The mystical +1

[walking arsenal]

I was out buying mags for my 1911.

I ask the guy at the counter for a mcormick 7 rounder.

He says "how bout an eight rounder, they're less expensive and you get an extra round".

I decline, take my 7 rounder and go home.

Then i got to thinkin which happens to more than it should.

Does that one round make that big a difference?

I know guys that buy the +1 grip extensions, some that +1 load their guns
and some that do both to get +2.

I've never gone with the plus one school of thought except on a few ocasions, prefering instead to carry stock factory mags to ensure reliability in feeding.

I cant see a reason to +1 load my guns, to me it's just an extra hastle to load the mag, chamber a round, drop the mag, load a round and finally reinsert the mag.

i guess i see it as if i cant do it with 7 then 8 isn't going to help.

This brings up the question though of how many rounds are enough?

Is five plenty? it is in my snubby Taurus 85 .38, it has to be thats all that'll fit!

In the case of my S&W 39-2 9mm, eight ISN'T enough so i have a FACTORY extended mag that holds 9 and if i +1 the gun it's 10, thats better but still not enough for me, in 9mm (I rarely carry this piece though as it's a family heir loom).

My Steyr M-40 .40S&W holds 10 and thats fine.

My Springer 1911 holds 7 and for some reason this is plenty.

My Beretta 21a .22lr holds 7 though and for some reason this is also plenty.

So could capacity run side by side with caliber?

Meaning, is 7 rounds of .45 good enough but 15 rounds of 9mm isn't?

maybe it's not wanting to reload?

maybe it's a weight issue, not wanting to carry spare mags?

It's a personal preference thing for me, i carry all my guns stock and unmodified (except the S&W that i plus one) i carry a spare reload for all of them as well.

So whats your theory of the +1 is there a reason for it, or is it just personal pref?

 

[Chipperman]

You have asked a lot of important questions in your post, and among them are these:
How many are enough?
Should you have more rounds in a smaller caliber?
Should you load the mag to capacity +1 in the pipe?

The first two questions are debatable, but I believe the third is a no-brainer.

I personally believe that you should load your carry gun with the maximum it can take. There is no such thing as having too many rounds. IMO, topping off the mag is a good idea after chambering a round.

I usually carry a P7M8. That gives me 8+1 plus 8 more in a second mag.
I do not carry my P7M13. It would give me 5 more rounds in the gun, but it's too thick and heavy for daily CCW.
This is 9mm. If would prefer .45, but alas, the P7M7 is not within my grasp.

A lot of people think that capacity and caliber should have an inverse ratio. I do not necessarily agree with that.

The important thing is that your gun is reliable, you can hit what you are aiming at, and you have at least a reasonable number of rounds to get the job done.

 

[Ankeny]

For me, this is a no-brainer. Both of my 1911 carry guns work flawlessly with Shooting Star 8 round mags. I load one in the pipe and 8 in the magazine for a total of 9 rounds. I can see no reason to use a 7 round mag, insert the mag, rack the slide and not top it off. If I have 100% reliability with 9 rounds, why on earth would I even consider packing 7 rounds?

 

[Yowza]

I've never gone with the plus one school of thought except on a few ocasions, prefering instead to carry stock factory mags to ensure reliability in feeding.

Well, I guess with a 1911, this isn't necessarily an issue. For instance, I have a Springfield Compact .45 (Officer's size frame) and the factory mags only held six rounds. I got a couple of seven round Wilson mags since this is a carry gun. I'm pretty confident that the Wilson mags are every bit as reliable as the ones that came with gun.

Rick

 

[gbelleh]

How many rounds you're comfortable with is a personal decision. But, once you've made a decision to carry a particular gun, it seems silly not to load it to its full capacity.

Topping off a mag is no big deal. But, it might make all the difference in the world if you end up needing that last extra round and don't have it.

 

[middy]

In almost any situation a civilian is likely to find him or her self in, one is enough.

I always think about the scene in that awful Kenny Rogers movie "The Gambler" where he faces down five guys with a two-shot derringer.

"Get him, boys. He's only got two shots and there's five of us."
"The question is, which two of you are going to take the bullets?"

For my own peace of mind, 5 rounds of .38 special is the minimum. 8+1 of 9mm JHP in my Sig P239 is plenty for me.

I don't see the need for a 18 shot Glock 17 unless you're a soldier or a police officer (or you're looking at TEOTWAWKI), but if that's what you want to carry, more power to you (and 17 round mags are great for practice at the range).

Personally, if I thought I needed 18 rounds of 9mm I would grab the 12 gauge instead.

 

[OF]

This brings up the question though of how many rounds are enough?

As many as you will need, and not one less.

Trouble is, who knows? You can always go with the statistics...but the statistics say you aren't going to need your gun at all, but yet you still carry it.

It's a personal choice, IMO. Same as deciding to carry or not in the first place. Whatever floats your boat.

- Gabe

 

[walking arsenal]

"Personally, if I thought I needed 18 rounds of 9mm I would grab the 12 gauge instead."

Good call

 

[MrAcheson]

Please I played enough D&D to know a pistol +1 is way better than a normal pistol. Magic weapons are just the ticket if you are beset with magical creatures like gargoyles, lycanthropes, or the undead.

 

[TonyB]

That extra round isn't important.....unless you need it.....

 

[Series 70]

If you think you're going to be in a situation where you need 18 rounds, avoid the situation.

