CCW, how many rounds do you carry?

[Chipperman]

P7M13 with one spare mag.
That gives me 27 total rounds.

Do I think I'll ever need 27 rounds? NOPE
Do I think I'll ever need to change mags? NOPE
Do I think it's likely that I'll ever even fire my pistol in a defensive situation? NOPE
Will I change what I carry based on the answers to these questions? NOPE

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

Carry a reload, don't carry a relaod, hell carry 12 and a BUG for all I care...

But let's not degrade anybody for making THEIR OWN CHOICES, WICH ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOURS !

PS: I have had the highest -ammo carried count- so far at 51+, wheres my prize ?! Still 2 Many Choices!?

 

[TonyB]

10 rounds..5 shot revolver and 1 speed loader.....I don't feel undergunned.But if you guys want to carry 100 rounds go for it....I'll just be your back up...

 

[nathan]

Thanks guys for all your responses.

 

[dmallind]

The trouble with the "be prepared just in case" argument for multiple reloads is that there's ALWAYS just another case.

Carry two mags? What if you need three? Four?

Sure this applies to carrying one mag too - what if you need two?

All we can say is that the probability of needing ten is less than that of needing nine, and so on down to one.

However this is far from linear a decrease and may even be completely flat. I have seen not one single datum concerning a regular citizen needing to reload to survive. Given this, the probability of needing two mags or three, by observed data as opposed to imagination, is identical - zero

So how to answer the "I don't want to be the first one" argument? Pretty simple really. How many mags does our fully prepared friend carry? Five IIRC is the highest number I've seen scanning this thread. The response then is "why do you want to be the first one to need six and not have them?"

Imagination is limitless, but I find it far more pragmatic than naive to assume that, imaginable or not, there is so little probability of not only needing to reload but being successful in such an encounter because you could, that it's not a significantly more prepared position than simply carrying a full magazine.

The bolded part is important. The multi-mag side would have us be prepared for equipment failure, multiple attackers, continued or renewed attacks and so on. Far fetched perhaps, but again imaginably important for sure. However since we should not by common sense and cannot by law in most cases draw at all unless our lives or bodies are in imminent grave danger, let's say those multiple attackers are swarming or that sudden magazine failure has happened. For a multi mag prepared guy to be successful, he has to survive this assault that he has been unable to stop with 6 or 7 or 16 rounds from his first magazine while loading in his spare, but then be successful with his second (or third and so on) while at the same time not needing his third (or fourth and so on).

That's when imagination gets a bit strained to me. It's unlikely I'll ever need to draw, but I carry because it HAS happened that normal non-LEO people have needed to. It's VERY unlikely I'll need to shoot more than one or two rounds. Chuck Norris I may not be, but few attackers keep up the threat after a couple of shots even if they miss. However not only can I fit 7 in the PM9 with no appreciable loss of convenience or comfort (and having never experienced a magazine failure with it), but it HAS happened that people have missed on initial shots and needed follow ups. So I don't just load one in the chamber. However carrying multiple mags IS less convenient than one - with all the crap I have to carry in my pockets as part of normal life I'm about at the limit without wearing silly mall-ninja pants or strapping on a shoulder harness to pop down to Subway - and it HAS NOT happened that a multiple-magazine carry has been the difference between a successful self defense shoot and a non-successful attempt at the same.

With that in mind I again see no difference in level of preparedness between one and 2 or 3 mags that can be demonstrated without fanciful imaginary situations. And in that case those fanciful imaginary situations could easily apply just the same to whatever mag count the "prepared" guys carry.

 

[12 Volt Man]

Most of the time I carry just what the magazine holds plus one in the chamber. Very seldom do I carry an extra magazine. Thinking about it more, I probably should have at least one spare mag loaded up and in my front pocket. Mags print in most of my pockets. In baggy shorts or cargo pants, this wouldn't be much of an issue.

 

[leadcounsel]

I applaud those of you who CAN and are WILLING to be saddled down daily with 5 additional pounds of concealed reloads....

Some people regularly carry keys, wallet, folding knife, cell phone, multitool, flashlight, primarly large frame gun, backup gun, reloads for both...

My only question is where in the WORLD are you concealing all of this stuff?

I carry keys, wallet, cell phone, folding knife, and primary gun, and sometimes a tactical flashlight. I find this can get uncomfortable at times. I would be pressed to fit an additional magazine or two in my attire.

I'm not necessarily against carrying spares, and would if I could easily, but the first argument against it is practicality.

