How many magazines are enough?

[Certaindeaf]

You live in Portland...Is this a serious statement. Lol

Real men carry revolvers. lool

Legendary Lawman Jelly Bryce

When he was a baby they let him teethe on Daddy's unloaded pistol. They propped him up with pillows there in the crib and let him go after it.

www.officer.com

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

for me, 6 magazines for each firearms.

 

[No_Regerts]

I just need 2 7-rounders. Thats enough 45 ACP to drop at least 14 zombies and still have one for me before they turn me into one. After that, none. Single shots, break actions, bolt actions, and tube-fed for everything else. Burt Gummer did it, so can I.

 

[therealhitman]

I just need 2 7-rounders. Thats enough 45 ACP to drop at least 14 zombies and still have one for me before they turn me into one. After that, none. Single shots, break actions, bolt actions, and tube-fed for everything else. Burt Gummer did it, so can I.

I think I'm OK on mags for now, especially after the boating accident. My concern is how much cannon fuse do I need.

 

[Bushman]

It's not about "extended shootouts" it''s about having mags for life. Mags are a consumable item, they wear out, they break, they get lost, whatever. When the king decides to snap his fingers and mags are no longer available or are cost prohibitive it is nice to have gone "overboard" and have plenty of mags on hand. Personally, I have dozens of mags still in the wrapper.

Totally get that. But I've used the same mags for nearly two decades. Good to have spares but don't go overboard. Now I will say I remember the $100 15rd Glock mag days...so I'd rather err on the side of overboard at $20 each...

 

[Tye]

Really Good perspectives from everyone, my school of thought is Magazines are a commodity that whether used or needed are of value and will remain so especially when "Bans" and "Taxation Regulations" come. Barter and Trade are a timeless commerce.

 

[RedRover]

Much like the electrical code concerning outlets. I'm never further than 6 ft. away from a (spare) loaded mag anywhere my house.

Seriously though, it's more about want than need. When you sit back, look and can say "Yeah, I've got enough mags, I could probably even sell a few and be ok" then there's your answer.

Sure, wanna go standard loadout for your rifle? Go with 7 mags/210 rds. If you get in a firefight requiring more than that, and all escape routes are blocked... Unless you're with a few of your closest friends, you're probably not gonna be coming home anyway.

Are you running your mags hard through the mud and the blood? Or are they sitting in your safe?

A few for each of the pistols is good. Especially if they're wanting something like $40-$50 a mag for 'em. Sheesh, it's only a fricking magazine.

Besides, a pistol is a back-up to one's rifle. It is there until one can get to a working rifle.

Remember, John Wick is a movie character.

 

[American123]

Much like the electrical code concerning outlets. I'm never further than 6 ft. away from a (spare) loaded mag anywhere my house.

Seriously though, it's more about want than need. When you sit back, look and can say "Yeah, I've got enough mags, I could probably even sell a few and be ok" then there's your answer.

Sure, wanna go standard loadout for your rifle? Go with 7 mags/210 rds. If you get in a firefight requiring more than that, and all escape routes are blocked... Unless you're with a few of your closest friends, you're probably not gonna be coming home anyway.

Are you running your mags hard through the mud and the blood? Or are they sitting in your safe?

A few for each of the pistols is good. Especially if they're wanting something like $40-$50 a mag for 'em. Sheesh, it's only a fricking magazine.

Besides, a pistol is a back-up to one's rifle. It is there until one can get to a working rifle.

Remember, John Wick is a movie character.

Are these spare rifle mags stationed around the house or pistol? Because if they are pistol, I would recommend trying out a safariland horizontal magazine pouch. Put it on a belt and take a spare with you wherever you go helps reduce the need for caches all around your house.

 

[The Heretic]

Really Good perspectives from everyone, my school of thought is Magazines are a commodity that whether used or needed are of value and will remain so especially when "Bans" and "Taxation Regulations" come. Barter and Trade are a timeless commerce.

That works if the mags are not banned totally (no grandfathering/etc.) and do not become contraband. Or even if they are grandfathered, but cannot be transferred. Sure, there may be a black market, but I don't participate in those; even with someone you know is not a LEO, they could still be a CI, have charges pending, and they may turn turn state's evidence. Then there is "red flagging"; spurned exs may take it in their head to turn you in. This is why I generally do not advertise exactly what I have or how much or even that I have anything.

 

[The Heretic]

For self-defense firearms: Ten minimum for each firearm - six for carry, four more spares.

