I'm so thrilled with all the responses to my IMT ammo post, so I decided to start another. These responses and discussions are the entire reason I decided to get into this forum so thank you all in advance.
Anyway, another common topic that is always discussed at my local action pistol shoots is everyday carry and how much is enough. Some people are totally fine with a 5-6 shot .38 snub or a 6-7 shot single stack pocket auto, with no reloads, as their daily defense. Some will bark that (this) practice is going to get you killed; and you must carry a double stack, plus extra Mags, plus a backup with extra rounds for your backup.
OK, Once upon a time, and '
back in the day' I used to prefer to carry any one of several handguns. A Colt '
Mark IV', a Smith & Wesson Model 19, or an S&W Model 686. Both Smiths were snub-nosed revolvers. Myself and the people I used to practice with were very good with these revolvers; and, for any one-on-one engagement I felt that I was well armed enough; but, times change; and, one day, I realized that, nowadays, '
the mutts' have started to run in pairs — if not in packs!
Before I got injured and went back to school for my current career I was involved in law enforcement. Here I got into the practice of routinely carrying a primary and auxiliary/back up pistol. Now that I'm a civilian, though, I tend to not carry an auxiliary firearm majority of the time. Depending on the season, my EDC carry is either a Glock 19, or a 32.
I, too, used to regularly carry either a secondary or a backup pistol just about everywhere I went. Had a few altercations, too; but, after a while, I slowly began to realize that, the way society is (right now) today, I didn't really need the second pistol. What I needed, instead, is a '
high capacity', 100% reliable, primary handgun.
Typically I will carry a standard compact Glock mag in the weapon and carry one extra "duty size" mag in a pocket or mag holder. When I do decide to carry my auxiliary weapon, these days it is my M&P Shield 9mm, non external safety model and rides IWB appendix style, with my Glock riding on my side or slightly toward my back.
My usual EDC carry pieces are a Glock Model 21 which I carry most of the time, and a Glock Model 19(RTF2) which I carry some of the time. With the Model 21's I use Arredondo + 4 magazine extensions (and extended Wolff springs) on my backup magazines. Most of the time, now, I only carry one spare Arredondo magazine; and I use a standard G21 magazine inside the gun. I'm an older gunman; and I download my pistol magazines by one round. I, also, never load a pistol to full magazine capacity + 1 in the chamber.
To me, and as a result of several real world experiences I've had, that kind of pistol loading is just plain stupid. It's not how many shots you've got to fire at some bad guy; it's, instead, about how many shots actually hit where you want them to! Personally, I'd much rather have 100% reliability in a self-defense weapon rather than two or three extra shots prior to reloading. Consequently my G21 carries 12 loaded rounds — Which is a heck of a lot of ammunition for a guy who spent more than a quarter century carrying a 1911 pattern pistol! My spare Arredondo 45 ACP magazine carries 16 rounds.
I use identically downloaded, Glock, factory-standard magazines in my G19; and I have factory + 2 baseplates on the spare magazines that I carry on the other side of my belt; except in 9 x 19mm I always carry two, rather than only one, spare magazine. I do this in order to compensate for the fact that I HAVE LEARNED it takes two or three 9mm bullets to do what only one 45 ACP bullet can do. (Please, no stupid IGF 9mm vs. 45 ACP arguments — OK. No matter what is said on the internet, I've been shooting pistols for more than half a century; and I KNOW, full well, exactly what numerous different pistol calibers can do.)
I don't ever feel particularly outgunned when not wearing a back up; and lately I've even been considering moving to carrying something like my Shield (7+1 or 8-10rd extended) or my KelTec P11(10+1 or 15rd extended) as my sole EDC.
Again, this is my own opinion: In today's present society I don't think you're going to need that second gun; just, and as I've already said, a highly reliable first gun with a magazine capacity of, at least, a dozen rounds. I do, however, think that you're making a potentially serious mistake: The one way you never want to feel in an armed confrontation — the one thing you never want to do — is to be holding onto '
not enough gun' when the pregnant moment suddenly arrives.
Trust me on this: The very last thought you ever want to think at the moment when you see the other guy's weapon is, '
Oh, my God, I didn't bring enough gun!' The very last thought — OK! Everybody likes to take shortcuts; and everybody makes assumptions; but, when it comes to adequate self-defense, I think it's a serious mistake to presume: (1) That you're only going to have to face a single opponent, (2) That the fight is going to occur at '
bad breath' distance, or (3) that you're, somehow, safe because you've got that cute, warm, and cuddly little pistol alongside you for the ride!
All handguns bullets are '
killers' — even 22 LR — but, below 45 Long Colt caliber no handgun is an absolute 100% '
stopper'; and from 44 Special, on up, we're no longer talking viable combat handguns. Some people think that 40 S&W, and 10mm are combat calibers; but I do not. The rate of ACCURATE fire is too slow; and skillful recoil management requires a lot of both arm strength, and practice in order to competently master.
(Besides, round count doesn't matter if the bullets aren't going where you want them to — Right!)
I've gone this far in my life without getting in a massive shootout, and I'm also very proficient with my carry choices even under duress with my heart rate up and adrenaline pumping. Also, 90% of the time I have another firearm in my vehicle and 100% of the time I have reloads for whatever I am carrying in my vehicle as well.
I'm unable to say the same thing about not being in a '
massive shootout'. I'm also very good with a pistol; but so what! The cruel fact is that, depending upon: time, circumstances, and the event you may, or may not be ready to defend yourself.
(I'm going to level with you: There have been days when I would have to agree I was better prepared for some sort of completely unexpected life-threatening event than I was at other times. (Such is life!) The cold reality is that once you're no longer on an internet gun forum — where anyone can be a cyberspace hero — neither you, nor I truly know what's going to happen, or how either one of us is going to react to a dire life-threatening emergency! You just don't know.)
Still though, there is a part of me that thinks as soon as I downgrade my round count for comfort, I will regret it in some way. What are everyone else's thoughts on this matter? What types of round count do most of you guys/gals in the civilian realm work with on a everyday basis? All input is appreciated as this is a real dilemma for me, haha.
The American public is currently caught up in the throes of an epidemic of reduced caliber and lower capacity '
pacifier pistol mania'. Many people are walking around feeling safe when, in fact, very few of these small pistol carriers actually are. For example, typical reasoning is, '
There's only going to be one of them.' '
We're going to be within 1 or 2 yards of each other.' '
I'm only going to have to fire 1 or 2 shots; and it'll all be over.' '
I like my comfortable and easy-to-conceal little pistol; and I'm sure it's going to be good enough for me to handle whatever comes up.'
All of these statements are one form or another of what I call '
feel good rationale'. None of these statements have been universally true in my life; and I'd be very surprised if they turned out to be true in someone else's. My final suggestion would be for you to focus less on round count, and pay more attention to focusing — over a viable focal plane — on your front sight! As a general rule: If it's comfortable to carry then it's, also, the wrong gun for you to be betting your life on, OK!
Finally, to directly answer your question: With a 45 ACP pistol I usually carry 28 rounds in two magazines. With 9 x 19mm I usually carry a total of 46 rounds in three magazines; and to quote Suzanna Gratia Hupp, '
I took my gun out of my purse and left it in my car ....... .' (So, forget about that gun in your vehicle; more than likely it's not going to count; and, besides, leaving a gun in an auto presents a legal liability that I'm sure I wouldn't want to shoulder.)
