By Keith Coniglio
Gun writer & activist Keith Coniglio makes the case for why you can not have too many spare gun magazines. Of course, we think you will agree.
Whether it’s because of the inconvenience of yet another item to carry (and conceal), or the old saw, “if I can’t get it done in [insert an arbitrary number of rounds here], more probably won’t help,” many gun owners who carry a defensive firearm “just in case” deride fellow CCW holders who choose to carry one or even two spare magazines … “just in case.”
The pragmatic focus is usually on how many rounds you may “need” in a defensive shooting.
Spare Gun Magazines
An FBI statistical figure of 3.7 rounds is often cited.
Confusing a calculated average with an ironclad guarantee that you won’t be the statistical outlier, however, could be a fatal error.
Just ask Sergeant Timothy Gramins, formerly of the Skokie, IL police department.
In 2009, he was in pursuit of a suspected bank robber, who slammed his vehicle to a halt and bailed out, firing at Sergeant Gramins. Gramins, a “master firearms instructor and a sniper on his department’s Tactical Intervention Unit,” immediately returned fire. In an exchange that lasted less than a minute, the robber fired twenty-one rounds, and Gramins fired thirty-three, striking his assailant fourteen times – including six wounds in supposedly “fight-stopping” locations.
Except they failed to stop the fight. He was down to four rounds remaining when he was able to make a fatal headshot, ending the gunfight.
There is another, sometimes overlooked reason for carrying spare magazines: mechanical failure. I am a quality assurance engineer – a tester – by trade. It’s my job to not only make sure things work as they should under ideal circumstances, but to probe for weaknesses and envision ways something could fail. And trust me – magazines do fail.
A detachable box magazine is simply that – a box, usually with a removable floorplate, containing a spring under a good amount of pressure. They are simple devices with few parts, but they aren’t impervious to wear. A weakening of the spring or split in the feed lips can cause feed failures. Floorplate failures, while rare (I’ve witnessed only one in the last three decades), will unload your entire magazine in the blink of an eye, scattering loose rounds across the ground.
In a defensive encounter, having the ability to immediately eject the now-empty magazine body and replace it with a functioning unit could be the determining factor in the outcome.
Given that you will never know if fate is about to deal you a “Gramins moment” or a mechanical failure, carrying at least one spare magazine is a small choice that can offer major advantages. You know – just in case.
Did we change your mind on extra mags? We recommend you get new gun magazines online here at Brownell’s. ~ AmmoLand
About the Author:
Keith Coniglio is a father, software tester, NRA-certified pistol instructor, and devoted Second Amendment advocate. He is also the editor-in-chief of Descendants of Liberty Press, a site dedicated to rekindling Americans’ passion for – and defense of – their Constitutional rights and personal liberty. Keith writes more at Descendants of Liberty Press.
About Second Call Defense:
Second Call Defense the first insurance-backed membership organization in America to offers immediate, comprehensive, nationwide, 24-hour support for gun owners who are forced to defend themselves or their family with a firearm. www.secondcalldefense.org
I may never need extra ammo, but I will never be without it.
Question: How many spare mags do you need?
Answer: At least two more…
I prefer (6) mags per handgun, and (10) per long gun.
Don’t be the next Reginald Denny ! Always carry spare magazines. In the Bad neighborhoods aka Democrat strongholds its safe to assume that everyone is armed (with a Stolen Gun) and no one is calling the cops. So now if you’re attacked you must defend yourself against multiple attackers think of cockroaches going after crumbs all of them your enemy. You must call the cops yourself, and you better have enough ammo.
I catch a bunch of flak from my wife every time I decide to stuff a long gun down on the back floorboard.
Hahaha, look at her and tell her you’re armed and very dangerous. Report back what she says. 😉
In my way if thinking, the best rational for at last one spare reload is that one should want to reload after any hostile encounter… unless that one would be so foolish as to stand around with a partially loaded weapon, in territory that just proved itself to be hostile.
When I buy a new handgun, I will always insure I have 5 magazines for it to start with, more if that pistol becomes a favorite.
Same with me. You need to load a couple every once in a while and unload some to “REST” a while.
You don’t need to let modern magazines ‘rest’ but if that makes you feel better go for it. Far more important is swapping out carry ammunition on a regular basis.
A couple of years ago I was rearranging the gun room and come across 3 mags of 30 caliber ammo that was likely loaded back in the 90s. So I decided to take them to the range to see if they would run in the M1 carbine. They all performed with no issues. I’ve left mags loaded for over a year numerous times before using them and have never had a failure. The idea that mags need to rest is another misnomer of the uninitiated.
Yes, but resting your mags was, for practical puroses, universally accepted doctrine until about 30 yeas ago, even with evidence to the contrary. And much of that evidence came from M1 carbines, Government Models, and war trophy Walthers and Lugers, good quality firearms that sat, loaded, in closets and nightstand drrawers for 50 yeats. I would mot count on that from the Rubies Stars, Nambus and other countless lower quality handguns of the era.
I cannot remember the person who wrote it, but it stuck in my mind, “I don’t know anyone that went into a gunfight saying I want less ammo”.
