Carry an extra mag?

Only when I'm going to be in Durham area but crime stats came out the other day and Raleigh/WakeCo. had more homicides than Durham last year so I may have to start carrying a spare mag all the time. In my vehicle, I have the option of a NY reload.
 
I always carry an extra mag. And if for some reason I'm carrying a revolver I have at least one speed strip in my pocket.
 
I carry 2 spare mags in the console of the truck. They are there and ready to go if something gets really serious. Sometimes, I will pack them in my backpack when I am walking (I don't carry a briefcase).

Why? I can think of several reasons, but it is for the reasons I cannot think of is why. (cliche I know).

Also, I suck at pistol... It is like putting in golf for me. I am the Happy Gilmore of Pistol Shooting.
 
I have two mags in my truck. Makes sense to carry extra but I've not found a mag carrier that I like.

Might have to design one and get a vendor here to make it real.

-R
 
I carry 2 spare mags in the console of the truck. They are there and ready to go if something gets really serious. Sometimes, I will pack them in my backpack when I am walking (I don't carry a briefcase).

Why? I can think of several reasons, but it is for the reasons I cannot think of is why. (cliche I know).

Also, I suck at pistol... It is like putting in golf for me. I am the Happy Gilmore of Pistol Shooting.
Hahahaha

Cut from the same cloth. I view a pistol as a means to be able to reach a rifle.
 
Sounds like someone needs a G43 spare mag carrier in OD Carbon Fiber with Speedease clips. Just sayin.....
 
Sounds like someone needs a G43 spare mag carrier in OD Carbon Fiber with Speedease clips. Just sayin.....
It wouldn't hurt. It's not like I'm unprepared with the 43. I definitely felt pretty confident on our road trip to Charlotte, probably the safest truck on the road that day...

IMG_20180111_164935.jpg

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52 rounds within reach. Lol
 
I had a Shield with two spare 8 round mags on me and an SR9c with 18 rounds in it and two 17 round spares in the bag. :)
 
And oh by the way........

Mag Whore.....
 
I don't carry an extra. Most of the time I am carry a 15+1 gun like a BHP, Glock 19 or Sphinx SDP Compact. The only time I throw another mag into my pocket is when I carry a LCP. The odds are heavily in my favor that if I ever have to use a gun in self defense outside the home 13 to 16 rounds is going to be enough to get the job done or allow me to flee!
 
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I don't carry an extra. Most of the time I am carry a 15+1 gun like a BHP, Glock 19 or Sphinx SDP Compact. The only time I throw another mag into my pocket is when I carry a LCP. The odds are heavily in my favor that if I ever have to use a gun in self defense outside the home 13 to 16 rounds is going to be enough to get the job done or allow me to flee!
It's not just about ammo capacity, it's more about clearing malfunctions for me.
 
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Why extra mags for the Glock crew? I constantly hear that they never, ever act up?

I have a couple of loaded extra mags in the center console of the car, but carry none. Obviously not a real operator and doomed to die in a gunfight with MS-13
 
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Why extra mags for the Glock crew?

Ammo malfunction, i.e. ammo too long, too short, too fat, won't feed, won't eject, [*gasp*]case head separation (it can happen in which case you need a second gun), even with "quality" factory brass cased ammo.

AND - Operator malfunction in high stress situation

If someone has never had one or more of these occur, no matter what pistol they shoot, they probably should shoot more.

Edit: Upon reflection, I can say that most these incidents did not occur with any Glock, but with other "quality" semi autos.
 
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I am in the spare clip category as well, and for many of the reasons already articulated. My regular carry set up involves two guns on body.. 9 Shield and .380 BG with a single reload for the Shield. Other options in the vehicle. Spare guns, spare mags, spare ammo for mags.

If ya'll read any Mas Ayoob articles, he advocates for a single reload on double stacks and a double reload on single stacks.

*I used the word "clip" as a joke... If you were about to reply with a reprimand... Gotcha'.
 
Ammo malfunction, i.e. ammo too long, too short, too fat, won't feed, won't eject, [*gasp*]case head separation (it can and has happened to me in which case you need a second gun), even with "quality" factory brass cased ammo.

AND - Operator malfunction in high stress situation

If someone has never had one or more of these occur, no matter what pistol they shoot, they probably should shoot more.

Yes that it true but not every one of those malfunctions requires that you drop the mag to clear it. Think about it logically. The chances of you having to use the gun in a self defense situation is extremely small. I don't have the numbers in front of me but I would guess you are more likely to be struck by lightening. Annually the odds of being hit by lightening in the US is 1/1,083,000. This does not mean you shouldn't carry I believe that everyone who is comfortable carrying should.

