that I can use them, and at least once bought a gun to fit it.

 

[Smoke]

One of the reasons that I exclusively carry a Glock vs. an M&P is the cost of the magazines. If you watch the sales at Midway and you're patient Glock magazines go on sale for about $16 a piece once or twice a year. On the other hand M&P magazines when they're on sale run about $25 each.

I won't say that magazines are designed to fail but it will say that they DO fail. I will also point out that I have magazines that were legal when I bought them that I can't even give away in the state of Colorado now.

To me it only makes sense to stock up on magazines. I saw a thread like this on pistol forum.com where one of the participants actually posted a photo of a small duffel bag full of Glock 17 magazines I'm sure he had over 200. Compared to him I'm small potatoes.


The bare minimum for a gun that I may only shoot once or twice a year is six magazines. For a carry gun my minimum is nine, my comfort level is about 15 and if I had 18 I probably think I'd be wasting money after that. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't buy more if the opportunity presented itself.

And to answer what appears to be the OP's actual question, I always carry the magazine in the gun and two reloads

 

[dsk]

I try to have a minimum of five magazines for every range and defense gun. The guns I hardly shoot much just have the two that came with them, or maybe one more spare.

 

[chief38]

It all depends on the gun and what purpose it serves. For "collectibles" that I just shoot for fun I have less than I do for serious competition guns that get used every week. When a gun gets shot every single week, the Magazine springs get cycled all the time and they also have a better chance of getting dropped or falling off the shooting station bench and getting damaged. Not that I drop them a lot (rarely), but the more they are out there the greater the chance.

If you are talking EDC gun, obviously you would want a few more since it is something you are depending on and without good magazines an Autoloader is useless. My CCW does not use Magazines - it's a Revolver.

 

[rwsmith]

I like having two...

...for each gun and I think two is plenty for me.

 

[CajunBass]

Magazines are dispensable and wear out. Having one magazine is a bad idea just for the fact some day your Browning might start jamming due to a weak mag spring, and now you are on the hunt for a new spring or magazine. Right now a magazine for a hi power is quite reasonable, but as we have seen in the past the prices could skyrocket overnight leaving you to pay $100 for that magazine

So? The magazine goes bad. Big deal. I'll pull another gun out of the range bag or the safe.

If another magazine costs $100 bucks I guess I'll just do without it for a while.

 

[American1776]

I'm good if I have 5 total. More the better though, but that's a point where I say I'm okay.

 

[JaPes]

For a carry/defense firearm, minimum of 5.

For a range only fun firearm, 3.

 

[g8rb8]

One in the Glock, one in my pocket, and another in a jacket pocket if I bring a jacket. Once I make it back to my car the sub 2000 comes out and I have about 5 33s and 5 17s if the situation really gets hairy. ...

Originally Posted by oneounceload
Sorry, but if you need all of that to go about your daily business, maybe you should rethink where you live.

Not everyone can rethink where they live or where they work or where their work takes them....

At first glance Brasky's degree of preparedness appears over-the-top. On the other hand, if zero is bad, one is good, and two is better, what is the best?
I agree with Arik's position. Situations are relative. Ideally you would have fled/avoided the below examples but that was not an option for everyone. I don't have the answer for the best number of magazines to carry. That's an answer for each individual and their particular situation. If I had been in any of the below situations and had not been able to flee or avoid them or safely insulate myself I would have preferred knowing Brasky.

just a short time ago:
1992 - Los Angeles riots

more recently:
2014- Ferguson, MO
April 2015 - Baltimore riots
August 2016 - Milwaukee riots
September 2016 - Charlotte, NC riots
November 2016- presidential election riots in multiple cities
January 2017 - presidential inauguration riots

 

[C J]

For a carry/defense firearm, minimum of 5.

For a range only fun firearm, 3.

That sounds about right for me too. I have a couple of pistols that have hard to find mags. I carry one of those sometimes and I only have 3 mags total for it. It's a .380 pocket pistol with 6 rounds per mag too so I always feel under gunned when I carry it but I can't find more mags for it.

And as far as wheel guns go I carry a couple of speed loaders with me when I carry my one and only revolver. I guess I'm not that big on revolvers mainly because of the low capacity. But with a .44 mag bear gun that isn't such a bad limitation. If I need to fire more than once I could be in real trouble anyway. I have a lot of black bears around my house so I keep that spinner handy when I go out especially at night. I don't expect to ever need it but I sure don't want to not have it if I do need it. We have wild boar moving into the area now so I figure the .44 can do double duty and take care of any hog problems.

 

[Donn]

Usually carry one in the well, one spare. Don't have a set in stone number of mags I have to have. As a Shield, either 9mm or 45, is my EDC, I have a few more for them. Easier to take loaded mags to the range. Whenever S&W factory mags go on sale, I'll pick up a few. Got five more 9mm just last week. That makes ten, should do for a while.

