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How Much Ammo Should I Carry?

Bassbob said:
Why are you so adamant that no one should carry 2 extra mags ? Most people, including professional instructors, will tell you to carry as many as you can comfortably carry and/or conceal.
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I never said nor have I suggested that no one should carry 2 extra mags. I have offered my opinion and also an explanation of my thought on it. I have only asked for someone to reasonably break down their opinion as well. I dont buy the whole "programmed to carry" business. I dont buy the whole "do it because other people say it". I fully understand how to rationalize a police officer carrying 2 mags or more of extra ammo. If a person is going to suggest that joe citizen who does not have the same imperatives as a LEO still carry 2 extra mags, I am simply asking them to explain the their rationale. The original title question was seeming related to a very general assessment regarding "how much ammo". The question was not framed around any specific context so I would assume that it is geared toward the everyday joe citizen.

People will routinely tout all sorts of baselines when it comes to self defense, ammo, guns, tactics or whatever. If you are going to say it, or proclaim it as your opinion; I simply think that a person should be able to explain it and defend it upon challenge. This is historically what debate is generally all about. If a persons opinion cannot stand up to general examination or basic questions of challenge, what merit does it truly have? Everyone has an opinion but what that opinion is worth to others who may wish to rely on it, depends on merit.

If a person wants to carry 2 extra mags or 10.. its fine by me. If they are going to suggest that others do it, I simply ask them to qualify that proclamation.

I am still waiting on the compelling reason to carry 2 extra mags. I do not consider "people wobble" to be a compelling reason. Institutions have been keeping up with gunfighting stats for quite a long time and although there is no guarantee that your fight will fall within those stats, I see no reason to believe it wont. I split the difference by carrying one re-load. Things do break, fall out, drop and people have been known to run out. Still, where is the thoughtful qualification for a joe citizen to carry 2 reloads? I am certainly open to changing my mind
 
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If you’re worried about getting in a firefight, carry as much as you can comfortably. That being said, a firefight is generally not the kind of circumstance you’ll find yourself in, exceptions being law enforcement or turf wars. I’ll bet most of you reading this aren’t the turf war type though. I may carry more than one magazine someday, however if I needed to use more than 14 rounds on 1 or 2 attackers at close range I would be mortified. If someone is still coming after 3 maybe 4 rounds of hollow point, maybe I should be more worried about my aim than if 40 rounds is going to be enough for someone with a gun who wants to take my car.

This is by no means advice, but a point of view that was shared to me by an experienced shooter and longtime concealed carrier after I consulted him about the same question, “How much ammo should I carry?”
 
ZM36 said:
If you’re worried about getting in a firefight, carry as much as you can comfortably. That being said, a firefight is generally not the kind of circumstance you’ll find yourself in, exceptions being law enforcement or turf wars. I’ll bet most of you reading this aren’t the turf war type though. I may carry more than one magazine someday, however if I needed to use more than 14 rounds on 1 or 2 attackers at close range I would be mortified. If someone is still coming after 3 maybe 4 rounds of hollow point, maybe I should be more worried about my aim than if 40 rounds is going to be enough for someone with a gun who wants to take my car.

This is by no means advice, but a point of view that was shared to me by an experienced shooter and longtime concealed carrier after I consulted him about the same question, “How much ammo should I carry?”
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Well let's all hope for your sake that your magazine never malfunctions.
 
OK.. I dont plan to re-read the entire thread but I will try and highlight what I can recall in regards to what I see at the ongoing sentiment within the thread. Forgive me if what I offer does not exactly convey what was said. I wont use quotations and will attempt to paraphrase. Feel free to correct me where needed.

reasons which possibly support the need of 2 extra mags:

  • People wobble / distribution of weight
  • A person may flub the reload, something may go wrong and they must rely on the second extra mag.
  • SHTF/Zombie
  • Expectation of numerous attackers
  • Programming
  • other people have said it
  • purely a personal choice ( they simply want to)
  • poor shooting

People can carry what they want, I aint mad at them. Personal choice aka (desire) is a fairly large motivator. That said, I have yet to see any compelling reasons for a person who carries one reload to feel that 2 is more prudent. We all know what the majority of gunfights has looked like over the past 60 years. I am not really convinced that I would need even one reload. Still, I carry one reload due to the "stuff happens" factor. One reload does not cost much, does not eat much and does not occupy very much real-estate on my belt or in my pocket.

in conclusion:

I have changed my methods many times over the years and I am sure that I will likely continue to do so. I change due to my ongoing experiences, what I am taught and what I come to realize. If someone is going to suggest that 2 extra mags is what I "should" be carrying as joe citizen, this thread has not come anywhere close to substantiating that belief in my mind. What I see in this thread are several outlying excuses and not really anything that I consider legitimately compelling.