The second argument is that it's highly unlikely I'd need it with my current carry choices. My main guns are loaded with anywhere from 9-16 rounds of .40 caliber. My ultra light carry gun has 7 shots of .380 (this is for basically "beach carry"), so I could be persuaded to carry a spare for the .380.

For a DEFENSIVE situation, it's hard to even visualize a situation where more firepower is going to be necessary than what I'm carrying. I'd have to assume that I'd have the time, inclination, and opportunity to fire off 16 rounds of .40 without first having the situation diffuse, killing the aggressors, having them retreat, or being killed myself in the hail of bullets flying back and forth.

There's such a thing as overprepared-ness and I think more than 10-20 rounds is more than prepared for 99.999999% of any situation that you'll be faced with as a civilian under normal circumstances.

 

[Diamondback]

To each his own.....for me a loaded J frame or Colt Detective Special with 5 in a speed strip, minimum.....often a speed loader as well. If I were to carry a pistol a spare mag. makes sense as they are susceptible to malfunction.

The issue I have with the "better to have it than not need it" advice is where do you drawn the line......5 extra mags, a BUG, a rifle, the kitchen sink ? Everyone has to make their own decision.......I shoot regularly with what I carry, practice situational awareness, stay out of "trouble spots", and regulate my "attitude" when appropriate. But I'm no fool either...I know at a moments notice things can go south. Life is unpredictable. Everyone needs to assess their needs and perceived risks....like I said up front...."to each his own".

When I was in my youth I naively traveled the world with just a Swiss Army knife in my pocket and felt invincible......except on a French train headed to Marseilles when I was hassled by a drunk Arab stevadore.......it was "touch and go" for a moment...I believe he might have tried to kill me if the porter hadn't entered the compartment just as things were heating up !.....being a dock worker on the port of Marseilles, I also bet that drunk was carrying something a LOT more lethal than a Swiss Army knife !

10 rounds..5 shot revolver and 1 speed loader.....I don't feel under gunned.But if you guys want to carry 100 rounds go for it....I'll just be your back up...

-Regards

 

[Aikibiker]

9 rounds in the pistol and a minimum of one reload. If weather/dress permit two reloads. If going out of town in a car will add a box of ammo for pistol and a long gun with extra ammo/magazines (ammount depends on long gun.)

I also like to have some sort of club handy in the car. ASP, sap, good stout piece of American Ash, whatever.

 

[dmallind]

I agree with everything you said leadcounsel and am in no way picking on you for minutiae, just using your example to illustrate my diatribe on probability some more.

The very powerful 99.999999% you cite would mean that almost 3 people would have been faced with a situation requiring multiple magazines for joe citizen self defense.

Again not picking on you - I can assume you were in no way tring to make a serious stab at the probability and were instead just using 99.999999% as a potent argument against the driving need to carry multiple mags.

However it's much MORE likely than that you'll be fine with just one. I can't think of another example where prople who fail to take precautions against < 0.0000001% chances are called naive, ill prepared and foolish. Using that logic we should all wear scuba gear in the bath just in case we fall and knock ourselves unconscious. It COULD happen - why do you want to be the first and refuse to be prepared for it to happen?

 

[Geno]

As much as I can pack on my body

Our CCW instructor was the director of the county SWAT team for nearly 30 years. He told us pack as many rounds as you can, and always have as many guns as you can.

The "how" is simple. Strategically, and tactically. Predetermine where you are going. Who will be with you. What is the degree of potential danger. Carry accordingly.

Even at home, I carry at minimum 1 mag in the pistol and two spares on my waist. Going out, I may carry anywhere from 100 to 200 rounds. Using high capacity magazines, that really is not too difficult, especially if one carries a briefcase--then, the sky's the limit.

Example:

Shoulder harness a Glock 17 with 19+1 rounds, and 2,19-round mags also in the harness. Add 4 Fobus double-mag holders, and it takes it to a total of 11, 19-round mags, all neatly under a professional-looking vest. Add a Kel-Tec .380 on the ankle and a NAA mini-revolver on the other and you have a total of:

9MM=210 rounds (1 in chamber)
380= 8 rounds (1 in chamber)
.22 Mag = 5 rounds

Total 223 rounds. Depending on how conditioned one is that may or may not seem heavy.

Note the pockets are still available for pocket knife, cell phone, etc.

