IMHO, you guys that have 50+ mags of ANY variety, I just don't get it. SERIOUSLY!?! What do you plan on accomplishing with all those spares? Where these bought in speculation that gov't was going to ban them (a valid reason)? Or do you only reload them twice a year? What gives???
I tried buying as much as I could in '94 before the Assault Weapon Ban went into effect, but I was 22 years old and there really wasn't that much disposable income. Managed to do okay in some areas, but not in others (rimfire rifle mags and double stack pistol mags).
Made it through ten years of shooting with practically nothing in some areas. "
High Cap" (meaning standard capacity) pistol mags were $110 to $125 a pop through most of it until all that ended in 2004.
I ended up having to buy surplus Orlites and Thermolds in the mid-90's because standard USGI AR mags weren't really available for the most part (there were no such thing as Magpuls or Lancer). Got lucky in '98 with a friend and a family member discharging from the Army and Marines and giving me what pre-ban M-16 mags they left with. They didn't have any need for them. Couldn't get that lucky with BHP and Glock mags though.
They even had this ridiculous tool during the AWB that bent back the feed lips on bent US G.I. AR 15 mags. That thing didn't really work I'm here to tell you.
I had a single Butler Creek mag for my 10/22. Managed to get a second one halfway through the ban for around $50 and felt I got a great deal. Remember the fact that now we know that the ban would eventually end and that we would manage to avoid an even more restrictive
AWB II. Back then we didn't have the benefit of hindsight.
Mags are also consumable. They quit working or they get lost, they get stolen at classes or at competitions.
So why ever deal with that again? They're cheap and available now and I'll never be caught unprepared again.
It's also hedging my family's bets against the future, if they ban all semi automatic guns in 15 years (not so ridiculous since they try it every year) then it doesn't really matter for my son and 3 nephews, they'll still end up being able to use all this stuff for years and years into the future. Might not be available at all then or it might be prohibitively expensive.
IIRC the price has just about bottomed out on STANAG compliant AR mags... that's why I now have 4 magpuls instead of 1
Maybe for now, but I remember right after Sandy Hook when mag prices went astronomical again overnight.
Who's to say what they'll be next year or in 10 years. At any rate that's my reason for killing it on mags for some pistols and rifles. I imagine for many their reasons are similar.
I also hate loading mags at the range when I could be shooting.