If you can't, bring a rifle and a friend with a rifle.

But sidearms are for those unplanned and unforeseen encounters. How much ammo is enough? No one can say for sure.

I carry 9 rounds of .45 ACP in my primary, soon to be 8 when I switch to the Kimber Compact CDP. Spare mag and BUGs make me feel that I'll likely have enough. If I don't? Then I'm screwed.

Odds are I'll never have to draw, let alone pull the trigger. But as has been said, I'd rather have too much ammo than not enough.

 

[Black Snowman]

Around the house I don't top off the mag because I only need the pistol to get to the rifle by the bed with the 30 rounds in it and the 2 spare 30 rounders on the night stand. If I was carrying on the street I'd take the time to put in the +1 becuase it helps my warm fuzzies.

 

[OF]

I'd take the time to put in the +1 becuase it helps my warm fuzzies.

And that's all the justification you should need. Eight .45+P's in there is just warmer and fuzzier than seven. Bring on the warm fuzzies!

Hell, when I carry a third mag you can call me Sasquatch in the Bahamas!

- Gabe

 

[Jim4003]

I have used Wilson 8 rounders with no problems, since it is an extra round and still works reliably why not go with it.

 

[agtman]

I agree with Jim4003.

The issue isn't having one extra round (when it's only 7-rds v. 8-rds).

The real issue is whether that mag with the extra round is reliable in your gun. If it is, and if having a slightly longer mag that holds the extra round doesn't hinder concealment, then why not?

 

[carebear]

Please I played enough D&D to know a pistol +1 is way better than a normal pistol. Magic weapons are just the ticket if you are beset with magical creatures like gargoyles, lycanthropes, or the undead.

not to mention the overall adjustment to your THAC0 and damage

The 8 rounders fit flush in the gun so they are as "stock" as anything else. The 7 rounders were designed that way back in 1910 for a reason I'm sure, but if we have better springs now, why not take advantage of the technology?

 

[Jim K]

Q. How many rounds should you need?

A. One for each bad guy.

Seriously, there is no real answer. It depends on what you might realistically expect to encounter. Certainly, the carry gun should be "full up" but carrying extra ammo is a matter of preference and other factors.

A guy once posted on another site that he carried two large Glocks, two small Glocks, four extra magazines for each gun, a box of 50 rounds, two bowie knives, a switchblade, and nunchuks.

I think he may have been kidding, but I am not sure. If you see a guy on the sidewalk who can't get up for the weight of all the hardware he is carrying, it is probably him.

Jim

 

[BluesBear]

Pardon me if this sounds cruel, but...

I cant see a reason to +1 load my guns, to me it's just an extra hastle to load the mag, chamber a round, drop the mag, load a round and finally reinsert the mag.

Gee, if you're really that lazy, why not just load up an extra mag and just use it to load your chamber. That way you can insert the extra mag, chamber a round, drop the extra mag and insert the carry mag. That way you have your pistol fully loaded like it should be. The next time you unload/reload just repeat until the extra mag is empty and then reload it. That way it would also help you to "rotate" your chambered load to prevent setback.

Of course you might be too lazy to do this too.




Just remember it's better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The safety and security of my family means I'll load my pistol to the max. Which means I will load my Golt Government +1 with a reliable 8 round magazine.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Barney always did alright with one in his pocket.

 

[myrockfight]

There is a saying we use in technical diving (one of those kill you if you f-up quite easily hobbies/professions). Which can be easily compared to a gun fight situation - if you don't bring a piece of equipment that you may or may not think relevent beforehand, or enough reserve, or...well you get the idea.



Three is two, two is one, one is none.



Let me go a step further by saying it is not just a saying, it is a rule people have died not following.

 

[444]

I have never been real conservative. I figure, if I have my choice of two magazines: one holds 7 and the other holds 8, I am getting the one that holds eight.
I have been shooting 8 round 1911 magazines for over 10 years and continue to buy them. Many, many thousands of rounds later, I have no regrets.

Is 7 enough ?
Is 8 enough ?
There is no answer to that question. If you have to use your gun in self defense, every situation is different with no way to know beforehand how it is going to play out. The old boy scout motto comes to mind here: Be Prepared. There is no such thing as having too much ammo.

"In almost any situation a civilian is likely to find him or her self in, one is enough."
Not trying to be a jerk here, but I have to assume you haven't seen very many people that have been shot by handguns ?

"Personally, if I thought I needed 18 rounds of 9mm I would grab the 12 gauge instead."
That would be a good call if you happen to have one concealed on your person when you need it. Odds are you won't, but it is a nice thought. Maybe you can call time out and go get one.

 

[faustulus]

Don't know about you guys but if i thought I NEEDED one round I would think seriously about avoiding the place. Now since I don't know if I will need one round, it stands to reason I don't know if I will need 10 rounds or 20 rounds. Therefore I will carry as many rounds as I am comfortable with and I suggest you do the same.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I mostly use 7 rounders.

 

[BluesBear]

I mostly use 7 rounders.

Andrew the question is, even though you carry seven in the mag, do you add one in the chamber?
Fpr a total of eight.

 

[Al Thompson]

As Tamera likes to say, "nobody who's ever been involved in a two-way pistol match wishes afterwards that they had brought a smaller gun that held fewer bullets".

I tend towards a G19 with a G17 mag for the reload.