How much carry ammo is enough?

[82ndShooter]

I always have at least two extra mags on my person. But then again, my carry selections have 7 or 8 round mags.

[TheBelly]

Thanks Belly! But allow me to retort:

In scenario #1; if I pull the trigger with my pecker , it better go off (why I state reliability). In your scenario, one would be sure to have the same malfunction again regardless if one had one or twenty mags. Again, a matter of vetting one's weapon IMO, and possibly training.

#2, hence why I state you need to be able to clear. Again, I don't see a reload being quicker.

Its just the way that I've been taught:

if the gun malfunctions, do something. If its ammo related, I'm changing ammo sources.

if I have to fire one round or thirteen, I'm reloading when I get the chance.

I can do neither unless I have another mag.


congrats on using your pecker in a gunfight, though! LoL

[cofi]

24 total rounds

11 in my glock 30
13 in spare glock 21 mag

I recently went to Denver and threw an additional sw bodyguard in my back pocket

[Gunner]

26 total rounds

10 in my glock 30
13 in spare glock 21 mag

I recently went to Denver and threw an additional sw bodyguard in my back pocket

I count 23 rounds

10+13=23


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[cofi]

I count 23 rounds

10+13=23


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Man one of those days

[Gunner]

Man one of those days

Haha we all have them


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[ChadAmberg]

Hey, thanks for the responses folks. I posted it a couple days before anyone responded, I figured it was a hot potato or something no one wanted to touch, so this is good.

A couple folks know that I'm writing a book on concealed carry for novices, and I wanted some input on this topic to include in a chapter. Overall it does seem like everyone follows the same basic idea here:
Cops need more which is fine, normal concealed holders not so much. Everyone seems to think that the article may be a little extreme.
Having 10 rounds on you seems to be a good number if you're not working in the ghetto.
Revolvers should have a speedloader to get you above your standard 5 round j-frame capacity.
Most folks with double stack semi-autos either don't worry about a second mag, or generally will carry an extra magazine for malfunctions rather than need more ammo cuz zombie horde.
1911 models are closer to revolvers, the limited round count especially in an officer model means you may want to carry an extra to reload with.

Since my book is geared to the novice not the tactical timmy's, I'm going to stress that its best to simply follow the basics, until they've had some training with reloading under stress.

Thanks Mick-boy for the Jeff Gonzalez article, I'm going to see if I can work in some of that advice about planning your day a bit. That's good stuff...

Thanks everyone!

[LeftHandBlack]

My personal opinion based on basic studies is this: my CCW is there to neutralize a basic threat and/or get myself and loved ones out of danger. Bottom line: self defense, I am not the hero of the day.

Should I need more than my lone mag (12 +1), my belief is I have put myself into an exceptionally bad situation by willful ignorance/stupidity, or I am faced with a an active shooter scenario. I think I have a better chance of winning Powerball than the later, and I play maybe once a month...

Again, my opinion.

Exactly how I feel! I carry a Sig P239 in 40. It is 7 + 1 and if that wont seal the deal Im in way over my head of probably dead!

[YammyMonkey]

If you look through the history of the Armed Citizen column in the NRA magazines you'll see a lot of instances where the problem was solved without shots fired. I would venture to say that a good percentage, maybe even the majority, of Average Dude defensive gun uses would be just fine for the good guy without any ammo in the gun. That said, I don't think anyone here would advocate that as a plan.

My general rule of thumb is that I'll carry one spare mag, regardless of capacity. I want to know that if I get into a fight for my life I have the ability to top off my gun and have a full load. That way, I don't have to wonder about how much ammo I have on board or try to figure it out after an incredibly stressful event. If I go over one mag on the initial fight, well, I've really gotten myself into something big and I'll happily tap into the second mag at that point.

I've carried 3 full size spares as an experiment to see if I could pull it off, and I can, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to on a regular basis.

[Tinelement]

1911
8+1

If I head to the city I add a double mag carrier.