What's The Smallest Capacity That You're Comfortable With?

[Satasaurus]

Since I've used 9mm semi autos more, I just don't feel nearly as comfortable with the capacity of revolvers and 1911s. I've wanted a 1911 for a long time, and I would love to carry one, but every time I really consider it I feel silly for thinking about carrying a gun with 7 or 8 rounds over a 9mm with 15+. What's the smallest capacity that you feel comfortable with?

I guess for me it would be a 5 shot .38, but I would sure feel a whole lot more comfortable with those 15 rounds.

 

[tarosean]

I feel silly for thinking about carrying a gun with 7 or 8 rounds

All my carry guns fall around that range as I prefer single stacks for carry.

I am perfectly comfortable with a JFrame w/ only 5. Lowest caliber would depend on location if Im hiking in the woods 22lr (No free roaming Grizzlies in TX!!!!!), if I am on the street .380acp

 

[RBid]

10+1 is a compromise for me. That's what I get out of my SR9c when I'm wearing light clothes. I won't go any lower than that, or below 9mm. I find that the SR9c, or a Glock 26 or M&P9c conceal easily and comfortably for me, so that is my baseline.

 

[bannockburn]

I would say 6 rounds in a 9mm. semi-auto and 5 rounds in a .38 Special J frame snubby.

 

[guyfromohio]

2 in a Derringer is better than 0. My current EDC is a 5 round J Frame. My other EDC is an 8 round Sig.

 

[Robbins290]

I carry a sig p220 compact sao. It only holds 6 in the mag. Thats all i carry in it. After i hamber the round, i do not take the mag out and pop anoher round in the mag. I could go 6+1 if i realy wanted too

 

[JDGray]

Perfectly comfortable with 7+1 in my Kahr CW9. Shot placement is king

 

[MedWheeler]

Can't say for sure what my "minimum" would be, but it would possibly increase as the caliber goes down. But, I do at times carry a five-shot .38, but my usual carry is eight 9mm rounds in one gun. The highest-capacity .22 I own that could be safely carried holds eight in the magazine (my HP22A holds ten, but its numerous safeties and S/A trigger preclude carry), and I would be okay with them, plus the one in the chamber.

 

[beatledog7]

I carry as many 16 in a normal capacity magazine. But when I carry five and don't feel under-armed.

It's when the rules don't allow me to carry at all that I feel less than comfortable.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I carry a S&W 6906 capacity 12 rounds. the smallest capacity handgun I own is a 40 S&W CZ2075 RAMI that holds 9.

So, I guess 9

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Designated home defense gun is usually a five-shot snub .38 revolver, J frame size; out exploring or woods walking, one of the snub revolvers, a six-shot .357 Security Six, a seven-shot .45 auto, or an eight-shot CZ52. During a time I had to travel at night I carried a .40S&W USP with a ten-shot AWB-limited magazine. Eleven .40S&W seemed adequate compared to my usual five .38Spl +P.

While I feel five to ten shots are adequate for me, I do not see a ban on higher capacities as necessary, useful, and certainly not binding on the bad guys. The high capacity bans are misguided. Even if I have felt comfortable with a two-shot .38 derringer at times.

 

[Chevelle SS]

5 in my Taurus snub.

 

[SleazyRider]

2 in a Derringer is better than 0. My current EDC is a 5 round J Frame. My other EDC is an 8 round Sig.

Shhh! Don't let Cuomo hear this or he'll reduce our 7-round capacity to 2.

 

[ku4hx]

Having fired only one round in a self defense situation, that's my minimum round count ... 1.

 

[md2lgyk]

My carry guns range between 6 and 10 round capacity. I'm perfectly comfortable with any of them. If I wasn't, I'd just carry an extra magazine or two.

 

[foghornl]

I don't have a DA revolvers other than a cheapy RG-38 Spl, so I just stick with my 1911-A1

 

[scaatylobo]

Totally depends on WHERE

It depends on where I am going and how far from home.

Going a mile from home to a friends house for a night of partying with wife = 5 shot snub w/ at least one 'speed strip'.

Going into ANY city at any time of the day = 2 guns , 5 shot snubs or MUCH better would be my XDs and a BUG [ snub or LCP in pocket ].

Heading out on the road or to NYC = at least 2 full sized handguns [ XDs and snub,Glock 30 & XDs ].

 

[jehicks87]

5 shots is my minimum, six is even better. More than that, I don't really care one way or the other. I always carry at least one reload as well.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

5 shots of 38. Not my preference, but I do carry it now and then given my clothing choice for the day.

 

[wlewisiii]

My EDC is an 8 shot .32 ACP. If it were only 6 I'd still carry it.

If I'm in the national forest, I might strap on my 625 for 6 rounds of .45 Colt. In WI that's more than enough.

 

[RedBowTies88]

99% of my time I'm stuck with 0 rounds. Am I comfortable with that?

HELL NO,... do i have a choice? Not if I want to stay out of jail and not loose my gun rights forever.

Now for the other 1% of the time, when I travel to free America... I'm comfortable about 80% of the time with 6+1 of 9mm Mak + 2 spare 6 round mags in my p64.

15% of the time when I'm somewhere really shady I don't feel comfortable unless I'm carrying my 7.62 Tokarev which is 8+1 and 2 spare mags.

The other 5% of the time when I feel like the risk is very low I'm ok with my SW model 37. Which can only handle standard pressure loads.

Now, for home defense I feel somewhat ok with 15 rounds of 5.56. I would feel a whole lot better with 30 rounds but that's not going to happen until hell freezes over.

 

[huntsman]

6 is fine and nothing more than 11

 

[mgmorden]

90% of the time that I carry I carry an LCP with 6+1. The other 10% of the time I carry a Makarov at 8+1.

For the most part I consider that adequate. On the street the change that I need the gun in the first place is actually a bit remote. Worth preparing for, but not likely . Multiply that by a percentage when the gun actually needs to be fired at all. Then by the percentage that I actually manage to fire the gun before being shot myself. Then factor in times that I actually need more than 7 rounds.

All those conditions coming to pass is so rare that I don't worry much about it and simply carry the smaller guns for the sake of easy concealment. I rotate what I've got loaded and ready at home, but its usually larger with at least a 14-round capacity since I'm not worried about concealing it.

I do have a pancake style holster for my S&W SD40VE as well which I may carry next winter, but not during the warmer months.

 

[RBid]

Since circumstance informs us what we will or won't need, I believe that the best practice can be summarized as such:

"Carry the most capable firearm that you can commit to carrying".

Maybe that's a derringer, LCP, or S&W 642. Maybe it's a S&W M&P 40 with the full Bowie Tactical treatment, or a Glock 21 with a spare 27rd mag. The commitment is a personal thing. My own way of determining what I'll commit to is identifying what the largest size platform I can carry is, without sacrificing comfort, or changing my wardrobe. Experimentation helped me realize that I can easily carry the SR9c, M&P compact, or G26/27. Most of the year, I can carry a little more, though my IWB tipping point is the G19/23 frame. Anything above that, I have to go to OWB.

If I ever have to shoot to live, I want the best possible tool to defend the lives of my family and I.

 

[Water-Man]

F i v e !