How many mags do you need?

[Rastoff]

Considering the scarcity of M&P mags at the moment, it got me thinking. Just how many do you need?

For me 2 is sufficient for most of what I do. If I'm carrying, I carry a spare so, 2 is enough. In competition or training I like to have 3, but 4 is better.

Of course if you just bought a 9mm barrel for your .40, like I did, you'll need a couple of 9mm mags.

I guess I'm trying to figure out why we're in this shortage. So, how many do you need?

 

[srings]

I keep 6 for my Shield 9 (3-7rd and 3-8rd). It's my EDC. I keep 8-17 rd for my Full Size 9. It's my primary home defense gun and I keep 2 mags loaded at all times. Every month I rotate my FS 9 mags.

 

[timn8er]

I like to have a minimum of four for each pistol that I have. Its not an easy thing to do for some of them, though. So far I only have two for my 4513TSW(early six round magazines). For the 6906 I have eight, the last time I counted. They seem to be multiplying. The Shield 40 I only have the two that came with it. If they ever become more available I might pick some up. All the others have at least four, like I said.

 

[Dr.ButcherMD]

Minimum 5 per gun, 10 per is ideal.

 

[Burnsy87]

I have 3 per M&P until the supply shows up. 5 or 6 per gun is my standard.

Sad face.

 

[Grog]

The only reason I recently bought my 45 fullsize is because they came with three standard mags and I was able to buy three 14rd mags.


Mag availability is one reason I traded a Ruger SR45. Very limited and pricey (no way am I paying $45 for a 10rd Ruger mag ).

 

[Vinney47]

Need? One.

Should have? That's relative. You have to balance your paranoia with your wallet taking into account how much/often you shoot.

I have six; four 17 round and two 12 round (and 2 xgrips) between my FS 9 and 9c, and I feel I have a good solid amount.

 

[SMMAssociates]

I like at least four....

Normally, I'll carry one mag in the weapon, and one on my belt. The other two are for the range, so I don't have to empty the carry magazines too often (I shoot about once a week). Every now and then, I'll swap 'em.

(I carry an M&P40C or FS around the house, with a full size .40 mag on the belt either way. No need to check and see which gun I've picked up v.s. the spare. "Outside", it's one of two Officer's-sized 1911's and the same spare magazine. I probably should carry two spare 1911 mags, but I haven't found a carrier I like yet .)

It's not the end of the world to empty a magazine for range use, but the PITA factor is a little high at my age . If I shot less often.... I have a couple of other "occasional carry" guns that only have two magazines. They're empty most of the time anyway....

IMHO, two is the minimum for anything unless it's impossible to find a spare, and then you shouldn't carry it anyway....

Regards,

 

[Darryle]

I like a minimum of 6, split between low capacity and highest factory capacity that fit within the frame.

I am going to 10 ea on my handguns as soon as I can find them in stock.

I did sell off all of the steel 20 & 30 rounders for my AR and bought a couple of the 100 packs of the Magpul mags back before the insanity sat in. It was hard not to sell a $11 mag for $30-$50 during the scare.

Sent from my Tesla coil

 

[hangnoose]

how many mags?

for a AK 47 or AR15, lot's. for pistols I like a minimum of 4. that's how many you need for bowling pin matches. I had a three mag holder for a shoulder holster made, to balance the wt left to right. now they are being made by mfg's.

 

[Danno_man]

I like to have a minimum of 6.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[Waywatcher]

Bare minimum, four. It's enough to fully participate in USPSA matches.

Personally, I have ten for my pair of Glock 23s, and I feel it is just right.

 

[Ross3914]

I figure the magazine is the most flimsy part of the gun. It's also the part that is most likely to get damaged in use, and the most likely to cause failures in your gun.

With my M&P9, I went with five total. Mine came with two mags, the dealer threw in another one because I spend WAY too much there, and I bought two more right off the bat.

I later picked up a Compact, and ran across three 17rd mags for $20 each, so I bought those and some grip adapters. Obviously, I can use them in the full-size as well If I need to.

So I like five, but I'll buy more if I find a deal. I'm not expecting to find any deals in the near future, but eventually the market should get upright.

 

[WBlacklidge]

Minimum 5 per gun, 10 per is ideal.

These answers I don't get. I don't understand where these numbers come from. I am going to say a sentence and if I am wrong and there is some obvious practical reason I admit my ignorance and limited experience but... having 10 magazines for a gun and you are simply a non-operator non-competition conceal carry citizen I think two or three magazines is enough. Is it a di*k measuring thing or a 'tacticool' look at how many I have in case the zombies come?

I don't really buy the explanation that you need so many because the magazine springs wear down... wouldn't you just spend a fraction of the money and take what is literally 2 minutes to change it out with a replacement after xxxx number of rounds?

For my practicalities two .40 S&W/.357 and two .9mm (which I can't get) for my M&P 40c with 9mm conversion Barrel meets my requirements as a conceal carry/range junky.

My reasoning:
At the range I only need two. I like to pause, load a magazine and think about what just happened when I shot. I also can't justify loading up 10 magazines before I go to the range which costs a lot more in magazine expenses and is still taking exactly as much time to do as if I was at the range to do it... idk. I might be missing something there.

Conceal carry: I hardly want to carry a gun AND a single spare magazine. I will never carry more than a single extra mag. Well... unless the zombies come... but in that eventuality I will be open carrying my m&p .22 with pockets full of loose .22lr rounds because M&P 22 magazines are ridiculously impossible to find.

Maybe I am just grumpy about the guys/gals that go out and buy 6 9mm M&P mags in a single sitting for their far reaching doomsday/DHS stealing our guns/Red Dawn scenario now makes it so I can't even get one to reliably feed my 9mm conversion so I can conceal carry.

Okay... done ranting about this subject... until next month when I still don't have a 9mm mag.

 

[Bkreutz]

I have 4 for my 9c which is my EDC. 1 is loaded with SD rounds and the other 3 are for backup mags if I need them or (more likely) for range practice with the 9c without having to unload the SD rounds every time. I have 4 FS mags. I normally carry 4 to a match (3 I actively use and the fourth is a backup in case of failure in one of the original 3). I'd like a couple more FS because they get ejected onto the ground quite frequently but I'm not desperately searching for them. I look, and if I come across a couple I'd buy them but I'm stressing about it at the moment. I'm even thinking about 10 round mags instead of the standard 17 since in IDPA competition 10 rounds is the division maximum. But I haven't seen them either.

 

[Dohmein]

I have 10 for each pistol I own, always have, always will. Not sure why but it sure makes me feel better. 2 for the range, 2 for home defense or carry etc and the rest in the gun work bench

 

[pcfrog]

For general everyday shooting I find that 2 (17rd) works but for participating in matches, 3-4 is a must. The fourth hardly ever gets used but it nice knowing it's there if needed.

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

4 for each

 

[DocSunShine]

I have 9 for my full size .40 and in a perfect world that would be more than adequate, replace them as needed. However, with the political climate, I want a minimum of 20 and a minimum of 20 for the full size and compact 9mms (or any other mag with a limit likely to be banned for that matter) even though I don't own the 9mm and I'm a .40 guy because I'd rather reserve the right for myself to change calibers just in case I change my philosophy.

I also wouldn't mind throwing the +4/5 mag extensions on a few mags as well.

 

[LimaCharlie]

One more than you used in the gun fight.