EDC/CCW: how many rounds do YOU carry?

[BearBrimstone]

I just carry what is in the gun on my person. Recently it has been the 6+1 in my Shield 45.

 

[Wanderling]

Pretty much regardless of what I'm carrying, I like carrying a double mag carrier for it; helps balance the pistol when carrying on the strong-side hip, and fits in a pocket when carrying a single-stack AIWB under a thin shirt.

My EDC is a S&W 3913LS (8+1), though when wardrobe permits I sometimes carry my FNS (17+1).


Just keep in mind that there is no penalty for having rounds remaining on your person or in the magazine.

A primary argument for reserve capacity is *reserve*; I would imagine that in the immediate aftermath of a violent attack, the risk of another attack would be higher (reattack by the original perpetrator circling back? attack by an accomplice?), so I would think one would not want to be unarmed while waiting for the police to arrive and secure things.

In the immediate aftermath of a violent attack, either you're dead / wounded, or the attacker is dead / wounded / ran away. I'd say the probability of them coming back is fairly low.

Carrying a spare in a car is one thing, but carrying it on me at all time seems a bit of a high price to pay given the odds.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

5......

 

[Mike J]

I am not going to say anyone is right or wrong in this discussion. We all make our choices & take our chances. In my opinion though if I am going to all the trouble & hassle of carrying a gun it is very little more trouble to carry a spare magazine. It does not hurt a thing. to have it & not need it. I work commercial construction & on cold days I usually wear or carry more clothes than I need if working outside. You can always take an article of clothing off-you can't put it on if you ain't got it. I look at carrying a spare magazine the same way.

 

[Sig Bill]

On my right:

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[Winkman822]

Wilson Combat CQB Compact .45 ACP 7+1 in the gun with two spare 7 round mags. When concealing the 1911 is not an option, I go with a Walther PPS 9mm 7+1 in the gun and a pair of spare 7 round mags.

 

[BLU]

After decades in Law Enforcement, regardless of firearm carried, I always had two speed loaders or two magazines on me. That style of carry has just become 'the way it's done' for me now, even in retirement. In my church suit pocket is my Baby Browning with two little magazines in a pouch on my belt. With a wool shirt covering my 1911, opposite side it's covering two mags. No matter the gun, should I ever have to reload... I know I only have one reload left. I've only pulled a gun three times in an off-duty status. Only once did I fire and then only two shots, (and there were at least a dozen men wishing me harm). Logic would say two rounds were all I ever needed in over 40 years. We carry for peace of mind... I don't achieve peace of mind unless I have two reloads with me. Anything else doesn't 'feel right'.

 

[Kendal Black]

I make it a point to carry at least one reload for any gun I have with me, and my reason is a bit different from the usual thoughts pro or con.

It sometimes happens in the heat of the moment that when someone is attacked he shoots until his gun is empty, whether he needs to do that or not. Chalk it up to human nature.

So there he stands--unarmed, for practical purposes. It would be nice to have some ammo to put into the gun in case the war is not quite over yet.

 

[DownInTheDark]

I have been known to carry a Glock 32 around town. 13+1, or if I am lazy 12+1.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

Few things are certain in a gunfight, but among the certainties is that no one ever wished they had less ammo in a gunfight. If each shot is literally an opportunity to save your life, why would you skimp? I carry a Glock 20. I've got 15+1 in the gun, another 15 on the belt. I also have a Camelpak Hawg that I carry pretty much everywhere with me. I call it my purse. It has MOLLE webbing on the front onto which I have attached two more 15 round mags for the Glock and an IFAK.

Most defense situations are handled with something like 5 rounds according to statistics. However, using my weapon for self-defense is an outlier event itself. I am not interested in the average anomaly. I'd rather have 60 rounds and need 6 than need 60 rounds and have 6.

 

[Kaeto]

I always have at least one reload for whatever gun I'm carrying at that time.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I usually carry one spare magazine with me. If for some reason I get a funny feeling or feel I'm going some place that might be "less safe", I have a phone case that holds 4 magazines. So that's 4 spares plus what's in the gun.

The cool thing about the phone case is that it doesn't look like a set of magazines on my belt. So it doesn't give away that I'm carrying concealed.

Since I got my XDs 45 which gun I carry also depends on where I"m going and what I'm wearing. Normally it's IWB. However if I'm wearing dress clothes or a button down shirt, I'll carry my PF9 in a pocket.

 

[rider1046]

S&W Shield 9mm 6+1 in right pocket, spare mag w/7 in left front pocket. Two mags w/7 ea in vest that may be worn or may be laying on backseat of truck. Another 9mm Shield and two mags w/7 ea in case concealed in truck.

 

[herrwalther]

In my first military firefight overseas, I ran out of ammo. I was going for weight and I only carried the standard combat load for my service rifle, 210 rounds. To ensure that never happened again, I carried 2 extra mags on my person. An easy to grab bandoleer with 6 more. And 10 more in an assault bag that stayed in the truck on every mission. I never ran out of ammo again and had plenty of spares for those that did.

