SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    How many mags do you keep loaded?
Page 1 2 3 
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
How many mags do you keep loaded? Login/Join 
Member
posted Hide Post
I like RHINOWSO's answer. I have hundreds of mags and probably 65 or 70 guns. I don't have the time or inclination to keep them all loaded. Or even most of them.
 
Posts: 5143 | Location: Iowa | Registered: February 24, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
I don’t know whether to feel envious of someone who has enough time, energy, and ammunition to keep all of his magazines loaded, or pity that he has so few magazines that he can keep them all loaded. Wink




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Go ahead punk, make my day
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
or pity that he has so few magazines that he can keep them all loaded. Wink
Thats the real answer. With AR15 mags $7-12, depending on your flavor, it's easy to accumulate a nice number of them.

Those of who have seen them for $30, $50, $100 each know that those days are always only 1 day to 4 years away, potentially.

Some I don't want to load, but prefer to keep 'new' - because honestly if prices did jump to $30-50 again, I'd likely unload 20-40 of my new AR mags locally and recoup my entire magazine investment. Thats not gouging, that is a smart potential investment.
 
Posts: 45798 | Registered: July 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Some I don't want to load, but prefer to keep 'new' - because honestly if prices did jump to $30-50 again, I'd likely unload 20-40 of my new AR mags locally and recoup my entire magazine investment. Thats not gouging, that is a smart potential investment.

Bingo. Plus there are regions in this country that have capacity restrictions and grandfather rules.

Some of us also know that not every firearm uses a Glock 9mm or Magpul 223 mag.
Precision bolt action rifles often use AICS magazines. Built like tanks, they cost $70-80 for standard calibers, $100-130 for magnums. Most folks don't have boxes of them, and they don't keep them loaded.

Or even more fun, Accurate Mag 10-round 223 mags for AICS bottom metal. $64 for a 5-rounder and $70 for a 10-rounder. I will be taking good care of these puppies, and I won't have a big herd of them.
 
Posts: 7853 | Location: Colorado | Registered: January 26, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
And then there are Sako TRG magazines. Except when Beretta puts them on sale, I could buy a low tier AR today for what two of them cost. They get treated very carefully—just like the rest of the gun—and are not left loaded.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Doin' what I can
with what I got
Picture of Rob Decker
posted Hide Post
I keep my carry and home defense weapons loaded, with usually two spares per.

Part of my range prep is to load whatever magazines I need with whatever amount of practice ammo I'll shoot.

Otherwise, the mags stay empty. I don't see the benefit in keeping, say, all my M1 Carbine mags loaded, or all my 1911 mags loaded. Both those platforms see so little use that it's a waste of spring tension, and I really don't trust the build quality of the Carbine mags to begin with.


----------------------------------------
Death smiles at us all. Be sure you smile back.
 
Posts: 5540 | Location: Greater Nashville, TN | Registered: May 11, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
And then there are Sako TRG magazines.

yikes -- I had no idea they cost that much
 
Posts: 7853 | Location: Colorado | Registered: January 26, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Decker:
I don't see the benefit in keeping, say, all my M1 Carbine mags loaded, or all my 1911 mags loaded. Both those platforms see so little use that it's a waste of spring tension


Springs wear from cycles (repeated compression and decompression), not from remaining compressed for long periods of time.
 
Posts: 32428 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by fritz:
Or even more fun, Accurate Mag 10-round 223 mags for AICS bottom metal.


I was not familiar with those, and they look like I would prefer them to the plastic mags I have now for my converted T3.
I assume you are happy with yours—?




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
quote:
Originally posted by fritz:
Or even more fun, Accurate Mag 10-round 223 mags for AICS bottom metal.

I was not familiar with those, and they look like I would prefer them to the plastic mags I have now for my converted T3.
I assume you are happy with yours—?

The Accurate Mags are for my new 223 bolt action trainer. I talked to many competitors around here about a 223 trainer prior to taking the plunge. The first thing I learned via both word-of-mouth and direct observation in training & competition is that 223AI is really finicky in loading -- probably due to the case's steeper shoulder angle. Remy 223 is more forgiving, but mag dependent.