 

[Arik]

I almost never carry a spare although the reasons to do so are valid. In my short lived single stack days I did carry a spare. Now I only do it if I'm carrying a bug gun in a ankle holster as a primary weapon.

I guess it's a combination of comfort, laziness and routine/complacency.


To own though ....in theory eventually I'll have hundreds for each gun as I buy when I see deals or just occasionally. When LE mags hit the market for a gun I have I'll usually grab 10 at a time.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[sigp220.45]

The only pistol I have a bunch of magazines for is my old duty 220. I still only carried one spare, but I had to qualify on a 60 round course with a bunch of Glock-toters with one o'clock tee-times who would eyeroll when I had to stop and refill my single stack mags. I wound up with a mix of 7, 8, and ten round magazines which I would string onto my belt in motley collection of mag holders. This was always met with a great deal of mirth as I made my way to the line.

I have eight mags for my Mini-14, but only because I got a good deal on them.

I don't carry a spare mag at all now. Most of my handguns have whatever magazines they came with. My 1911s often have to share. My little LCP has the one it came with, and I may get another one but probably not.

I'd rather put the dough towards another gun than a stack of mags.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Wow ..... how often does this get asked????????

3913 7+1 +8 ...... +90% of the time in the quiet "Burbs of the Brugh".

If I think 7+1 is not enough....... then I'll switch to a PC Shorty 9 w/ 12+1 w/ a spare 5906+2 mag for 28 rounds......maybe 2 extra mags for 43 rounds.

If I think the SHTF is coming to the "Burbs of the Burgh" or the Laurel Highlands of Ps (which it never has) ...... a Beretta 92 Centurion or Smith 915 with 3 17rd Mec-gar mags +1..... for 52 handgun rounds......to back up a long gun (AR/mini-14) in 5.56 or a Beretta CX4 9mm that can use any Beretta 92 mag w/ from 15,17,18,20 or 30 rd. (factory or Mec-gar) magazine


All that said...... the car and truck have a couple extra 39xx and 69xx mags and extra ammo in get home bags.

Clearly; I've watched too many episodes of the Walking Dead!!!!!!!

Having lived through the 94 Assault Weapons Ban..... and been lucky enough to have had 2 sources of ''cheap" factory magazines...... I bought what I could when I could.....as many of my Smith and Beretta single stack and hi-cap magazines work in multiple guns.

 

[jringo8769]

well normally i have four mags for each gun...but for some reason my kahr MK40 elite 03 has three mags and my sig p220 has just two and my G27 gen4 has 5....i was always taught to have a few extras no matter what and when u carry always bring a extra mag with u....God Bless,John...

 

[BAM-BAM]

The only pistol I have a bunch of magazines for is my old duty 220. I still only carried one spare, but I had to qualify on a 60 round course with a bunch of Glock-toters with one o'clock tee-times who would eyeroll when I had to stop and refill my single stack mags.

I have eight mags for my Mini-14, but only because I got a good deal on them.


I'd rather put the dough towards another gun than a stack of mags.

As much as I love my Smiths........ there is just something comforting about a Sig 220 ........ since about 1988 a W. German Sig 220 has met my .45 carry needs........ added a compact 245 in about 93/94!

I also have a fondness for my "NRA" model Mini 14 with Hogue Ghillie Stock and 10 round mag (backed up by a couple 20s) topped off with a 1-3x20 Weaver scopel........ for low profile/ PC D) carry.

 

[Westie1]

Let's see. For my custom double stack 1911, have a total of 9. Got 3 8rd and 5 10rd mags for my Colt single stack. Only have 3 for my SD9VE. And for my 422, I only have 2. And then there's the M&P Sport 2. It has 10, with 2 more coming.

 

[BigBill]

Back in the late '70's when that night fisherman was stabbed and killed with his own knife being a fisherman and thinking about a copycat. I carried seven extra 1911 mags. Besides a eight round mag in the gun and one chambered. Plus a 50rd box in the car. I don't like being bothered when I'm fishing. Lol

If your not carrying enough ammo then you will end up like the sarge on saving private Ryan when he threw his 1911 at the Germans.

 

[TomkinsSP]

In thier own words...

 

[Frank46]

Bought my Beretta 92fs when the ban was in effect limiting magazine capacity to ten rounds. Learned my lesson back then about not having enough magazines. I now have 6 Beretta 15 round mags that are military marked and have made sure they all work as intended. My 2 45's have 6 8 round mags each. When I bought my Sig P6 Aim surplus was selling sig mags for the P6. Have 8 of these. Heck even my Czech CZ 82 in 9mm makarov has 8 mags. My M1 carbine has about 12 a mix of 15 and 30 rounders. Some years back I was given about ten 7 round mags for my 45's. No markings and only a few did work. The rest are in a baggie with a note that has the "does not work" in it, Frank