Is 20 Rounds of 5.56 Enough?

JCooperfan1911 said:

I have a lightweight AR chambered in 5.56. I like 20 round magazines as they’re compact and keep the gun streamlined.

Is it enough firepower for defense?

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Yes. Just keep another mag handy in case of malfunctions. I too like 20 rounders, handy and easier for prone.

rabid wombat said:

For my completely made up numbers:

• 99.9% of us will never need a firearm for defensive use
• Of that 0.1% that do, 99.9% will only brandish the firearm and not shoot
• Of that 0.1% that do shoot, 99.9% will end right there
• Of that 0.1% that does not end, 99.9%….

In my opinion - 20 is more than enough. Like @mgmorden says - if you are comfortable, you are good. Quantity, like caliber, is a personal decision. When I was deciding what to carry, I started with a S&W 640. Deciding 5 was not enough, I swapped to a Glock 23. Personal decision - no right or wrong

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Those are some optimistic numbers…

The first shot will bring the cops in 10-50 minutes. How much do you want to have till then... 20 is 14 more than my home defense weapon.

Dave DeLaurant said:

My usual CCW gat is a 5-shot J-frame S&W .357. It sits beside my bed, so it would also be my first resort in a home-defense crisis. I have a Glock on my carry permit but it usually stays in the safe.

If asked, a 5-shooter is not the choice I would recommend to someone else. Nor am I advocating magazine limits.

FWIW, my reasoning behind the choice of a 5-shooter is that I have limited financial resources: even with self-defense insurance, I literally cannot afford to miss and absorb the liability of hitting a bystander. More to the point, I could not live with myself if I ever did. Five shots means every single one will be deliberate and as accurate as I am able to deliver, because in the back of my mind I know that's all I have available.

It might sound stupid to you but it's a good fit to my psyche. And therefore ten or twenty seems like plenty to me.

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Yikes! In a self defense shooting you are very likely not to hit all your shots. That does pose a risk to innocents but is reality, even with the best trained. And with your 5 shooter (presumably a snub nose) you are all the more likely to miss a round or two due to the limitations of the weapon.

I understand where you are coming from mentally (I’ve been there too), but unfortunately self defense or defense of others does not occur in a static environment.

No insult intended, and I absolutely agree with the need to be aware of what’s behind your threat. I also love my jframe and carry it at work every shift as my BUG.

I have 15-20 mags for my AR's. About 1/2 are 20 round mags and that is what I prefer to use most of the time. But there are several 30 round mags loaded and ready to go if needed.

I also prefer to use 20rnd mags. I agree with the OP that it keeps the rifle a bit more streamline. That said I’ve got 30rnd mags, well just because I can.

20 round magazines (which is what most GI's carried through VN- but of course they carried lots of them) are great for things like minimizing space for a loaded AR that is being stored, or for guns that are trying to be kept as "straw weight fighters" to minimize total weight- so if carry weight and minimizing storage space are a priority over firepower, why not. 20 round mags can also make firing from a low prone position easier- I used to keep a bunch of 20's in my range team box just so guys could use them for zeroing off the sandbag at the range, then after they would toss them back in the team box.

FL-NC said:

are great for things like minimizing space for a loaded AR that is being stored,

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Yes!

I prefer 20 round mags in my Ruger mini 14,makes it smaller and easier to maneuver thru tight or close quarters as well as to store and pack with me.
plus the 20s just seem to function better and be a lot more reliable than 30s.

I keep 20rds in the well & 30s for a reload. Its more compact & handles better.

To quote an old partner of mine that got involved in an extended running shootout "you just can't have ENOUGH ammo"!

I’ve got mostly 30’s but I’m starting to buy more 20’s and some 10’s as well as I too like their length for drills. I also have a few 40’s, but rarely use them.

Peakbagger46 said:

Those are some optimistic numbers…

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And completely made up

That said, estimated 2 million defensive uses per year, 330 million people (call it 400 million for Aggie math…) = 0.005. That is use, not shot…. Now that would be per year, over a life time would be different…. Odds are small, but not zero….

Nothing wrong with using a 20 round magazine. I would definitely have 1 or 2 spares handy, but that's me.

The only time I used 20 rounders was during basic training. After that I never used a 20 rounder the entire time I was in the Army. I do agree that the 20 rounders do make it easier for zeroing and on the qualification range since you shoot from prone supported and unsupported.

I still use 20 rounders for shooting from a bench to this day. For all other uses I stick with 30 rounders unless dictated by hunting laws. Here in Missouri we are restricted to 10 round magazines for most hunting.