Doc2005

 

[DirksterG30]

Depends - on my 1911, I carry 2 spare mags - total of 23rds, on my P-01, I carry 1 spare mag - total of 29rds, and on my MK9, I carry 2 spare mags for a total of 20rds.

 

[frankinaug]

Always One Extra Mag unless I carry more

Depends on weapon of the day and where I happen to be going.

1911 I carry two extra mags on person with two extra in car.

Glock 19 one extra 15 rnd mag on person with one 15rnd and two 33rnd in car.

Keltec 380 two extra mags on person.

 

[vanilla_gorilla]

Everyone is allowed an opinion. Saying someone is clueless because they see realistic cause and effect relationships adds nothing to a discussion. I've read all of these posts and have come to the conclusion that we have a lot of "John Waynes" out there. Being armed is one thing, being ready for combat with enough ammo to kill an army is, frankly, not facing reality.

Now before I'm branded the fool, clueless, or whatever label you feel you need, you should know these facts; I've been robbed, I've had a gun to my head, I've had rounds come my way, I've had friends killed. I'm quite aware of the dangers in this world, probably moreso than most of you. For these reasons I do not hang out with people who live certain lifestyles, or live in certain areas, or engage in stupid behavior. Maybe you do and need 100 rounds at the ready...but I doubt it.

LEOs may need ammo at the ready, but the average citizen that carries a combat load does so for reasons other than need. What that need is, I don't know, but don't presume that those of us that actively avoid trouble don't know what trouble is...we've been there, and we don't think doing a "John Wayne" is the way to avoid it.

You are correct. Everyone IS allowed an opinion. Everyone is also allowed to state whether their opinion is that someone else's opinion is wrong.

You are also correct that it seems there are many "John Wayne's" here. Probably true of any gun discussion board.

I'm happy for you that you have experienced evil. Many live in complete ignorance of it. If you think you will be successful in avoiding it, more power to you. I think you will fail dismally. I don't hang out with the people you describe either. In fact, the only people I hang out with wear badges and certainly don't go looking for trouble. Other than those few, I'm pretty much a loner.

You can justify the lack of spare ammo all you want. It is fully your decision to do so, just as it is your decision to carry a gun. Don't, however, try to explain to people who know exactly what you're talking about when it comes to facing evil with "I avoid it, and don't need anything else."

 

[Soybomb]

Shoulder harness a Glock 17 with 19+1 rounds, and 2,19-round mags also in the harness. Add 4 Fobus double-mag holders, and it takes it to a total of 11, 19-round mags, all neatly under a professional-looking vest.

Wow thats alot of magazines.

 

[leadcounsel]

Not carrying a gun can be considered naive.

Carrying a gun is reasonably considered "responsible" or "prepared to defend yourself, your family, etc. from a deadly threat."

I'm about as pro gun as they come and fully support carry laws, gun rights, etc... But honestly...

Carrying hundreds of rounds on a daily basis, as a civilian, is probably considered on the fringe... I think it would be difficult to function in society with that type of attitude that you are going to be facing the types of danger that require a hundred rounds.

My attitude is based on the fact that statistics state that the overwhelming majority of shootings involve less than 10 shots, and even less than 6 shots total between all of the parties. Heck even in the OK Corral gunfight, 9 gunfighters fired a total of 30 shots in 30 seconds. That's only an average of about 3 bullets per person. Even on the HIGH side, let's say that twice the number of reported shots were fired, for about 60 shots. We're still at an average of only 6 shots per person. Your vision of being "pinned down" and exchanging gunfire for hours is just fantasy....

The outcome of REAL life gunfights is determined within moments from start to finish. You aren't going to be reloading repeatedly in any real life situation. There comes a fine line between shooting instinctively in self defense for fear of imminent danger to your life, and premeditation long after the threat has ceased.

Let me just ask what type of scenario are you expecting. And, if that scenario happens, do you honestly have any realistic belief that you'd expect to survive it EVEN with a hundred rounds???

Scenario... a professional hit by several aggressors. Will you survive getting off 100 shots (minimum 8 reloads) without yourself being shot mutliple times?

Scenario... massive hysteria due to a catastrophe, stranding you away from home for days. How many gunfights do you expect to be in? Do you expect to survive multiple life threatening situations requiring hundreds of rounds?

Do what you want, obviously, but it just seems very "out there" to feel the need to carry SO much for no particular reason on a daily basis.

 

[jeeptjs]

I carry however many fit in what i am carrying, no extra mags, speed loaders. I don't like to carry alot of stuff with me at anytime so i scrap reloads. The way i look at it is if I can't take care of the defensive problem with what i have i shouldn't be getting involved with my firearm.