A spare magazine or two is the only way to carry! For proof I refer to mr. Massad ayoobs excellent articles on actual gunfights . It’s riveting thought provoking reading!All true not some pseudo experts theory. When it’s my life I always aim to stack the odds in my favor. A miss or two me and nothing as you always have more rounds at the ready; forget trying to count rounds -won’t happen ,just keep firing on target until you stop it from doing what made you fire on it to begin with! Sure ammo is heavy but so are… Read more »
One is none and two is one. If you only carry one gun or no spare mags you may risk your life or others on it working correctly. Should you have a malfunction in either the gun or mag you will be screwed. Thus carrying two guns increases the chance of having a working firearm, also you can arm another person to further increase the odds in your favor.
Having just one gun is better than none, weighs less, and is easier to conceal. Pros vs Cons… you decide.
i have sig that holds 8 rds any questions why i have eight mags? all loaded of course!! i may or may not carry all of them however they are not far from reach!
Please cite me a specific example of anyone sharing ammunition during a defensive shooting. I will be waiting…..
What was that Mel Gibson movie back in the 80’s?
You’ll be begging if you ever need it
The fudds that say “you don’t need more than one mag” are only parroting the rhetoric of anti-gunners that would limit magazine size. And overestimating their skill in a gunfight they’ve never actually experienced.
I know! One of my “favorites” are the self-styled experts on YouTube and in other forums who love to tell people that if they engage someone beyond a few yards, they will answer to the (pick one or more) medical examiner, district attorney, police, justice system, or other official or institution. These idiots truly do not see a possibility where engaging an armed hooligan at 25, 50, or more yards away would be justified. While not a common occurrence, gunfights at such distances do occur and one should be prepared for the possibility that you might find yourself in such… Read more »
Two word validation…Elisjsha Dicken.
Exactly!!!!
The answer depends upon your purpose. If you are an active shooter and shoot USPSA/IPSC style matches you will be asked to show up with a half dozen magazines for a match. And then you stop on one, so you need to replace it pending repair. And then your gun biomes a collectible. Trust me, when your gun falls out of production and OEM magazines fall out of production the value of your collectible goes up substantially when you have functioning and correct magazines. Go to antique and curio shows and look at the prices on magazines for 70 year… Read more »
I ran into that last week, when I got a neautiful Sig Sauer P230 back from my ex-wife. Zero legitimate after-market mags; and oem mags start at about a hundred bucks for used, up to $300 for NIW.
When traveling I always carry two guns. Plus spare magazine. I sometimes carry 2 gun concealed depending on where I’m going. It’s kinda of like going
Out on patrol. You access situation then decide how
Much firepower you may need. Hoping you don’t need to use any and make it home safely, but like
Anything else choice is up to you.
when the attackers invite you to the party, make sure you have enough servings for everyone
While many of us are already aware of these things, Massad Ayoob’s wisdom is not a bad thing to take into account.
https://youtu.be/_XJzxpn2vuA?si=IHrJ0_XxNc3WM-Pr
I always carry two spare mags. With a single stack 9 I drop two mags in a cell phone case and no one even notices the extra ‘cellphone” on the belt. Before I retired I carried two mags on the belt (like everyone else) and two speeds strips in my pocket for the Dick Special on my ankle. I never met or heard of anyone who said they wish they would have had less ammo in a gunfight.
An oldie but goodie.
Was that the article, or did I blink and miss it?
“Best defense against punch, don’t be there!” — Mr. Miyagi in “Karate Kid” Perhaps its due to being retired, but if I feel my planned destination is in a space where I feel I will need two or more firearms with extra extended magazines for each, I tend to cancel the trip. That having been said, I used to carry a Colt Mk IV Series 70 in .45ACP with two spare magazines if I was going someplace where things were likely to get exciting. Obviously we need to make realistic guestimates where it comes to how much ammo is “enough.”… Read more »
For my Wilson Combat Beretta 92G Brigadier I have 4×15 round Beretta mags, 2×20-round MecGar mags and
2×18-round MecGar mags. All function perfectly and I can actually load the MecGars without mechanical assistance!
I have 10×15-round G22 mags and 4×22-round Gmags for my G35 when firing .40 S&W and .357 Sig. I have 10×17-round G17 mags and 2×33-round G18 mags for my G35 when firing thru the 9mm conversion barrel.
Duh!
I just bought a extra Mec Gar mag for my 1911 .45 and a holster that holds a extra mag . Better to have it and not need it , than to need it and not have it
Mr. Casull, did you just say you “bought a extra..mag”? I figured you for the kind of guy to already have a box full of 1911 mags somewhere around the house.
Several in-stock, just a new one to carry with the new holster .
Think of it this way… you’re at the range for a session of target shooting/drill practice.
How often are you surprised that the mag is already empty?
I learned my lesson on Ammoland. Tracers are the answer. I load my 30 round mags with one tracer at the 20 spot and 27-28-29. I don’t put in 30 rounds or max out any magazine because I have been told it is bad for the spring if they are going to sit a long time.
