Only carry 3 rounds in your carry gun?

[lysanderxiii]

An Average is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number. So some of the values will be higher and some will be lower than the mean number.

For example; If 12 shooters fire 6 rounds and 12 shooters fire 1 round each then the average mean number is 3.5 rounds (12 x 6 + 12 x 1 = 84. 84 divided by 24 = 3.5).

In this simple example notice that to arrive at the sum of 3.5 rounds none of the shooters fired 3 rounds. They all either fired 1 round or 6 rounds. Since your Internet buddy does not believe in carrying 6 rounds then he is carrying 2 rounds too many according to the sample.

3.5 would round up to 4 rounds per engagement.

Assuming the number cited was correct, for the average to be 3 rounds there would have to be more single shot engagements than 6 shot engagements. Now if you factor in some people actually carry 7 to 15 rounds in the weapon, and in some cases actually shoot all of them, the number of 1 or two shot engagements would increase in inverse proportion to the number of 7 to 15 round engagements.

In your example, if we assume that one of your 12 people carried a Glock 17 and emptied the magazine in one engagement, then 9 of the remaining 11 engagements would have to be one shot affairs.

[(1 shot x 9) + (6 shots x 2) + (17 shots x 1)]/12 = 3.167

So, if this 3 round average number is true, then an overwhelming number of engagements must consist of only one round fired. To use the proper statistic term, the mode must be 1.

Barney was right, one round will do.

This also makes me feel better about the marksmanship of CCW permit holders, in that most time only one shot was needed to end the problem.

 

[chipcom]

You freakin owe me a laptop...I spit an entire mouthful of coffee all over it when I read your OP.

you can never have too much ammo

 

[jmorris]

I have carried just two shot loads before in my 45 LC bank fishing derringer. Just 5 in some revolvers but never loaded just 3 in any handgun that I remember. Maybe if it was part of a stage description at a match.?

That said I am the kind of fellow that even if I thought I could whip you with one hand tied behind my back, I would still use both.

 

[GAF]

Maybe the guy forgot to mention he was talking about a 40 mm grenade launcher.

 

[Midwest]

Maybe he was a sniper in the military and maybe his squad used 3 rounds at a time. And he carried the practice over to civilian life?
.

 

[herrwalther]

Maybe a mall cop Spec ops. I would need about 10 more sets of hands to count all the SEALs, JTAC/TCAP, Rangers, and ODAs I know. All of them carry off duty and none of them carry a less than full firearm. For some that is a revolver, others it is a full magazine +1, and others it is one or two spare magazines.

 

[12Pump]

Did the instructor plainly tell him to carry three rounds? Or did this person hear the average firefight lasts three rounds and thus take it upon himself to only carry three rounds?

Also, was this person on the other board named Gecko45 by any chance?

No. It was a completely different website that I was having this conversation. I went back to it and thought it might help if I showed you exactly what he said. Also, I was mistaken about the instructor being Special Ops, but actually former Army Ranger currently a cop on a SWAT team. Here's the full post:

"Well, a glock 27 only has a 9 round capacity...

But, it's a personal preference based on the advice of one of the firearms instructors I worked with (friend; former Army Ranger; currently a police officer who's on a tri-county SWAT team).

"In a civilian self defense situation...any situation you can't handle with 3 rounds...you can't handle"

The logic being, if you're in a situation where you need more than 3 bullets, you're either up against multiple assailants, or you're not a very good shot. If you're going to go down...it's probably best to not leave your assailants with a full mag of ammo to take and use against you, or someone else.

...but as I said, it's just my personal preference based on that. I realize that many folks with CCW opt to load up the full mag + 1 in the chamber...and that's fine. To each their own...just hopefully they don't get downed or get their gun taken away and give the bad guy too much free ammo "



After I mentioned that handguns don't have a lot of stopping power, he wrote back:



"The stopping power is largely determined by the kind of rounds that people are putting in to. Many folks make the mistake of buying basic range rounds and putting it in their gun because they're half the price, and they don't know the difference.

This is what I use
http://www.hornady.com/store/Critical-Duty/

 

[JN01]

Everybody knows if you use the sights like you are supposed to, you only need one shot.

I guess if you want to pray and spray, go ahead and load up three.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Ive met several people that carry 4 rounds in their 5 shot S&W So won't go off if dropped. Can't convince them other wise. . To many westerns

 

[MechAg94]

Everybody knows if you use the sights like you are supposed to, you only need one shot.

I guess if you want to pray and spray, go ahead and load up three.

With the sights and an upgrade to 45 ACP, one round might be overkill.

 

[MechAg94]

Ive met several people that carry 4 rounds in their 5 shot S&W So won't go off if dropped. Can't convince them other wise. . To many westerns

My Cimaron single action revolvers don't have the safety that blocks the hammer.

I agree that modern double action revolvers should be safe.

 

[MechAg94]

Seeing the actual comments doesn't really help my understanding. That is the problem with logic sometimes. Logic not based in reality isn't logical at all.

 

[gbran]

Only 3 rounds?

[/IMG]

 

[orionengnr]

Did you guys know that if you look down the barrel of your loaded 1911 you can see the bullet?

Nah, it's too dark in there. If you really want to see it, pull the trigger. The burning powder will provide the required illumination. For a brief period of time.

 

[Robert]

I think we can all agree that the practice of only carrying 3 rounds is down right silly. And since the thread is getting to that point as well, let's call it a day.