I wonder how many BGs some of you guys are planning on meeting, on the other hand, better to have it and not need it then the reverse. After over 45 years of schleping weapons around professionally, and having taught some 5,000 folks to use tactical weapons, I have come to some moderately clear conclusions:
1. Simpler is always better, even(maybe especially) for pros
2. If you are maintaining a static defensive position you can have more ammo
3. If you assume a static defensive position, do NOT change your tactics in the middle of an active scenario-assuming your initial tactics were thought out
4. Always carry your extra ammo in the same place, train as you will fight
5. You will NOT need a lot of ammo for a HD situation, this is HD not a revolution or social breakdown
6. Never, but NEVER, mix ammo in a magazine, or in an ammo carrier, to do so is courting tactical and legal disaster
I have tried carrying extra SG ammo just about everywhere on me and the weapon. On me, pouches containing 5-6 rounds of the same type of ammo seem to work best. On the weapon, the best is a speed feed stock for 4 rounds, or a butt cuff with 4-6 rounds. I find side saddles have the following drawbacks:
1. If not installed exactly properly they can(will) shoot loose, or bind the action
2. upset the weapon balance laterally and fore/aft
3. Possibly affect the functions of recoil operated semi auto weapons
The butt cuff will not do any of the above, except add weight on the stock, which will not affect recoil operated weapons due to the aft placement. The butt cuff must be good quality and NOT move, secure it either by tight fit, velcro, or snaps or glue it in place-not with Elmers glue.
The reason you do not want to mix ammo is because in the aftermath of a HD shooting(and there WILL be an aftermath), you do not want to be asked by the attorney for the deceased why you did not use the less deadly rounds you had available, or why you used the most destructive rounds you had available. This is why having any less lethal ammo even available is not a good idea.
All professional organizations (police mlitary etc) have policies in place prohibiting the mixing of ammo in mags and carriers. Many even prohibit the carrying of more than one type of ammo at a time. There are very sound reasons for this, and even though I like having a couple of slugs available, I avoid carrying any more than 2 types of ammo. Which ammo BTW is ALWAYS buckshot or slugs, nothing else, and I mean nothing.
In some places, Kosovo and Bosnia come to mind, we used shtoguns more than any other weapon, and after shooting a few rounds under pressure one tends to forget what rounds he put where.
In fact it was experience in those 2 places that led to the using of different colored stocks for weapons with less lethal ammo in them, usually orange or yellow.
Obviously some folks (including me) forgot exactly in what order the ammo was loaded in, and when picking ammo from pouch or bandoleer grabbed the "wrong" round.
I know I am kind of a crank on this matter, but I have been actively involved in absolutely every aspect of defensive shootings, and some really unpleasant stuff can come down on well intentioned folks.
Two other rules to remember:
1. If something can go wrong-it WILL
2. No good deed goes unpunished
Covered under #2 above is using ammo that is less likely to be lethal, like birdshot. You do not want two versions of what happened available to police or attorneys, sorry but that is the way it is. If you are going to use lethal force, make it lethal, and then be able to articulate why you did so clearly and BRIEFLY. "I thought I and my family were going to be killed so I shot him to stop him".
OK EOR (end of rant)