How many magazines?

[dbla]

I was wondering how many magazines you guys try to keep on hand for your individual handguns... I have a PPQ, CM9, G26... I've got 2, 1, and 3 magazines for those respectively. I was wondering your reasonings for having more than 2 or 3... The PPQ factory mags are both hard to find and ungodly expensive... But the rest are getable. Thoughts??

-a

[East_TN_Patriot]

I say 3 minimum, but now try to get 5 minimum. I got into the habit of 3 mags since that was what I carried as a cop (1 in the pistol and 2 on my belt). Now I like to have 5 or more because it makes it a lot easier on the firing range. Honestly, it really depends on the gun and what role it plays in my gun collection along with the cost of the spare mags.

Edited April 30, 2012 by East_TN_Patriot

[dbla]

I say 3 minimum, but now try to get 5 minimum. I got into the habit of 3 mags since that was what I carried as a cop (1 in the pistol and 2 on my belt). Now I like to have 5 or more because it makes it a lot easier on the firing range. Honestly, it really depends on the gun and what role it plays in my gun collection along with the cost of the spare mags.

Yeah I can see that. I just wish the PPQ mags were less expensive. They're like 50-60$ a pop.

[QuietDan]

Eight for each firearm, pistol or rifle.

Enough for a combat load.

[Caster]

I buy a G19 magazine every time I go to a gunshow. You'll look up one day and be surprised. Trying to buy everything at once is painful.

[gjohnsoniv]

Minimum three per pistol, and preferably 10 for each rifle (AR, AK, whatever).

[kwe45919]

_{I have all 9mm glocks.....so I buy as I see fit. I have 7 G19 & G17 mags and 4 G26 mags at this moment in total. If deals occur I'll buy more. But I have enough for the number of Glocks in the house. Rifle mags are the same way.}

_{My EDC is a G26 with the 12rnd extention mag and a spare G19 mag on me as my "malfunction mag".....in the car, I have 2 G17 mags loaded along with 2 20rnd boxes of ammo stashed. IF the situation occurs that I have to AND CAN fight my way to my vehicle, I have the satisfaction knowing I can reload and still be able to defend myself in the future if needed. Just trying to be smart with out being overboard carrying more weight than needed every day.}

[gjohnsoniv]

I say 3 minimum, but now try to get 5 minimum. I got into the habit of 3 mags since that was what I carried as a cop (1 in the pistol and 2 on my belt). Now I like to have 5 or more because it makes it a lot easier on the firing range. Honestly, it really depends on the gun and what role it plays in my gun collection along with the cost of the spare mags.

I saw a police officer in Murfreesboro that must have been new. He was carrying a .45 and had 6 or 7 spare magazines. Kept having to hike his pants back up. Thought it was kinda funny.

[gregintenn]

I have but a single magazine for several, and a dozen or more for others.

[Jonnin]

I cannot imagine a shootout lasting more than 3 mags without either ME or the bad guys being beyond reloading. ( Maybe 4-5 for a low cap pistol). 3 typical rifle mags is almost 100 rounds -- if you missed 75% and double tapped the rest, you still are expecting to come out unhurt after killing over 10 enemy. Typical 15 round pistols... thats nearly 50 shots and accounts for 5 enemy at close range under those same miss/tap ratios.

Not sure what you guys are planning on doing, but I fully intend to run away from anything that would need 10 mags to deal with.

[JKGlock17]

i carry one mag in my gun then i have my BOB in the truck and it has all my extras or essentials. i f i am going to an area where i need to carry my primary, my back up, and additional magazines, bet is i have no business being there in the first place. get you a BOB and then get you a few extra mags and some extra ammunition and keep them stacked minus one so as not to overbear down on your springs and you should be fine. i also keep extra clothes and water and some MRE's if i were to get stranded out due to vehicle malfunction. i also keep flashlights and some minor tools. i keep am extra belt some electrical tape and an additional pocket knife.

[gjohnsoniv]

I think the idea is just to have on hand. Carrying I wouldn't say you need more than three. One is fine, two is better, three is when you're going into some rough places.

[Il Duce]

12 for the AR and want 8 more, need 17 more for the LR, and 18 more for the M&P9

[nightrunner]

As many as possible. You never know when an AWB on hicap magazines will be back id rather have it an not need it than to need them and not have them.