MDT polymer mags work well for some, not so well for others.

Accurate Mag seems to have the best reputation. It's essentially a steel AICS shell with a single stack polymer sleeve inside. I bought two as a test, and for the gunsmith to set up the action.

I haven't shot mine yet -- only futzed with loading and unloading the mags, and stripping the rounds. Stock, bottom metal, trigger, action, and barrel should go to my gunsmith today for the build, if the timing works.
 
Posts: 7853 | Location: Colorado | Registered: January 26, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Speling Champ
posted Hide Post
The guns I use for EDC or HD have 2-3 mags loaded. I have one 30 rd mag loaded for my AR even though that is stored unloaded with the rest of my guns.

I'm not going to war, nor do I live in a warzone. I live in a nice, quiet little corner that's a pleasant, small town, rural and suburban mix. The police are only a few minutes away. I can hold out that long. If the hordes are coming I will have enough warning that I can load more mags. I don't expect that to happen though.

I have lots of mags and ammo. Like others have said, I simply don't have the inclination (nor the need) to load everything.
 
Posts: 1603 | Location: Utah | Registered: July 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
One for the AR, one for the HD pistol; when carrying two (or two speedloaders). More than
that needed, I need the 82nd ABN Div. to cover my 6:00.
 
Posts: 3202 | Registered: August 03, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by fritz:
MDT polymer mags work well for some, not so well for others.

Accurate Mag seems to have the best reputation.


Yes, I have MDT mags and I really have no complaints, but there’s something about that Glock-like clunky plastic that offends my sense of rifle righteousness, semiprecision though the Tikka may be. I’m sure metal magazines would help me shoot better. Wink




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Shackelford
posted Hide Post
For AR mags, it depends what I'm shooting, 55gr most of the time, but I want different precision ammo for different precision ARs, or maybe have some green tip I want to get rid of if I'm plinking and am not shooting at steel. Same thing for pistol ammo. If I am heading to IDPA, I need only 10 rounds per mag, top them up for USPSA matches, sometimes you need to function check and rotate HD ammo, or maybe some match grade ammo if I'm pulling out an X5, etc.

Generally, the 226 mags in my range bag are loaded to 10 rounds. AR mags in the range bag are unloaded until I figure out what I'm shooting that day (which may depend on what lane is open at the range). My HD guns have a mag with HD ammo, one loose mag with HD reloads, plus a go bag nearby with one or two mags with good ammo and the base plates painted red, then round out that bag with generic FMJ ammo in the rest of the mags. Things like P210 mags are not worth the bother of keeping loaded. Then, as folks point out, there is "deep storage" of new, unloaded mags.

There is plenty of time to reload mags at matches between stages. At the range, I need time to rest (as does my barrel, apparently, as fritz points out).
 
Posts: 831 | Location: Volunteer | Registered: January 16, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Sigforum K9 handler
Picture of jljones
posted Hide Post
I have 12-15 loaded in the house. Another 12-15 loaded in my work vehicle.

Everything else is unloaded. I have 5-10 range mags, and everything else is put up.




www.opspectraining.com

"It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them"



 
Posts: 37081 | Location: Logical | Registered: September 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of EasyFire
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by fritz:
I have a healthy inventory of magazines, for both long guns and handguns. I have a healthy inventory of firearms, in various calibers.

I keep a handful of mags loaded -- those for HD. All other mags are stored unloaded; all other ammo is segregated by caliber, brand, and bullet type.

I don't get too excited about FMJ practice ammo for pistols. I don't generally mix brands of ammo, but I know that it doesn't really matter for the distances (generally up 25-30 yards, but occasionally up to 50 yards) and the targets that I use.

Rifles & carbines are a whole different animal. Most of my long guns shoot one or two types of ammo with the greatest accuracy. Between training and competition, I bounce among rifles/carbines quite regularly. Keeping given magazines loaded at all times will eventually result in ammo clusterfucks during competition. The mags would all have to be labeled in some manner or another. Furthermore, I bounce between 20 and 30 round mags in AR competitions and training, depending on the needs of stages.