I would say yes. FAL's and 20 shot mags did a lot of good service. Aussies in particular used them in all the same wars and kept up. The reasons to move away from this were logistical as well as tactical. Not to get into a 308 vs 223 argument of course.
I myselfworked in several 3rd world countries after leaving the military. A couple of things which occurred to me are
1.extended firefights work better when its force on force since you can absorb a few % losses. For a 1-1 duel, which is what HD is, any ''losses" on your side are somewhat more catastrophic .
2.The second time you come up against someone as good as yourself, statistically its your turn to die.
3.If you come up against someone who really knows what he is doing even if he has an old bolt action you have a nightmare on your hands.

What it taught me is Im not looking for the most capacity for a gun as a result, but Im also not knocking it. Just be able to use whatever whatever you have and be aware how quickly the three things above can kill you even on your best day.

During the Mpls riots, when there was talk in the shadows of Antifa convoys invading the burbs and rural communities, I felt pretty good with 20 in the match AR, but I kept 2 30s jungle clipped in the carbine and 2 shotguns in the truck locked in 4x4 and pointed towards a mile of hayfield in case flight became preferred to defending the homestead. The M1 held 6 API following 2 M25s, with 3 clips on the sling and the PSL had 4 10 round mags of steel core in addition to the match AR in a barrier/ overwatch position. Mine was the road block house overlooking a pinch point between swamps. The neighbors were on enfilade from distance. Depends on your threat I guess. For normal scenarios, 20X 55gr soft points ride in the carbine.

Defense against what?
How many rounds did Kyle fire?
People tend to act differently when they witness their buddy laying on the floor.

I'm limited to 10 in NY 5 for hunting. That said in SD situation it only took 1 357 mag from my 6 in gp 100.

I mostly shoot bolt actions now but do shoot my AR and 9mm Smith and Wesson and hit well enough.

Peakbagger46 said:

And with your 5 shooter (presumably a snub nose) you are all the more likely to miss a round or two due to the limitations of the weapon.

No insult intended, and I absolutely agree with the need to be aware of what’s behind your threat. I also love my jframe and carry it at work every shift as my BUG.

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None taken. My J-frame is a Pro Series 3" with adjustable rear sight. I'm an even worse shot with the more usual 2" fixed sight snubby, one of which I also own.

The Army went to 30s because their guns have the fun switch. 20 is burned up really fast in a reasonably flat-recoiling gun. For semi-auto, its a hell of a lot of shooting.

Try it yourself: Go to the range, set a nightmare scenario number of targets up, with hostages or bystanders, etc. (Or do it with friends, have them set the targets while you don't look). How far did you get with one 20 round mag? I bet finished the course with ammo to spare.

And always, always have a spare. Magazines are the weak point in any system, so always have a spare for malfunctions and mistakes. More is better, and easy. Have a chest rig, bandolier, bag, or better yet a few in pouches on the front of a plate carrier, next to the HD rifle. Put it on when you get a chance.

I have 5’s, 10’s and 20’s for range, sighting in, etc. I use 30’s loaded with 28 rounds for HD. Its what Ive been training with for over 30 years. I am used to them so thats what I prefer.

As the guys said, it really is personal preference once you get to the 20-30 round magazine sizes. IMHO 100% magazine reliability is more important than the 10 extra shots per mag a 30 offers.

Stay safe.

I own and use mostly 30's but you should be fine with your 20's. The military issued 20's for a long time!

Having never been in combat this is just an opinion!

JCooperfan1911 said:

I have a lightweight AR chambered in 5.56. I like 20 round magazines as they’re compact and keep the gun streamlined.

Is it enough firepower for defense?

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As in only 20 rounds, maybe, probably not. But why risk it. I have a lightweight AR with 20 rounds mag in it for the same reasons you mentioned, however i have a 30 rounds mag on my duty belt and 3 30 rounds mag on my plate carrier. So in general, 20 rounds mags are slick but it’s good to have spears nearby even if you use 20,30 or 60.

Heck, I've got two 30rd mags paired together because of there a bump in the night I'm not throwing on a chest rig first and the extra weight isn't a big concern on an otherwise lightweight carbine.

I've got a couple 40rd mags I acquired in trades, but I haven't vetted them sufficiently yet. I like having a reload in case of a malf.

But I'd feel comfortable with just a single 20 if I'm being honest. I've just got the gear, so I don't see any significant reason not to use it.