Glad to hear you found a source for tracers.
Thanks. I also found that you could buy tracers for pistols. I have been thinking about buying some of those too.
You piss somebody off to garner downvotes or do they hate civilian ownership of tracers? I finally broke down and picked up a 2011 and a 1911 in 9mm so your comment reminds me to be on the lookout for some in that caliber and I’m overdue to own something in .357 so that makes a shopping list. Do you recall where you bought your rifle tracers from?
No, they hate that I questioned why Texas didn’t shoot a coyote and think I shouldn’t be questioning what Texas does when it is a Free State and Oregoneistan is a shithole according to them. I got his panties in a bunch. It was nice the next day that Ammoland had another article from another state that had the same problem and I pointed out that kommiefornia did the same thing rather than have an armed citizen shoot it on the spot. I carry, I would have come out guns a blazin and shot the SOB. So, there you go.… Read more »
hi vel incendiary from texas
Cool. Do they activate within 25 feet or 100 feet?
To gregs: I have a mag extender/Pearce Grips in my Glock 26 mags so I can hold 12 instead of 10, just saying.
When I do range time with my glocks, I preload all my mags a head of time. I have ten spare 15rnd mags for my g19-gen4, and one 50rnd drum. I also have ten 17rnd mags for my g34 that are preloaded if I choose to take that with, but if not they all fit the 19. While most people are constantly reloading with 2-3 mags I’m still plugging along. The only down side is the ten spares for the g42-43 you still load more often for obvious reasons, but I do have the extra 2rnd extensions to help out.… Read more »
The cops get annoyed around here if you transport with loaded mags and you don’t have a concealed permit. Silly state law. Still, many do preload their mags and simply keep the ammo and guns separate. Never heard of anyone getting in trouble for loaded mags but it helps to at least be aware.
@Robert, I do have a valid ccl, and even if I did not, in my state they did change the law that you can infact carry loaded magazines in the same box\bag as the pistol, but they better not be in the weapon at the time of transport. Even with a ccl I’m sure the leo’s would have questions, but with whats going on in the world today with gun violence, a person would have to be nuts to carry, or transport any kind of gun illegally. My range bags are usually in the trunk, or on the floor in… Read more »
@Robert Thomas, In addition to a spare magazine, I like to carry a pepper spray and a set of handcuffs so that I have more options than just deadly force. I supposed that that is a topic for another day, but I am curious as to what your cops would say about that.
Do you also carry a nightstick and a sap? Do you also wear a fake badge and police uniform?
So this Clark Kent guy I remember. Did not he turn into Superman and later Frick or Frack? Only an old man would ask that question, right?
That is him. He did not even have the decency to say where I could get a nice leather sap, before leaving.
You oughta hear the cops bitch when they stop you, and you have a loaded pistol without a license, handcuffs, duct tape and chloroform.
Just kidding.
Now, that is good humor!
If measure 114 goes through in Oregoneistan, it will be against the law to transport loaded mags. My understanding is the only magazines that can be loaded is the ones for your carry and that only counts if you have a permit. No permit, no loaded mags.
I don’t need no sticking permit. Neither does any other American. Are you free or not? Act it.
Just like you and everyone else in the USA I am as free as my masters let me be. If either of us don’t follow their rules we will pay a price. Speeding tickets, not following smog laws, better register your car, better insure your car, don’t drive here and there because these mountains are preserved for who ever it is but its not you, you can’t own this car that the rest of the world drives because it doesn’t meet our smog requirements but it gets 50 and 60 mpg and is fossil fuel only, watering your lawn on… Read more »
Any semi-automatic weapon I have I have extra magazines. Just makes since to me.
Since when it made SENSE to you?
Oh stop it Boo, quit being snarky.
IMOA, spare mags or speed loaders are an individual choice and no one else can make that choice for you. I alternate between four 8 or 10-round spare mags for my .45 and four 6-round speed loaders for the revolvers. I also carry a 50-round box for the gun when out camping as well.
My primary EDC firearms, in order of preference, are:
* Walther PPQ: 15+1 with a 17rd spare mag
* SIG P320X Compact: 15+1 with a 21rd spare mag
* SIG SP2022: 15+1 with a 17rd spare mag
idk, that picture at the end looks like a glock 26/27 magazine, only 10 rounds, so i think that will be about enough.
i usually carry at least one spare magazine on me, another in my vehicle and if i am on foot another in my backpack. i cc a glock 26 and use glock 17 mags for reloads to increase the number of rounds at my disposal, if needed, but carry with the 10 round in the grip. plus they fit in my sub-2000.
I understand both sides as I occasionally carry with only weapon with inserted magazine. I sometimes carry a spare magazine. It depends on what I’m wearing, where I’m going or what I’m doing. As for the reasoning, I think it is silly. The exact reasoning could be used on why you should carry two firearms instead of one or why you should tow another car behind your car. Whatever works for you.
I think it is silly you would rely on one magazine when your life is on the line. Not like another magazine or two on your belt will disrupt your lifestyle (unless you are lazy).