I agree with your general point that the chance that a gun will malfunction or you have an IO error is real. It has to be considered. I still think that the compounding nature of the chances of you having to use the gun in a self defense scenario, then having it malfunction in a manner that I have to drop the mag and load another one is Very Very Very low. How often do you do you experience shooting malfunctions that require you to drop the mag while shooting? What is the ratio to rounds fired. I would be interested in your experience as a high round count shooter.

The way look at it you still need to take into account the compounding lack of probably that the gun will be used and then malfunction in a way requiring a mag to be dropped. You are getting down to something that is statically extremely low. Like winning the Powerball lottery low. So by carrying a gun every day I am ahead of the curve. I have a gun with 13+ rounds of ammo, EDC knife, EDC flashlight, wallet, cell phone, keys etc... I am not LEO and do not want to carry around what amounts to a duty belt so I try to make logical choices on what to carry. So I choose to not carry and extra mag if I have 13+ rounds. I fully understand that other people do not mind lugging more gear around and feel more comfortable with a second or third mag.

In the end I think that people should do what they are comfortable with. In my experience situational awareness and keeping yourself out of places and scenarios where you will need to use a gun protects you more than anything you are carrying. YMMV
 
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having it malfunction in a manner that I have to drop the mag and load another one is Very Very Very low. How often do you do you experience shooting malfunctions that require you to drop the mag while shooting? What is the ratio to rounds fired. I would be interested in your experience as a high round count shooter.

I watch it happen about every weekend, or at least it seems like it, and I'm watching only one of six squads on any Saturday.

I wear cargos about every day so I just stow one in one of those extra pockets if it's not on my belt. It's just not any trouble for me, but others might have a problem.
 
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On the Glock comment, I have quiet a few (around 25) Glock mags. I have them all marked from number 1 to....and was at a Solo Defense class last year, and had a malfunction with the gun. I had been using the same mags all day, and all the sudden, a problem occurs. I quickly did a admin reload, finished up, and moved on. Next drill, change to mag that was in for the malfunction after topping off, and bam, another problem. Took the mag out of rotation, problem was gone. Mag needed a new spring and cleaning. Moral of the story, lol, is that it worked fine until it didn't. Mag was not old, a good bit newer than any other I was using that day, it just happened. I know the chances of needing a gun in self defense might be low, but I've been car jacked when younger, and the wife got attacked and a big rock thrown through her window, in traffic, last year going to work at 8am. We work in Charlotte, near downtown, so, you never know.........Just my two pennies.
 
On the Glock comment, I have quiet a few (around 25) Glock mags. I have them all marked from number 1 to....and was at a Solo Defense class last year, and had a malfunction with the gun. I had been using the same mags all day, and all the sudden, a problem occurs. I quickly did a admin reload, finished up, and moved on. Next drill, change to mag that was in for the malfunction after topping off, and bam, another problem. Took the mag out of rotation, problem was gone. Mag needed a new spring and cleaning. Moral of the story, lol, is that it worked fine until it didn't. Mag was not old, a good bit newer than any other I was using that day, it just happened. I know the chances of needing a gun in self defense might be low, but I've been car jacked when younger, and the wife got attacked and a big rock thrown through her window, in traffic, last year going to work at 8am. We work in Charlotte, near downtown, so, you never know.........Just my two pennies.

I feel you no mechanical devise is going to be 100% 100% of the tine and the variables which cause a mag to fail can be abrupt.

I watch it happen about every weekend, or at least it seems like it, and I'm watching only one of six squads on any Saturday.

I wear cargos about every day so I just stow one in one of those extra pockets if it's not on my belt. It's just not any trouble for me, but others might have a problem.

Does clearing those malfunctions require dropping the mag or can one strip it out and reinsert it? I understand that dropping it might be faster especially when the mag in at the ready in a pouch but is it always the case if its floating around in a pocket?

I cannot always wear cargo pants and the belt cannot always be loaded up. Maybe I need to shoot more.
 
I recall Ayoob also saying something along the lines of "sometimes the best way to carry an extra magazine, is wrapped in another gun."

Statically you won't need a gun, much less a reload, but stats amount to a hill of beans when it's your tail on the line!
 
Does clearing those malfunctions require dropping the mag or can one strip it out and reinsert it? I understand that dropping it might be faster especially when the mag in at the ready in a pouch but is it always the case if its floating around in a pocket?

The best illustration would be to try it at home with empties, or at the range with live ammo.

To drop/strip the offending mag, then stow it, then clear the gun (requires both hands), then dig out the offending mag from wherever you parked it (when it *might* be part of the problem) then reinsert it, and under stress when you might drop it, then your lone mag is on the ground...

See where I'm going with this?
 
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The best illustration would be to try it at home with empties, or at the range with live ammo.