Civilian world is more of a trade off. I don't have MOLLE gear or bags I can throw ammo in, open carry, and call it good. I conceal. And the chance of me running into 100 insurgent fighters with AKs and 2 mags each is pretty low. For the most part I carry a loaded firearm and one spare. I am getting to the point age wise where that is getting heavy. So I am looking at the trendy slim stack 9mms. Even with those, I am still planning my selection around carrying one spare magazine, at least, because of the reduced capacity.

 

[southoftheboarder]

My Ruger LC9 holds 7 rounds. When I carry it I bring a spare mag. My Glock 17 holds 16 rounds so I leave my spare mag at home.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

My Ruger LC9 holds 7 rounds. When I carry it I bring a spare mag. My Glock 17 holds 16 rounds so I leave my spare mag at home.

As I'm fairly new can you please explain?

Why not carry an extra mag?

 

[SC Shooter]

I carry what ever my weapon will hold.

 

[bikerdoc]

Long Retired Leo here.
Always an extra mag or speed strip.

If I need more I'm someplace I should not be or short of armed people beside me.

 

[Warp]

As I'm fairly new can you please explain?

Why not carry an extra mag?

Something weird with his post, a Glock 17 fully loaded with standard mags will hold 18 total rounds, and he stated 16...but anyway, people often do not carry spare magazines because it is more of a hassle and the odds of needing one AND being able to deploy it effectively are extremely small. Everybody sets their own "limit" for what they carry somewhere. Yes, there is a chance you could need a spare and not have it, even if that chance is really small. There is also a chance you could need two spares. Or maybe your gun goes belly up and what you really need is a spare gun, so why not carry a second gun?

And while we are talking about what you might need, something possibly more likely to be needed than a spare mag or a spare gun, is body armour for when the other guy shoots you. Why aren't we all wearing concealable soft body armour rated to stop common handgun rounds? Because everybody sets their own limit for hassle and difficulty vs odds (stakes all pretty much equal for the things mentioned here)

 

[Lycidas Janwor]

See my avatar for my edc. It's a G3 G23 that I'v converted to 9mm. At the very least, I just carry the pistol with a loaded magazine so a minimum of 15 rounds. I also have the ability to carry two to three extra mags with me in my other CC holster. If I CC with that holster I have a total of 3 magazines, one 15 round mag in the pistol, and two extra G17 mags (see avatar) that I don't load to capacity (because that is bad for the spring) so I have those two mags with 16 rounds. So I have a total of 47 rounds ready to go.

The 9mm ammo I use is Underwood +p+ 90 grain xtreme defender ammo, although I use other Underwood ammo as well. Love Underwood ammo.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Most of the time my EDC is an HK P2000. The weight of an extra mag is pretty minimal compared to the weight of the gun, gunbelt and holster. So why not carry the extra mag? Mine is in a Safariland 123 horizontal pouch that's never in the way- I hardly notice it's there.

 

[Warp]

Most of the time my EDC is an HK P2000. The weight of an extra mag is pretty minimal compared to the weight of the gun, gunbelt and holster. So why not carry the extra mag? Mine is in a Safariland 123 horizontal pouch that's never in the way- I hardly notice it's there.

For most people, myself included, it isn't about weight. It's about space/volume. For example, for me, a horizontal pouch is often going to deny the option of true concealment, which is very commonly not a reasonable option.

For untucked shirts they stand out even more because then you have this very obvious bulge on your waistband covered by your shirt.

 

[herrwalther]

Most of the time my EDC is an HK P2000. The weight of an extra mag is pretty minimal compared to the weight of the gun, gunbelt and holster. So why not carry the extra mag? Mine is in a Safariland 123 horizontal pouch that's never in the way- I hardly notice it's there.

I have a horizontal Safariland magazine pouch as well. And I never use it for reasons that Warp said. OWB carry of a magazine pouch (and likewise a firearm) seems very obvious to me, like a neon sign pointed at my belt. Unless I am open carrying or I am concealing the magazine to look like something else (like a knife or Leatherman), I carry my spare magazine IWB or in a pocket pouch.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

My state was still may issue when I first got my permit. A two day course with classroom education and range shooting was required.The instructor was a LEO of 30+ years and a highly accomplished competition shooter. He very strongly recommended carrying at least one extra mag. The reason as much for reliability as the number of rounds. In case of a malfunction; dump the mag, slam in a new one, rack the slide.

 

[Rexster]

Typically, during personal time, I carry a G19 or G34, with a spare G17 magazine. It is not unusual for me to add a G26 or G19, and/or another mag or two, if going into "town," especially after dark. Alternatively, I might carry a 1911, with two spare magazines, often accompanied by the G26.

Work is big-city police patrol. The usual duty pistol is a 1911, carried with 2+ mags, and the G26. A G19 is off-body, with at least one spare mag. I keep two 12-gauge slugs in a kydex carrier attached to my uniform, and several more slugs in a pocket, plus more slugs, and buck, off-body.