[Lumber_Jack]

7 1911 mags, 3 G19, 3 G20, 6 AR.

I agree with the sentiment that 3 are minimum. I hate loading mags constantly at the range.

[scoutfsu]

Much like ammo, you can never have enough magazines. Ultimately they are disposable items. Don't rely on three or less for too long

[Guest Victor9er]

I currently have 6 per gun. I have a G22 and a G19, both mags hold 15 rounds each. That gives me 2 mags per gun to keep loaded for carry, which is 30 rounds per gun. If I need more than 30 rounds in a shootout then I'll need more firepower than just my handgun.... time to bug out or call for backup!

That leaves me with 4 mags per gun for the range. At 15 rounds each that gives me a capacity for 60 rounds total. Since a brick of ammo is 50 rounds I can load all 50 and just go bang bang bang till I'm done. (2x15 + 2x10)

In a SHTF senario all 6 mags give me a potential capacity of 90 rounds per gun. Two 50-count bricks of the cheap stuff (or five 20-count boxes of the expensive stuff) allows me to load them all with an extra 10 rounds to spare. Makes for easy division.

I may buy more down the road at some point, but I decided on 6 as a minimum. I also suggest buying them one or two at a time, getting them all at once will hurt your wallet real bad.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Victor9er

[Guest bulluck533]

Get what you can afford but the more mags the better. You never know when you are going to need them. My rule is to have atleast 4 for each gun. But that is just me.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Four mags per pistol seems about the right number for range trips to minimize mag-loading at the bench. Got at least 4 mags per pistol with three exceptions I keep intending to correct--

-- Only have 2 .45 1911 mags, but usually keep an Advantage Arms .22 conversion slide on that pistol and rarely shoot the .45 slide, so having four .45 1911 mags would not be immmediately advantageous except to take up more space in a drawer.

-- When got the .22 CZ Kadet conversion slide, czcustom was out of stock on spare CZ Kadet mags. Couldn't order extras at that time and only received the two packaged with the conversion slide, but I take it to the range rather frequently and would rather have four.

-- Only have 2 mags for the 9mm 1911 but ought to get off my butt and order two more because I routinely take it to the range.

Have two Beretta 92FS and a Storm rifle which uses 92 mags and have more than 12 92 mags. Haven't counted em lately. Probably don't have 20 total anyway. In the remote odds of a shtf, multiplied by the even more remote odds of surviving a shtf long enough to need more than 1 mag, carrying the storm and a 92 might arguably be a good combo for carrying gratuitous numbers of loaded mags which would work in both pistol and rifle. Might ought to get a few more, but what the hey.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[Guest Revelator]

10 is a good number I think. I've currently got about 6-8 for each one (3 pistols, 2 rifles). Guns will last forever if you take care of them, so it's just a good idea to have plenty of magazines on hand. And if you have a weapon that uses good quality cheap mags like an AR or AK, you should have beaucoup. No excuse not to stock up on those $10 mags

Edited April 30, 2012 by Revelator

[Erik88]

6 for my Glock 23-- 10 or so for my G19. Only 2 for the CZ(too expensive to buy for a range toy). Once I get an AR I will have at least 10 PMAGS.

[Patton]

I was wondering how many magazines you guys try to keep on hand for your individual handguns... I have a PPQ, CM9, G26... I've got 2, 1, and 3 magazines for those respectively. I was wondering your reasonings for having more than 2 or 3... The PPQ factory mags are both hard to find and ungodly expensive... But the rest are getable. Thoughts??

-a

If I were you and I was not adding anymore guns to my are arsenal, I would buy one more CM9 magazine. I would then buy as many Hi capacity Glock 9mm as I thought I might be for the worse case scenario I might find myself in. I think I would want to be able to load up 100rds for my Glock. I would just buy like 6 Glock 17 magazines.

[TNWNGR]

It depends on the platform, with an AR15/M4 I prefer to have as many as possible because they can get buggered up so easily. Primary carry pistol's should have at least three but six to twelve is better so that you can rotate them, other pistol's three to five mags suit my needs. One thing that I do though is when a mag fails is toss and replace it, I don't want to waist my time trying to rebuild it or try to use it by mistake.

[tnhawk]

Three or more for each gun I have is a minimun. I have a good supply of 1911 mags as I have several 1911s.

[JC57]

For me, 3 per handgun is sufficient.