To drop/strip the offending mag, then stow it, then clear the gun (requires both hands), then dig out the offending mag from wherever you parked it (when it *might* be part of the problem) then reinsert it it, and under stress when you might drop it, then your lone mag is on the ground...

See where I'm going with this?

I hear you are basically arguing that sh** will go wrong and having another mag vs crawling around on the ground is advantageous. I can see where you are coming from. Maybe I will strap on an extra mag for the rest of the week and see how it feels.
 
I hear you are basically arguing that sh** will go wrong and having another mag vs crawling around on the ground is advantageous. I can see where you are coming from. Maybe I will strap on an extra mag for the rest of the week and see how it feels.
The truth is, doing anything is better than nothing. The odds of ever needing the gun, or an extra mag are long odds.

It's not the probability of an assault or attack that I think about, but the possibility.
 
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This thread reminds me of something I consider from time to time. Is my carry set up too "gun centric?"

Should I trade the spare magazine for a TQ, or a better light? Or carry all of the above? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way, ha!) Either way, keep thinking about and critiquing your mindset/gear/skills.
 
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This thread reminds me of something I consider from time to time. Is my carry set up too "gun centric?"

Should I trade the spare magazine for a TQ, or a better light? Or carry all of the above? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way, ha!) Either way, keep thinking about and critiquing your mindset/gear/skills.

And that, I think, is the crux of what this forum is truly good for. It makes you think.
Should I carry an extra mag?
Do I have the proper style holster?
Have I tested my firearm enough?
Do I really get in enough practice?
What is missing from my daily carry that others already know about?
Do I need to carry a flashlight?
Do I need to have a first aid kit on me, or near me?
and so on and so forth.

Years ago, before I joined this forum, I had never really considered much of the above. Just stuff that I wasn't really brought up thinking about. And there are times where I do go against the grain a bit, i.e. I don't carry a spare mag on my physically, but they are in the car. But threads like this also get me thinking on my carry routine, other things I may need, and what I can do to improve.
 
Here is my "current" IDPA gun, which I use with flush mags. It's my truck, car and house gun. I usually carry it and the spare mag in a nylon holster, but not on my body. If competition has taught me anything so far, it's that I might need lots of ammo in a serious fight.

On the other hand - and this is a serious statement, not a joke - I could aim at an opponent's left shoulder and shoot a very good group in the middle of his chest. They'd swear I was a dead-eye dick shooter!

20180117_162216.jpg 20180117_162228.jpg
 
Here is what I think is a good video on the subject of clearing semi-auto malfunctions.



I think that Clint guy should be a trainer. Maybe run a school or something. I like how he did not have to drop the mag to get the gun back in service even after the simulated double feed.
 
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This thread reminds me of something I consider from time to time. Is my carry set up too "gun centric?"

Should I trade the spare magazine for a TQ, or a better light? Or carry all of the above? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way, ha!) Either way, keep thinking about and critiquing your mindset/gear/skills.

Nice statement reminds me of this great scene from Better Call Saul. Trevor was way too gun centric. LOL 1:55 in to the video. What are you packing... Pimento... its the Caviar of the south. Then it gets great at 4:17.

 
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I always carry a extra mag or two, plus maybe an extra gun or two/ rather have to much than not enough
 
And that, I think, is the crux of what this forum is truly good for. It makes you think.
Should I carry an extra mag?
Do I have the proper style holster?
Have I tested my firearm enough?
Do I really get in enough practice?
What is missing from my daily carry that others already know about?
Do I need to carry a flashlight?
Do I need to have a first aid kit on me, or near me?
and so on and so forth.

Years ago, before I joined this forum, I had never really considered much of the above. Just stuff that I wasn't really brought up thinking about. And there are times where I do go against the grain a bit, i.e. I don't carry a spare mag on my physically, but they are in the car. But threads like this also get me thinking on my carry routine, other things I may need, and what I can do to improve.

Well said. I am frequently seeking out perspective and information on all sorts of topics.. this place is slam full of it. I've learned a lot over the years, and have come a long way from the infrequently carried LC9 I started with. Chamber empty, by the way. Cheap holster, cheap belt... pretty much the whole 9 yards of what not to do.
 
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I'm typically comfortable either way. But having a spare on you helps when (1) you're not a great shot, or your caliber is small, (2) if you have a malfunction.
 
A zone hits are the only thing that will stop someone, and if they are not head shots, it can take a very long time.

So, accuracy is more important than caliber, capacity, or anything else.
 
A zone hits are the only thing that will stop someone, and if they are not head shots, it can take a very long time.

So, accuracy is more important than caliber, capacity, or anything else.
And in my case, it took a whole lotta practice to improve accuracy, so y'all get out there and shoot.
 
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