Recently, a friend asked why we should bother carrying spare magazines with our handgun for self-defense. After all, he reasoned, isn’t 10 or 15 rounds in the pistol plenty for a self-defense situation?
That got me thinking, because there are a number of folks out there who subscribe to that line of thinking, and it can lead to trouble. Beyond that, what if we’re in a situation where we need to carry a rifle? That opens up other considerations.
Before we get into all of that, let me just throw out a suggestion. It’s a good idea to number our magazines. That way, if one begins causing stoppages, we can pull it out of rotation because we can identify it by number. It’s okay to still use that mag in training, but we need to take it out of active circulation because we don’t want to use it in a real situation.
Colored Sharpie markers or paint pens are useful in the marking process.
Handgun Magazines
How many magazines we have on our person is dependent upon the mission we are attempting to accomplish. Let’s take a look at some things we might need to address. I’ve heard it said that gunfighting is problem-solving with firearms. I like that description because it puts firearms in a proper light. From a defensive mindset, they are tools.
For a start, let’s talk about handguns.
Law Enforcement
These days, law enforcement officers are facing more incidents that are flagrantly violent, with shooters who have no problem putting out a high volume of fire indiscriminately.
Most standard law enforcement loadouts for patrol include a magazine in the pistol and two spare magazines on the duty belt. Some carry more, some less. We have to keep in mind, though, that the duty belt only has so much real estate available. Other items competing for space on the duty belt are a holster for the pistol, radio, handcuffs, Taser, gloves, medical pouch, keys, OC spray, and goodness knows what else. That’s a lot of stuff (and weight)!
Self-Defense
When I carry a handgun for self-defense, as a general rule, I like to have two reloads on my person. Why? There are a few reasons.
If I’m ever in a gunfight and I need to reload, it’s possible to fumble a reload and drop a magazine, speed loader, or speed strip. When someone is trying to shoot me, it’s not a great time to be crawling across the ground, trying to find the dropped magazine. I simply reach into my pocket or mag pouch and draw another reload.
What’s that—you don’t think you’ll ever drop a magazine? Tell me that when bullets are flying at you and you have so much adrenaline in your system that your hands have now become flippers. Stuff happens, and this is the real world. You don’t know what’s going to happen, so be prepared.
Suppose there’s a problem with your spare magazine? That reload was your lifeline but it’s now either damaged or experiencing issues. If you have a second option, you have a chance to live longer. Also, note that most handgun stoppages are magazine-related. Take heed of that. I didn’t invent that concept, it just is what it is.
An additional consideration: if we do have to fire our weapon in self-defense, when the situation is over, we will want to reload our weapon in case further hostilities unfold. A spare magazine or reload is vital for that.
Having a couple of spare magazines is just a smart thing to do. I mean, after all, you bothered to strap a handgun onto your side or stuffed one into your pants, so why not also bring reloading options?
Bottom line: one in the gun, two spares on our person is best. Or at least one spare on our person, minimum. But we need to have at least one spare reload, no matter what.
On the Range
The more pre-loaded magazines you bring to the range, the less time you waste refilling them. Time is precious. Especially if you’re renting a lane at the range. You’ll want to maximize your training time.
Training/Education
If you attend a training class, having several magazines to work with not only maximizes your time but also that of the instructors and classmates. Don’t be that person that’s constantly saying, “Hey, wait up, I gotta fill my mags again.” You (and your classmates) probably paid anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple of thousand bucks to get a slot in that class, so get everything out of it that you can. If you don’t value your time, value the time of those around you.
It all depends on what sort of training you’re doing, but anywhere from a half-dozen to over a dozen magazines should be appropriate. If it’s a carbine or tactical class, I’d recommend having over a dozen magazines because the volume of fire can be fairly brisk.
Rifles
Law Enforcement
Presently, many police vehicles now have rifles in them, which I believe is a great idea. It widens the options and parameters that officers have to deal with various situations. Most cops have at least three magazines to work with for their rifles, and some have even more than that.
Beyond that, SWAT and other specialized teams also use rifles. Their loadouts vary greatly, but I’ve seen officers with vests or chest rigs carrying a large amount of ammunition. Team and department SOPs will dictate how much they can carry, so there are no hard and fast rules there.