 

[jeeptjs]

Shoulder harness a Glock 17 with 19+1 rounds, and 2,19-round mags also in the harness. Add 4 Fobus double-mag holders, and it takes it to a total of 11, 19-round mags, all neatly under a professional-looking vest. Add a Kel-Tec .380 on the ankle and a NAA mini-revolver on the other and you have a total of:

9MM=210 rounds (1 in chamber)
380= 8 rounds (1 in chamber)
.22 Mag = 5 rounds

Man i'm sorry but thats rediculous. There is no reason you should ever need that many bullets unless you are a LEO/SWAT/etc. You bring a whole new meaning to mall ninja.

 

[Landric]

Wow, I know this thread is about carrying spare ammo, but a lot of people are also going into what else they carry. I haven't seen anyone mention any non-lethal or less than lethal weapons. I always carry OC, in addition to what else I might have. There is only a slight chance that I will need any of the stuff I carry, but we are all more likely to need something like OC rather than a firearm. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't carry firearms, only that it might make sense to replace that second spare mag with something less-lethal for those times we need self defense but not deadly force.

That said, I probably carry more junk than most of the posters here. Even off-duty I almost always carry a BUG, a reload for said BUG, a primary gun and a reload for the primary gun. Then the OC, cell phone, etc. I conceal it all pretty well, and it isn't much trouble, but I suspect a lot of folks would consider it overkill. Of course the guy carrying over 200 rounds would probably think I was hopelessly ill-equiped.

My usual off-duty gun is a 3913 (8+1) and my BUG is a J-frame, so even with my fully loaded guns and spare ammo, I have only 28 rounds of ammo (my spare 3913 mag is a 9 round 3904 mag). Of course when I carry my duty weapon off duty that figure jumps to 41 rounds.

 

[WeedWhacker]

This site is wonderful...but everyone here thinks they are going to get into some massive firefight with heavily armed individuals. I think it is more realistic to assume one fully loaded weapon and one close up self-defense situation.

If we were to assume anything, most of us would be correct if we assumed we'd never once need a weapon.

The problem arises for those select few who assumed incorrectly. It's been said a million times before, but it is still just as true: it is better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

Personally, I carry anywhere from five rounds to thirty-six, though I much prefer having at least one reload, if at all possible (and a spare magazine is mandatory with autoloaders).

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

Said it before, I'll say it again....

My non-lethal/less lethal response involves the badguy running away screaming like a little girl after I produce a .40-.45 sized hole from concealment...If he sticks aound after that, I am reasonably in fear of my life, as any sane person would have run away screaming like a little girl !!! Still 2 Many Choices!?

 

[30 cal slob]

Ed Brown Kobra: 3 (wilson combat, of course) mags (one in gun and two in mag pouch)

i'd carry more but i'm waiting for a c-drum to come out for the 1911 platform.

 

[OhioPaints]

*leadcouncil: "My only question is where in the WORLD are you concealing all of this stuff?"

LOL. You haven't seen the video circulating about why school dress codes require a shirt to be tucked in. It is hilarious! The fellow brings out something like 20 hidden handguns PLUS a shotgun!!!!

Ken

 

[OhioPaints]

This is an interesting thread.

To those who see the need for a large amount of ammo, what scenario are you preparing for?

According to Kleck, in the vast majority of cases where a handgun is used for self defense, the gun is never fired. I like that scenario since it generally keeps you out of serious legal trouble. Yes, I understand that you should never draw your weapon unless you are in a situation where you feel the need to use it. But even then I hope the presence of the handgun will defuse the situation.

Even in a situation like Luby's Cafeteria, a few well placed shots should suffice. Certainly a half dozen rounds would be enough. Anything more and your risk of hitting innocent people rises.

Yes, in a situation where we are required to be out and about during times of civil unrest or disaster, perhaps confronting roaming gangs, extra rounds could be useful but most of the gangs are looking for easy pickings, not those able to shoot back.

So what scenarios would a non-LEO face where a reload would be required? What scenarios would require more than one extra magazine?

Ken

 

[Dr_2_B]

I'm more likely to carry a BUG than a reload. I usually just carry whatever's in the gun (and that ranges from 5 rounds in a S&W 442 to 14 rounds in a GLOCK 23). There's a reload in the car, but if I get to my car, I won't be reloading and running back into the fight, I'll be climbing into the glove box.