How many rounds do you keep in your HD handgun?

[saabracer23]

So my brother and I were having a conversation about out HD handguns and how many rounds we keep in the magazines. He has a Glock 22 and keeps 10 rounds and I have a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pro and I keep the magazine fully loaded with 17 rounds. He feels you shouldn't need more than 10 at any given time. I explained you could be dealing with multiple intruders and there are many circumstances that you really won't know how many rounds you'd need. Hopefully you could just show the weapon and they'd run for the hills.

His exact words were "if I need to use more than 3 I shouldn't have a gun" then we started talking about stress on the magazine spring with it fully loaded.

So those with semi auto handguns for HD, what is your take on this.

Thanks
Dan

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[speeddemon94]

Uh, full with spares.

 

[oknow]

So my brother and I were having a conversation about out HD handguns and how many rounds we keep in the magazines. He has a Glock 22 and keeps 10 rounds and I have a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pro and I keep the magazine fully loaded with 17 rounds. He feels you shouldn't need more than 10 at any given time. I explained you could be dealing with multiple intruders and there are many circumstances that you really won't know how many rounds you'd need. Hopefully you could just show the weapon and they'd run for the hills.

His exact words were "if I need to use more than 3 I shouldn't have a gun" then we started talking about stress on the magazine spring with it fully loaded.

So those with semi auto handguns for HD, what is your take on this.

Thanks
Dan

guess there are a lot of cops that don't need a gun then
stress does funny things to you so your brother may want to rethink it a little .
and it is better to have more than you need than not enough.

 

[DieselScout]

17 and a spare 17 in another mag. Better to have and not want then want and not have. From his response it doesn't sound like you can convince him. Ask him if all he needs is 3 why are their 10 in his magazine?

 

[Hrethgir]

Leaving a magazine fully loaded wont hurt anything. It's the cycling of the spring that wears it out over time, sitting static doesn't bother it at all unless the magazine has been modified the spring is overcompressed.

As for how many rounds in my HD weapon, there are 17 in the magazine, but nothing in the chamber for safety reasons. I reckon I can rack the slide quick enough if needed.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

As many as the magazine holds.

 

[Zepoll]

17 and a spare 17 in another mag. Better to have and not want then want and not have. From his response it doesn't sound like you can convince him. Ask him if all he needs is 3 why are their 10 in his magazine?

Agreed.

If you don't need more than 10 then don't pull the trigger more than 10 times.

If you DO need more than 10 then pull the trigger more. Unless of course you were silly enough to only load 10 rounds into your 17 round mag.

More is better.

 

[Mark W.]

5) thats all it holds. 5) little 200 grain Winchester Silvertips bought maybe 20-22 years ago at BiMart cause that was the only .44spl they had in stock at the time.

I have 3) speedloaders kept with the pistol.

If I need more then the Pistol I go to 870 with 6rds of buckshot and 2 rds of Slugs.

 

[powersbj]

I cannot think of a single good reason to under load your mags.

 

[Izzy]

As many as the magazine holds.

+1

 

[speeddemon94]

And above and beyond loading your mags to the top...Shoot til they drop. I remember horror stories about homeowners, or even police, putting down a bad guy with one shot, only to be sued, and lose because they were a "trained killer" and had an unfair advantage, therefore wrongful death. I have always been told that if in a situation that warrants deadly force, keep pulling the trigger.

 

[just dan]

one with 6, because that's all it'll hold.
one with 15+1, because that's all it'll hold.
one with 5+1, because that's all it'll hold.

if i can't get the job done with that, it'll at least buy me enough time to keep reloading as i go. speedloaders and spare loaded mags make short work of that. reminds me i really need more practical time with tactical reloads on the shotty...

when i lived in a really really bad neighborhood, it was 15+1, 30 + three spare mags, and the shotty. in any case, the pump shotgun is my go to. i actually used the 30 round and needed it once. moved. the. hell. away, after that.

 

[saabracer23]

Ok that's what I thought. I have 17 plus a second mag with 17 next to the gun. He also has a shotgun though next to his bed.

Dan

 

[Izzy]

Ok that's what I thought. I have 17 plus a second mag with 17 next to the gun. He also has a shotgun though next to his bed.

Dan

Does he keep the shotgun mag full?

 

[mcneal9926]

All of them....

 

[saabracer23]

Not too sure

Dan

 

[Redcap]

I keep everything full.

 

[mrblond]

my HD = a m4 + 12 extra 30 round mags. no way am I going to go under gunned into a home invasion. If its a meth monkey who only wants to grab something and go or a pack of homies who want to act all hard, I will be ready and they wont have a very nice evening.

 

[Zepoll]

His exact words were "if I need to use more than 3 I shouldn't have a gun" then we started talking about stress on the magazine spring with it fully loaded.

Show him this article:

<broken link removed>

"By the end of a traffic stop on Feb. 21, 2005, at 19th and Lawndale, he had 28 bullet wounds in his body. "

...and the guy lived.

So much for the three shots rule.

And it doesn't have to be some drugged up meth monkey either, or an entire gang of thugs. This was just a regular 60 year old dude.

How bout this guy..

http://now.msn.com/atlanta-mom-shoots-intruder-in-the-face-5-times

"An Atlanta mom took matters into her own hands on Friday when confronting an intruder. The unidentified woman hid with her 9-year-old twins in a crawlspace as a man broke into her house and began rummaging through it. The alleged burglar, Paul Ali Slater, eventually found the family's hiding space, but not before finding himself staring down the barrel of a .38 revolver. The woman fired six shots, five of which hit Slater in the face and neck, but he managed to flee after the family ran to a neighbor's house. Slater is expected to survive."

 

[Guilty]

Full magazine with spares at the ready.