How full should a mag be for a home defense handgun?

I get it. Thanks Rail Driver. Living in a nanny state means that I have no first-hand experience with followers that get anywhere close to the bottom of my designed for 15 rounds but can only hold 10 rounds magazines.

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Full, mags get worn out from use, being compressed won't hurt them as long as they aren't over full. And mag springs are cheap anyways, check out Wolff if you ever worry about one being weak.

Full clip one in the tube and when empty hit them with the butt. If you have thoughts of running a half loaded clip might help your get away?

KeithG said:

I get it. Thanks Rail Driver. Living in a nanny state means that I have no first-hand experience with followers that get anywhere close to the bottom of my designed for 15 rounds but can only hold 10 rounds magazines.

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On the up side, at least you can rest easy at night not worrying if your mag springs are over compressed

Full, +1.

How full???

I find this akin to asking: How full should your fire extinguisher be? If you need any of it, you want as much as you can get. If you are worried about springs wearing out, get an extra mag or two and rotate. I do that on the regular. Used to be ever other month, no I have moved to every 6 months. I shoot out all the loaded ammo at the same time so as to keep it fresh and refamiliarize myself with exactly how my carry ammo performs. It costs about double per round when I do that, but it is only 50 rounds at most, and only twice a year. If you have a 10 rounder, give it 10, etc.

Completely full and topped off (17+1 in my M&P 9mm). I just rotate my mags every 2 weeks.

Do you jack up your car and put it on blocks in the driveway every night to keep your springs from wearing out too?

Rotating mags weakens springs faster then leaving them loaded!!!!

Cycling springs wears them out.

Leaving them compressed doesn't.

rc

Full + 1. It won't hurt the spring.

Both for HD and daily carry... Always Fully Loaded....
XD 40 = 12+1,
G27sc Gen.4 = 9+1
and always a couple of extra fully loaded Mags within easy reach...

Outdoorsman1

Full plus one in the chamber.

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Take it out & shoot it regularly.
That way you'll know when it's time to replace the magazine spring.

KeithG said:

I get it. Thanks Rail Driver. Living in a nanny state means that I have no first-hand experience with followers that get anywhere close to the bottom of my designed for 15 rounds but can only hold 10 rounds magazines.

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Just be glad that your state representatives have never seen Skeeter Skelton or Jerry Mucilek in action with a 60 year old revolver, or you'd still be carrying clubs!

LD

It seems pointless to load the pistol with anything less than a full mag +1, so that's what I do.

My G17 mags were designed to fully function while fully loaded for many years of being loaded. I won't be too concerned with my two G17 +2 19 round magazines being loaded with 17 rounds each for a couple of years now on my bed.

I agree with all the others: Full +1 for a handgun.

I also had a gun store associate tell me that he only loads 5 rounds in his nightstand 1911, and then said something like "if 5 rounds won't get the job done, you shouldn't be shooting in the first place" or something to that effect. He also might've said it weakens the spring, or maybe I just assumed that since he said he doesn't keep them fully loaded. I can't remember exactly because it was a while back, but something definitely made me think that it was bad for the spring.

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Yet another golden nugget of gunstore clerk brilliance!!!! I need to get a job working in one of the joints that employ these idiots, just for the sheer entertainment value!

By that logic he should really only carry 1 round, because if he can't stop the threat with 1 well placed round, he probably shouldn't be shooting in the first place.

NOLAEMT said:

By that logic he should really only carry 1 round, because if he can't stop the threat with 1 well placed round, he probably shouldn't be shooting in the first place.

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Well the saying does go: ".45 ACP, because shooting twice is silly"

....sorry, I had to

One shot

I have a G17, and I have the mags loaded 16 out of 17, just so I have a place for the chambered round if I ever have to unload the chamber.

I use a S&W .357 revolver only loaded 1/2 full so I don't stretch it out to a .44 because I don't have .44 cartridges. This also keeps me more religious in survival and SHTF situations.

Always full +1.

I have always believed that there should be a full mag +1 in chamber. A LEO I know does not carry one in the chamber and I asked him why not. His answer was "IF he had his weapon taken from him it could not be fired at him immediately, and his backup gun was well within reach. He also demonstrated to me how quick he could clear his weapon from holster and with one move have the weapon charged. Not that I would do it but it makes sense

I do dry practice with my home defense gun way too much to keep it chambered. I'd be chambering and unchambering 2 or three times a day. My carry ammo would be chewed up in a few months.