This could easily be an interesting debate and even a learning experience for me, I will stand by in hopes that the continued commentary yields some fruitful content.

Yesterday I carried my trusty FN lightweight Hi-power and one extra Mag. If memory serves, I believe I had 13 in the gun and 12 in my (1) reload. In my mind I was well armed to venture out into urban America to purchase groceries. Probably 7 or 8 times what the statistical average is often said to be for an armed civilian confrontation. My fight may not fall within the statistical norms but that is where I will consider the baseline to be. If someone wants to suggest that I need darn near 40 rounds ( as a baseline), I will gladly listen. So far, I dont buy it.
 
I understand what you are saying and as I recall, I think most folks here agree with you. Carry what you feel is needed. Most of the time, I have a snubby in my pocket with 5 rounds and no extra ammo. My thinking may not win any awards for being prepared, but I won't argue with anyone who feels more prepared with more ammo on their person. I also do not have body armor, although I understand some folks feel that is necessary also, and I won't argue with them about that either. Each of us, like in most everything else in life, has different risk tolerance. I may be in a shootout tomorrow, but I have lived a pretty long time and haven't been in one yet (knock on wood!!).
 
I have fired plenty of 20 to 30 year old ammunition without incident. Currently when I carry it is either a 9mm with 2 to 4 extra 17 round magazines or a .40 with 2 0r 4 extra 16 round magazines. In the past I have carried the same setup in 10mm, but I don't bring that one along any more.
 
Retired FED LEO and I changed my EDC format after 10 years being retired. Shoulder carry bag only. My gun, two spare magazines, wallet, credentials, knife, flashlight, pen, mini medical kit (tourniquet/Quick Clot) and phone. It all stays in the bag and goes where I go. No printing. No leaving anything behind and I know exactly where everything is even in the dark. I had to hunt for the right bag but I would never go back to on body carry.
 
HansGruber said:
I concur with this...

Although I’d point out that ammo is good for decades, not years, assuming somewhat decent storage...
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I was given a box of Army-Issue .45 ACP ball with 1954 headstamps. Every round of it fired-accurately. There are exceptions, and we have all run across them. But, kept in a warm and dry environment, ammo tends to survive a long time.
 
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In the early 2000s I got tasked to work at the loading station on an M16 range. It seemed to me, I know for sure the ammunition we were loading for that range had been packaged in the seventies. I'm going to say '75 just as a guess.

But the Army keeps their ammunition in a climate controlled environment.

That said, I have .223 ammunition that's at least 26 years old and it still works
 
MROD said:
Retired FED LEO and I changed my EDC format after 10 years being retired. Shoulder carry bag only. My gun, two spare magazines, wallet, credentials, knife, flashlight, pen, mini medical kit (tourniquet/Quick Clot) and phone. It all stays in the bag and goes where I go. No printing. No leaving anything behind and I know exactly where everything is even in the dark. I had to hunt for the right bag but I would never go back to on body carry.
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I am picturing a back pack, correct?
 
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Serious response. This is where I live. I was about to say I haven't seen anybody who isn't family in a couple of weeks but we got our winter wood delivery yesterday and we talked to that guy for about 20 minutes.

Most of my time carrying a gun I talked about the Army taught me to carry two reloads and the security companies taught me to carry two reloads and Ayoob recommends two reloads and blah blah blah blah.

ETA: I really was taught that way and I guess it really wasn't crap for that situation but in the Outer Rim Territories???

I mean I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea but I have yet to fire the first shot in self defense let alone need that second reload.

We weren't out here in the outer room territories a week before I ditched that second magazine. And it wasn't much longer than that before I quit carrying a 19 and started carrying a 26.
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Who am I going to need to throw down on? Buttercup?
 
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The Night Rider said:
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Serious response. This is where I live. I was about to say I haven't seen anybody who isn't family in a couple of weeks but we got our winter wood delivery yesterday and we talked to that guy for about 20 minutes.

Most of my time carrying a gun I talked all this crap about the Army taught me to carry two reloads and the security companies taught me to carry two reloads and Ayoob recommends two reloads and blah blah blah blah.

I mean I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea but I have yet to fire the first shot in self defense let alone need that second reload.

We weren't out here in the outer room territories a week before I ditched that second magazine. And it wasn't much longer than that before I quit carrying a 19 and started carrying a 26.
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Who am I going to need to throw down on? Buttercup?
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Exactly. There is no one better than YOU who knows your situation better than YOU. Maybe some people can suggest what might be better for YOU, but ultimately it is YOU who knows best for YOU. Buttercup probably has a better idea of how things should be run than anybody but YOU. What YOU think is the right thing to do in your situation is probably right.
 
Many times in the summer I simply carry my Smith model 638. Yes it only holds five rounds, but unless somehow I get in an extended gun fight, that should be enough for a carjacker or robber. I also don’t have to worry about a bad magazine.
 
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