For hunting firearms - three minimum, two for hunting (one in the firearm, one extra for reloading), one for spare.

For some firearms I have, I have met those requirements, for others, not. Still working on it.

I have spent quite a bit for mags the last year or two, including for ten round mags for various semi-auto pistols should laws be put in place for carry/possession/buying of "high cap" mags. For some of my pistols, like the SIG 227, high cap mags (14 rd) have become unobtanium (or very expensive) and only 10 rd mags are available. For many of my SIGs, the mags interchange to a degree.

Here is my updated take:

Defensive semi-auto handgun: Minimum of Five - one in the gun, four as backup. Plenty is ten - i.e., 2X the minimum

Defensive semi-auto rifle: Minimum of Five. Twenty as plenty.

Hunting centerfire rifle: Minimum of two for something like my Browning BLR, preferably three. Plenty would be five.

Rimfire guns: Minimum of two, preferably three. Plenty would be five.

---

I am a prepper, so I anticipate that should I need to use a defensive rifle, I would possibly be expending more ammo in a given instance, than I would be expending with a handgun - the latter being a backup last ditch firearm used at close range if/when a rifle is no longer functional (runs out of ammo or will not function at all).

Hunting centerfire and rimfire guns would not be critical and would not be used as intensively as a defensive gun might be (OTOH, hopefully a defensive gun would never need to be used, or minimally, but plan for the worst case), so simply having backup mags, should be adequate - and if they are not, then loading singly would not be a fatal inconvenience, and defensive guns could be serve as hunting guns, as would other hunting guns with built in mags (e.g., lever actions with tube feed mags).

 

[Capn Jack]

"You can't ever have enough fuel, or ammunition unless your on fire."

 

[Longwalkhome]

If you shoot a lot then magazines can wear out so replacement is important.

If you don't shoot much then you will probably misplace your spares.

 

[titsonritz]

Here is my updated take:

Defensive semi-auto handgun: Minimum of Five - one in the gun, four as backup. Plenty is ten - i.e., 2X the minimum

Defensive semi-auto rifle: Minimum of Five. Twenty as plenty.

Hunting centerfire rifle: Minimum of two for something like my Browning BLR, preferably three. Plenty would be five.

Rimfire guns: Minimum of two, preferably three. Plenty would be five.

---

I am a prepper, so I anticipate that should I need to use a defensive rifle, I would possibly be expending more ammo in a given instance, than I would be expending with a handgun - the latter being a backup last ditch firearm used at close range if/when a rifle is no longer functional (runs out of ammo or will not function at all).

Hunting centerfire and rimfire guns would not be critical and would not be used as intensively as a defensive gun might be (OTOH, hopefully a defensive gun would never need to be used, or minimally, but plan for the worst case), so simply having backup mags, should be adequate - and if they are not, then loading singly would not be a fatal inconvenience, and defensive guns could be serve as hunting guns, as would other hunting guns with built in mags (e.g., lever actions with tube feed mags).

Hell, I've got way more than that in training mags alone.

 

[The Heretic]

Hell, I've got way more than that in training mags alone.

I do not shoot as much as most others.

So far I have counted that I have 120+ mags, and anticipate the final number will be ~150 185 200+ mags.

I have about 80K rounds, about 40% is rimfire. Besides bulk rimfire shooting (I have some .22 conversions, but not for everything), I am keeping centerfire shooting to a minimum until such time as the cost per round returns to a reasonable amount, and the world situation stabilizes (e.g., Putin/et. al., stop threatening nuclear war, shortages and the supply chain return to normal).

 

[User 1234]

Something else to remember in post-July 2022 Washington is that it will be a hassle, and nearly impossible legally, to replace mags, so protect them from fire. Glock mags will melt inside most safes, but if a second safe with minimal fire protection is kept near the exterior walls on ground level it might be sufficient to save some mags if the fire department arrives quickly.

 

[Catfishmoon]

How many mags will vary by individual, I bought more as soon as the recent bill passed the Washington state legislature, same reason as stated by others.
With 9mm handguns I purposely stay with the same manufacturer of firearm and choose models that can share the same mags.
The other handgun I fire a lot is a 1911 .45 acp, again interchangeable mags...
That is my philosophy.

 

[American123]

"You can't ever have enough fuel, or ammunition unless your on fire."

Or trying to swim.

 

[Mikej]

"An arsenal and a thousand rounds of AMMO!"

If they only knew......