There is no good answer. You either have way too many or woefully not enough regardless of the number.
Just carry whatever makes you feel good and be realistic about your proficiency.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get by carrying J frames or a Kahr Pm9 and the occasional G26 when needed. The P365 gave a little flex to that formula. If you need more than 10rds you either hadn’t been paying proper attention to whats happening around you or you should consider changing your zip code instead of your carry.

How many rounds are enough?

For me One is None, Two is One, and Three is better! -Mags that is. I would agree, that nobody has the answer to that question. An old family friend of mine, a retired Sheriff, was in a shooting with his partner against a meth-enraged lunatic who jumped out of his car and started unloading on the two of them as soon as his car stopped. Both Sheriffs were carrying dept. issued Glocks with .40 cal hollow points, and each had a total of three magazines. My friend said his partner was clean out of ammo and the bad guy was still firing at them. They didn't have time grab the shotty in patrol car before the meth-head started shooting, all they could do was get the heck out of the rolling tomb, as he called it. One final head shot put the bad guy down and it was from my family friend who was well into his last magazine. The autopsy revealed that the meth-head had taken 17 rounds to the torso and and kept right on going. Who knows how long it would have taken for him to bleed out before that last headshot. He must have had pure meth in his veins maybe something else.

How many rounds is enough? I'm not LE, but given the rise of active shooter scenarios, I'm running with 15+1 in my pistol and two 15 round mags with +5 extensions on my person. I hope 56 rounds is enough to fight my way back to my rifle in my vehicle. If it is not, I'm probably having a really bad day. I have been considering go back up to a 17 round pistol with the plus two mag extensions, but where does it end? I know guys who now carry PDW style weapons in Vertx and other bags as well as a concealed pistol and extra mags for it everywhere they go. I see the logic, but at this time that's not my comfort level in my practical daily life. The man purse, I prefer "my go-bag" is already loaded to hilt with twinkies and fidget spinners.

No matter what your number is, when is the last time you practiced reloading the gun?

Last night, I spent an hour practicing dry fire reloads on the pistol and rifle shoulder pocket reloads. The pistol I practiced 1R1 from static, open top and concealment.

I find that more important than whatever the number of magazines may be.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
No matter what your number is, when is the last time you practiced reloading the gun?

Do you recommend using snap cap/dummy rounds? Enough to load the magazines to near capacity to simulate spring tension?

Depends on where I am going, how I am dressed, and what I am doing. Mostly, G26 with G19 magazine and a second G19/17 magazine. If I am carrying revolver(s) and wearing long pants, then revolver IWB with 2-4 reloads (I like the 8 round speed strips, gives you extra if you fumble and lose a round). Some times, some places, I carry a j-frame or the smaller Kimber 6S in an ankle holster as an extra revolver. The ammo I carry (usually .38 +P with maybe on reload of .357 mag) will work for both revolvers.

You should have at least one reload for whatever you are carrying and practice, practice, and more practice. Use snap caps or dummy rounds. Load like you carry.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
No matter what your number is, when is the last time you practiced reloading the gun?

Do you recommend using snap cap/dummy rounds? Enough to load the magazines to near capacity to simulate spring tension?

I just have a couple of magazines with the followers turned around. I don’t use snaps for anything.

Whatever I carry, I also carry one full reload for it. Jones is right, reloading under stress is a critical skill. Research "The Newhall Incident". My SIRT pistol has a training mag which is a bonus for that system and you can buy weighted dummy mags, too.
Will I ever need a reload? Probably not. But its better to have options, if the need arises.

My understanding according to Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County the correct number is 68...
Link

Imagine the amount of rounds you should carry as an active working LEO and a regular joe CCP is proportional to the activity and locations in which one carries.

JMO that a single mag is going to be sufficient for the average person, who isn't engaging in chases with criminals, patrolling the streets, working undercover or any of those things.

The most I carry is one extra mag, and I do my best to avoid situations and location where any if that, or all the rounds in that one mag would be needed.

All true. But the biggest point I see is that magazines fail. Having a spare just makes sense.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
All true. But the biggest point I see is that magazines fail. Having a spare just makes sense.

Agree, and, all the more reason to take the carry gun to the range and run it through a few mags on a regular basis to make sure the one(s) you do carry are reliable,

How often do they take it out of the holster and clean it, wonder how many folks actually clean, lube and fire their carry pieces on a regular basis..

That would seem, if anything, to be as important as having 140 rounds on you.

I watched a friend of mine carrying a G26 with a factory +2 bang the gun on something getting out of the car. As she was standing there getting gas, all 12 rounds ran out on to the ground, under the car, etc.

It’s funny.......now.

Assuming we're talking civilian concealed carry here. I know we have LEOs posting, and their issues are different.

First, how big and heavy a gun can you realistically carry in most situations for your preferred . Figure that out, chose your caliber, then find the gun that has the best combination of reliability, shootability, accuracy, and capacity (roughly in that order), that fits the prior criteria.

As far as carrying spare mags/ammo. There are a lot of good theoretical reasons to do this. But can anyone here document any cases where civilian carriers reloaded in the middle of a fight, or needed to buy didn't have a reload, either for running out of ammo, or mechanical issues?

How exactly are my issues/needs different when it comes to concealed carry?

The old statistical gunfighter argument gets old. Why bother to carry a gun if you are going to base what’s important on statistical data that also tells you your chance of ever using a firearm is small?

Comfortable with a magazine +1 and one spare magazine 90% of the time.

In my work car and my personal car, I have an additional 5 / 6 magazines respectively. (G19M)

If/when I carry the smaller pistols (P225/HK P7M8/ G43X), I usually go with one extra magazine.

Well jljones I suspect in any given situation my priority is getting my family and myself out of the situation. As a LEO you might be more likely to engage a situation that I am going to flee from. Perhaps that’s not true but I think the LEO mindset and the civilian mindset might be on opposite ends of the risk curve.

If my priority is to get my family out of danger I suspect I will expend a lot less rounds than say a LEO whose mindset is to actually take care of a criminal situation.

I may have the LEO mindset all wrong though so I mean no disrespect either way.

I am comfortable with a J frame. Mainly because of how easy they are to carry. My environment I perceive as fairly low threat so 5 plus a Zeta6 speed strip is comfortable to me. My main carry these days is a 365 or a J frame.

1,587

That's when the barrel melts

One more than it takes to win your gunfight. I roll 2 spares personally but we all live in different worlds.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:


I may have the LEO mindset all wrong though so I mean no disrespect either way.

Partially correct. You are not wrong on the differences in mindset. But, the skills and techniques are exactly the same on the physical act. My needs are exactly the same as yours. Mission may vary.

(And I do carry a handheld light everywhere)

I don’t do that but I can see the value. Something to think about. Thanks.