Am I over doing it?

[Steve06]

Obviously there is no answer to this question that will satisfy everyone. There is a difference between "how many do you carry" and "how many is enough." Same thing with accessories. Spare parts and how much ammo also enters this discussion so it is a personal response not a firm rule for everyone.

 

[jdubl]

I think you're taking the "14 mags is too many" in the wrong context. In regards to your ad, they mean "14 mags is too many, i can't afford that, i just want the pistol and a couple of mags" or something along those lines. As far as having that many mags for a SHTF pistol, i'd agree with most in this thread....too many is never enough. If you really want to sell it all as a package, i'm sure the right buyer will come along.

 

[Retread]

As I said in the original question, this is about the quantity of pistol mags to have for 5 years of SHTF without resupply.

I've not damaged one of my mags yet in two years of carrying, but then I imagine after SHTF things will be considerably less peaceful. I figure that then I'd carry one (flush fit) 12 round mag in the pistol and two extended 15 rounders on my belt at all times, with my rifle as close by as I can keep it - depending on what I'm doing and where I am.

As many of us know, it is not all that hard to damage a magazine. My thinking is that if I have some spare mags stashed away and I have a rough time of it, I can stay useful and defensive. Having four mags sounds good, unless over the course of 5 years of SHTF you wind up without any reliable mags - just some dented, sprung or otherwise no longer useful mags.

I did not calculate that 14 mags was the right number of mags, I just bought a few here and there till it felt like I had enough for 5 years of SHTF.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[jdubl]

As I said in the original question, this is about the quantity of pistol mags to have for 5 years of SHTF without resupply.

Well then, over the course of 5 years i'd be worried about a part of the firearm itself failing as well, and maybe have a backup of the same model for redundancy, which i think someone else mentioned too. I would keep 4 or 5 magazines in a few different storage spots in whatever manner they stay best held, i'd think well oiled and away from moisture. So maybe 20 magazines altogether in 4 or 5 accessable locations. But again, for 5 years of SHTF, too many is never enough IMO.

 

[Mohawk13]

Can You Hump Them all? Resupply from the dead and looted stores...Yes, SHTF will be crazy and the scroungers will be the best at resupply...

 

[AMProducts]

How many mags is enough? That indeed a tough question... and one I'm currently fighting with after a recent firearm purchase...

There are a few things in play here and are worth considering. First, how many spare mags do you carry on you at one time? With the high-cap 9mm, I usually carry 1 in the gun, and another on my person. Now lets say I had reason to use my firearm, emptied the first mag and reloaded. Depending on the situation, if I ran from the scene (was still being persued) I have now lost a magazine, how many times could that happen? Could I lose both mags? The number I came up with as a minimum number was 5, the reasonable top of the scale was 10, but this was largely based on the price of the mags.

When I first bought my 1911, I could get brand new USGI surplus mags for $5 each, as a consequence of this, I probably have several 50 cal ammo cans full of these mags. Same thing with AR mags... at the $5-10 price tag I would regularly buy them 20 at a time. For some of the more recent pistols I've bought, mags cost anywhere from $20-50. Since I am above the minimum number of mags I only buy more if the price is right.

The one limitation is, if you get into a situation where you have to bug out... perhaps on foot, it's a lot better to be able to carry all of your ammo in magazines rather than carrying a bunch of loose ammo in the hopes that you will have time to reload your magazines.

 

[mosinguy]

hey retread as a few others have mentioned never to many mags..... but as jdbul has said in a 5 yr i would have at least one if not 2 of the same side arm just in case..... for example i buy in the rule of 3s ie if one fails i have 2 i can scavenge from and for ea of my 3 i have a minimum of 15 mags and my mags have been modified to fit 2 diffrent side arms a yugo and a cz so the cz has an extra round capacity

 

[AlphaCoyote]

This question has been beaten to death here. I'm stocking up on tampons, liquor, and cigarettes. You'll be glad to give me your ammo in exchange when the SHTF, because my family and friends have enough guns and ammo to make sure you don't take them.

Trust me: Your wives and daughters will want you to deal with me.

 

[Hook686]

14 magazines for 5 years of sHTF experience. As I recall during WWII the US Army issued 2 magazines for each M1 Carbine. That was war time conditions. How many spare tires you got for your car ?

 

[Retread]

14 magazines for 5 years of sHTF experience. As I recall during WWII the US Army issued 2 magazines for each M1 Carbine. That was war time conditions. How many spare tires you got for your car ?

You recall incorrectly Hook686. The M1 had 8-round clips, not mags. Resupply was also possible for them, though that often didn't work out so well in battle. Soldiers did not carry just 16 rounds, they carried as many bandoleers (with 6 loaded clips) as they could get away with.

 

[mosinguy]

lol hook686 funny you should ask about tires i have 2 full size spares for each of our vehicles

 

[AMProducts]

The M1 carbine was issued with at least 3... one that goes in the well, and two that fit in the buttstock pouch.

The important thing to remember... the M1 carbine was designed and issued mostly to second-line troops as a replacement for pistols. Some of them did see service with paratroopers, but generally the M1 was intended for people who were not full time trigger pullers.

My car carries 2 spares, if I'm pulling my trailer (which takes the same tires) it also has two spares.