Self Defense
People rarely carry rifles for self-defense unless circumstances become…interesting. It’s not like we walk into the local convenience store with an AR slung over our shoulder on a normal basis.
Unusual circumstances such as rioting might prompt us to arm ourselves with a rifle for protection. If I were defending against rioters, I’d want at least four magazines on my person, and quite possibly, even more.
The key is to travel light enough to preserve our mobility without bogging us down, and yet have enough ammo to operate as long as we need to. It’s a sort of guessing game, I suppose, and reaching a balance is the key.
Beyond that, though, I’ve seen and spoken with friends and associates who have taken to carrying a rifle (or AR/AK pistol in some cases) in their vehicle. I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Truck Gun” concept.
Ranchers and others who spend a lot of their time in the outdoors have long carried truck guns in their vehicles (I’m not sure what it’s called in the absence of a truck for those of us not blessed enough to own such a vehicle). These rifles range vastly in configuration, with many people carrying a hunting rifle in bolt action, lever action, or pump action. Others carry magazine-fed rifles/pistols.
How many magazines should one bring along for a truck/vehicle Gun? Since we won’t have to tote them on our person, the sky is the limit. I’d say 3-5 would be reasonable. I’d not call anyone crazy for bringing more, though. The vehicle can be a resupply point in case we’re operating nearby. Having the magazines in some sort of pouch or carrier would be a good idea, to keep them from spilling all over the vehicle and makes them easier to carry.
Home Defense
For dealing with intruders, I don’t feel that I need a full chest rig of ammo (although one is standing by at the ready). I’ll be in my house, and if I need more ammo, it is very close at hand. Plus, my rifle holds 20-30 rounds, which should more than suffice against home invaders unless they happen to be a SEAL team (in which case I’ll have real problems). I do advocate having at least one spare rifle mag on your person, even if you just shove it into your back pocket.
I have a somewhat unique situation, in that, I’ve made some very bad people in criminal organizations very upset with me due to my former life in law enforcement. These folks have promised to come visit me after they have left incarceration. At the least, I’d be remiss if I were not prepared to receive visitors. As such, I have prepared extensively to entertain such visitors. If a van load of gang members rolls up and begins an assault on my house, I’m fully prepared to come out victorious.
Will that ever happen? Well, it hasn’t so far. But promises are promises, and when you piss off biker gangs and all sorts of other gangs, you’re a fool if you don’t take some precautions.
Training
As mentioned above in the pistol section, training classes are where we might need to come loaded for bear as far as spare magazines are concerned. The less time we spend filling mags, the more training we can pack into the class.
Do value other peoples’ time! When we show up to a carbine class with three magazines, it will slow everyone else down, and wasted time is wasted money. People will hate you very quickly for being a human boat anchor. Even most pistol classes are going to require more than just a couple of magazines.
Combat
How much can you carry? A loaded AR-15 magazine can weigh a little over a pound. An AK magazine can be over two pounds. I have a chest rig for my AK that can hold six magazines. That’s over 12 pounds of ammo/magazines, and believe me, it gets heavy quickly. Especially for a FOG (Fat, Old Guy).
My chest rig for my AR-15 holds eight magazines. When it’s all filled up, it’s substantial in weight. And that’s just with the rifle magazines, that’s not any other equipment such as water, etc. I’d also have some pistol magazines in the rig.
Soldiers in the field might carry quite a few magazines, as resupply may be hit or miss. Unit SOPs vary.
Perhaps your area is experiencing civil unrest or widespread anarchy. Having several spare magazines in your kit would be a smart move.
It’s really hard to say exactly how many we might need if we’re going into a situation until we can define the parameters of the situation. It’s better to have more than enough than too little. Set up your loadout to match the situation.
Final Thoughts
Presently, magazines are widely available. This is a wonderful time in history if you want to buy magazines. And you should buy as many as you possibly can! No one knows what tomorrow will bring, and they may not be available forever.
To figure out how many magazines you may need on your person, take a look at the tactical environment that you’re going into, as we mentioned above. Try to balance your loadout to have enough ammo but not be so heavy that it unduly weighs you down.
But for daily carry for your handgun, at least one spare is paramount (and two is better). Regardless of whether you carry a pistol or revolver. Because ammunition feeding systems, whether magazines or speed loaders or speed strips, can go belly up at the worst times. Spares allow us to keep operating (and living).
