Concealed Carriers, do you carry spare magazines?

[armoredman]

Yes, always. Typically two full size spare magazines weak side in either a Hazel Leather double mag pouch or a High Noon Double Take mag pouch. On the rare days I carry my Smith Model 10 I have either a double speed loader pouch with 12 more rounds in it, or the offside dump pouch of the shoulder rig has 6 in a speed strip.

 

[Teachu2]

Depends on attire, weapon, and situation. When I carried 1911s, I usually had 2 spare mags, and 4 when I was in uniform. As a civilian carrying Glocks, I don't usually carry more than 1 spare, and don't sweat too much if I don't have a spare. It's nearly as easy to add a G26 as a spare mag for the G30.

I always have spares in/on the vehicle.

 

[GCBurner]

Usually only one spare. I have Perace +1 floorplates for my G26. which gives 12 rounds in the gun and 11 spares. If 21 rounds of 9mm doesn't stop the problem, I hope it would at least buy time to run away.

 

[481]

Do you carry spare magazines?

More often than not.

My CCW is a Glock 17 loaded with 147 gr Hornady XTPs.

My spare mag is filled with Winchester NATO (Q4318) 124 gr FMJs.

 

[Indifferent]

Nope. Just the 5 round my Jframe holds.

 

[9mmfan]

Meh, I keep thinking about it, but never get around to it. Curiously, I do keep a spare mag in the nightstand, as well as a BUG. This is mainly because before I moved, I hadda hundred pounds of crap in the closet in front of the safe. Getting used to easy access, so it's changing.

 

[JR24]

I almost always carry 1. Either 13 +1, 13, or 10+1, 17 depending on what I'm carrying.

I like horizontal mag holders along the belt, and have yet to see a decent double, or I'd think about 2 spares.

 

[GEM]

Yes, and I have had mags fail. Thus the spare for malfunctions as compared the other good reason of needing more ammo.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Yes. I carry at least one reload for my CCW gun, with the extra magazine, speed loader or speed strip carried in my opposite back pocket.

Seems to me that if you actually NEED your gun, you might NEED some extra ammo too.

The only gun that I usually don't carry a reload is for my .22 LR NAA Mini Revolver. The fine motor skills required to unload/load it will be unavailable in the event of hostile action.

 

[Lincoln4]

My spare mag is the LCR in my pocket...

 

[Darkbob]

I don't think I've carried a spare mag yet. Although, rarely I'll pocket carry a bug as well as my main.

Normally 7 rounds.
Rarely, 7+6.

 

[hariph creek]

Always. Never loose, either.

A speedstrip, in a pocket pouch (strong side), for a revolver. =10rds total
(I know speed loaders are faster but, convenience and compactness wins out here.)

OR...

A single, also in pocket pouch (weak side), for my daily carry (Sig P290RS). =13rds total
When this pulls BUG duty, I don't bother.


AND/OR...

Belt mounted single for my Kimber 10mm. =17rds total


If I used double stack "FULL" capacity type guns? I don't think I'd bother with a spare, unless I was wearing a jacket?
I test my mags (and the guns that use them) to the point that, I trust them, as much as any revolver.
I know things can fail...and a meteor can land on my house.

 

[420Stainless]

No.

5+1

 

[smalls]

I test my mags (and the guns that use them) to the point that, I trust them, as much as any revolver.

Murphy's Law, my friend. If something bad can happen, it will at the least desirable time! And no matter how much testing you do, they can fail.

 

[REAPER4206969]

A 23 with two spare mags in a Rosen Deuce.

40rds. of .40

 

[Fast Frank]

I don't carry a reload because I'm worried about running out of bullets in a gunfight.

I'm not a high priority target, and there's no hit squads out after me.

If I need to defend myself, it will be because some knuckle Head, or junkie, or carjacker, or mugger decided to take a chance on me.

That's not going to be a reason to fire a half box of bullets. Just a few should be enough to make the nonsense stop.

No, I don't need to carry reloads for that.

BUT...

If I use the weapon, It's not going to be full of bullets any more. What about the rest of the day? A pistol with two rounds left in it doesn't sound like a good idea, does it?

I keep spare mags strategically located. (I carry a 1911)

There's a couple in the truck, at my job, on my dresser at home.

If I'm going to be out and exposed, or away from my truck, I have a single mag Kydex off side mag holster that works very nice, and sometimes I'll stick an extra in a back pocket.

But seriously, the pistol alone weighs three pound and extra mags get heavy quick. I don't always carry one.

At some point, it becomes stupid. I'm satisfied knowing that I can whip out a full size fighting pistol if I need to. If That's not enough things have gone seriously wrong and I'm probably not going to make it home anyway.

 

[Invisible Swordsman]

With autos I generally carry one spare mag. With my j-frames it's usually one speed strip.

 

[tiamat]

For the longest time I never used to carry a spare mag. But then I got to reading posts like these, and thinking about it more, it made sense to me that I probably should.

But for IWB, I carry one plus a flashlight. I think I am much more likely to need a flashlight than a third magazine.

This. I also find that the spare mag and flashlight help to balance out the weight too.

 

[golden]

1 spare, always

I always carry a spare. My capacity depends on which gun I carry, but it does not matter if it is 7 or 8 or 13 or 15 rounds, I still carry a reload.

I did give up on revolvers though. I wanted more than 5 shots + a 5 shot reload.

Even if you only fire 1 shot when needed, what happens if you get a misfeed or jam. Pulling out the mag and reloading is the best way to clear it in my experience and often it is the fastest.

As for total rounds carried. I like about 15 rounds. I used to carry a 5 shot revolver and did not think that 5 + 5 was enough.

I am an average size male and don't frequent bars or other places where a fight is likely to occur. I do not expect to have a problem with just one individual, I expect at least two assailants, most likely in a street robbery.

I also don't buy the 2 rounds is the average per person in a gun fight.
I think that everything that can go wrong will be going wrong if something bad happens, otherwise I would not be in that situation.

I agree on the flashlight. It is a good idea and I have been carrying one for the last couple of years.

Just my experience,

Jim

 

[MCMXI]

YES!!

8+1 in a SIG P239 in an IWB CrossBreed SuperTuck Deluxe plus two loaded 10-rounds mags in a CrossBreed OWB mag carrier. I don't plan on going quietly!!

 

[gunsablazin]

I believe if you are going to the trouble of carrying a handgun, why would you not carry spare ammo? The only time I don't is when walking in my neighborhood, I keep a Keltec P3AT in my pocket for that, but when leaving home I always have an extra load for my primary gun. I have never fired a gun in anger, and hope I never do, but I'm not running out of ammo if I need my gun.

 

[Mayvik]

Depends on destination(s), duration, season, apparel, which gun(s), etc.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no with a NY, sometimes no with nothing.

 

[CoRoMo]

Always

 

[bill3424]

Yes, one spare mag plus the mag in the gun of course.

 

[HighExpert]

The one time I didn't carry an extra mag, I needed all seven that where in my Sig 230. Obviously, survived and prevailed but running out of ammo is not funny. Went the next day and bought a Glock 23 and have carried it with an extra mag ever since.