And then there's that whole thing about factory ammo lot numbers, and the potential for different muzzle velocities from different lots. In a recent ELR match I found out how much that can affect long range ballistics -- it's not a pretty thing when target are on the line.

Loading mags isn't a big deal at the range. I load between "stages", just as I do in competition. A more measured shooting cadence more closely conforms to how matches are shot.

Letting the rifle barrels cool a bit between shot strings helps with barrel lives. This is a natural time for loading mags. I've shot out 4 barrels in the last 3 years, with 2 of those barrel changes occurring within the last 2 months. I have another bolt action barrel that could die anytime now. It's quite likely that another AR-15 barrel will go tits up next year. I see no need to prematurely wear out Wilson, Bartlein, or Krieger match barrels prematurely.


A very reasoned approach.

EasyFire


EasyFire [AT] zianet.com
----------------------------------
NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit Instructor
Nationwide Agent for >
US LawShield > https://www.texaslawshield.com...p.php?promo=ondemand
CCW Safe > www.ccwsafe.com/CCHPI
 
Posts: 1441 | Location: Denver Area Colorado | Registered: December 14, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by bionic218:
What Rogue said. Why have empty mags sitting around? Not only does it save on space - as suggested - it also cuts way down on wasted time at the range. Especially during extreme hot or cold weather, when I do go out to the range, I'm there to shoot, not to practice loading mags. I can do that from the heated/air-conditioned comfort of home.

And if you don't have enough ammo to fill all your mags, you need more ammo or less mags, one or the other. (I usually side with more ammo.)

Smile

But if you need a hard number for defensive arms, I consider ten for a rifle or carbine, and five per pistol the bare minimum. If it's just a range fun gun or rare/expensive piece, I might have three (like my Browning Buckmark) or only one (like my K31).


Because.....
600’ish loaded mags would be silly.

I keep 20 or so loaded with Speer GD. Range mags get loaded at the range. To me it’s just part of a day of shooting.


---------------------------------------------
"AND YEA THOUGH THE HINDUS SPEAK OF KARMA, I IMPLORE YOU...GIVE HER A BREAK, LORD". - Clark W. Griswald
 
Posts: 2314 | Location: The South | Registered: September 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Telecom Ronin
Picture of dewhorse
posted Hide Post
A lot...but not all, for my ARs probably 40 or so in various kits an bandoleers.

For pistols....normally all but my range mags...I get twitchy if there are empty mags around.

The only reason I have not loaded all my rifle mags is laziness, I buy 10 at a time and just throw them in a tub in the garage.

Sounds like a good weekend project for me and the boy next time I go home Big Grin
 
Posts: 8301 | Location: Back in NE TX ....to stay | Registered: February 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Administrator
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
And then there are Sako TRG magazines. Except when Beretta puts them on sale, I could buy a low tier AR today for what two of them cost. They get treated very carefully—just like the rest of the gun—and are not left loaded.


And, while many different firearms use magazines, not all magazine-using firearms should be used for the same application.

I may only be a low-rent peanut gallery Remington 700/AICS user, but even I know that if you're trying to issue suppression-levels of fire from your bolt action, something has gone really, really wrong.

I keep quite a bit more 5.56 on hand than .308 for the same reason. And the .308 I have is match ammunition.

I haven't done the math, but I suspect if I loaded every round I had, I'd run out of ammunition before I ran out of magazines.
 
Posts: 17733 | Registered: August 12, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
The discussion drifted somewhat off topic into how much magazines might cost, but I believe there was an effort by several posters to explain why they didn’t keep all their magazines loaded all the time. For some it’s a discrepancy between available ammunition and number of magazines, for some it’s the issue of the amount of effort that would be necessary to load them all, and in some (evidently) rare situations it has to do with not having any need to keep certain magazines loaded, especially as they are used for different types of ammunition.

But an interesting point has been raised: Why do some shooters like to keep all of their magazines loaded all the time, especially if they own a large number? That has been alluded to in a couple of posts, but it might be interesting to explore as a specific question.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata Page 1 2 3  
 

SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    How many mags do you keep loaded?

© SIGforum 2024