# Spare Magazines, Not Needed?



## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

This came up as a question during a CCW class. An instructor, a good one, stated that he could not find one documented case where a citizen CCW holder needed a spare magazine during a shooting confrontation. I was always mandated to carry spare magazines as a LEO, and always carry them now that I'm retired. My thought is not that I'm going to need more ammunition, but what if the magazines goes bad? I have had this happen once, on a range when a staple found it's way into the magazine of my CZ75b. Immediate action drill kept me going, but it showed it COULD happen for real. What do you think? Good idea to carry a spare or wasted effort?


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Depends on how many rds I have in my EDC.... a smaller subcompact model may require a second magazine (if needed) where a compact or full size may not really warrant it (larger capacity). It's a personal choice on what you are comfortable carrying. I don't think a spare mag would be considered a wasted effort... heck, some guys carry a backup EDC, lol. 

I'm not planning in getting involved in a drawn out gunfight off duty... my goal is to get myself and my family out of harms way... as quickly as possible.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Somebody wiser than I once said that nobody ever survived a gunfight, and then thought, "Well, it looks as if I brought too much ammunition."

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Even on this peaceful little island, I carry at least one reload. On the mainland, two, plus my backup: Jean.
(Actually, nowadays, I'm Jean's backup. I'm quicker, but she's more accurate.)


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

I would think in this day and age that it would be mandatory for a LEO to carry at least two mags, if not more. Look at how many stories we see about an officer being first on scene with several perps involved in the gunfight. I'd sure hate to be out of ammo if someone was coming at me with a loaded gun after I had stopped one or two of his buddies. I feel the same way as a civilian. Not looking to get involved in an extended gunfight, but would hate to be out of ammo if it did happen and one of my opponents was still standing.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Extra magazines? I prefer to carry an extra gun, maybe two.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I was issued three mags, but I carried a 4th mag.

In regards to the instructor saying you need only one, that's one person's opinion. Never in a 100 yrs., would I tell anyone, you only need one magazine. 

Not everyone hits what they aim at, especially when someone is shooting back at them. That fact alone, is justification for at least having two mags.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

I just don't want to be the first documented case where an extra magazine was needed.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

All good answers. It actually it wasn't just his opinion, he had the statistics. I personally can't see a good reason NOT to carry a spare. When a good handgun malfunctions, I look at the ammunition first, then the magazine. A second gun is never a bad idea. What does an LCP or the like weigh? Less than your wallet, key's and cell phone.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I have in the past - but I do not carry any extras now. I switched from an 8 round M&P Shield to a 13 round P2000 HK 2 years ago. I find carrying the extra mag to be more uncomfortable than carrying the gun. So, I just go with the gun. But, I re-oil the rails every 2 weeks (Breakfree CLP evaporates over time)


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Tangof said:


> All good answers. It actually it wasn't just his opinion, he had the statistics. I personally can't see a good reason NOT to carry a spare. When a good handgun malfunctions, I look at the ammunition first, then the magazine. *A second gun is never a bad idea. What does an LCP or the like weigh?* Less than your wallet, key's and cell phone.


Now you're talkin' my kind of language!


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## Illyia (Jan 12, 2017)

What an LEO must-need carry has nothing to do with what a PRIVATE citizen "must-need" carry!

MOST people who carry a gun, carry just the gun with whatever rounds it holds. This is the nature of civilian carry.

COPS might go around carrying 50 spare mags, but most people do not...if I have a compact pistol that holds 10 shots I'm probably "happy" with that eventuality. After all, I'm NOT planning to engage in a firefight, but to save my life should I be personally attacked.

The world is FULL of people carrying J-frame revolvers with a mere 5 shots and no "reloads". Their thinking is, if I need to shoot THIS GUY IN THE FACE, I've got five shots to do it with, NOT that they need to get strapped up with a semiauto and half a dozen spare mags to deal with EVERYONE in the room!


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

I agree with the OP in that something could go wrong with the magazine in the pistol.
Or the mag release button could somehow get pushed resulting in a dropped and possibly lost magazine.

My logic is try to plan on everything going wrong, cause it probably will.....



Sam


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Shipwreck said:


> But, I re-oil the rails every 2 weeks (Breakfree CLP evaporates over time)


Hey, my friend, exactly why I don't use an all-in-one product with penetration ingredients, cleaners, and a little bit of lubricant. They dry up. All but the lubricant is supposed to dry up and the lubricant is too diluted to stick around long. Most all-in-ones like Ballistol, WD-40, and Breakfree CLP have less than 20% lubricant according to several reports I've read. I assume they're right because of how fast they dry up.

On rails, I've found a light film of RIG gun grease or just plain white lithium grease lasts a very long time and provides real lubricant to those rails. I don't want it drying up in a couple of weeks. I'm not needing to break a rusty bolt free so I don't need something which penetrates, and I've cleaned it with nitro solvent then dried it, so I don't need a cleaner which is designed to dry up soon. I want them lubricated and protected.



Illyia said:


> The world is FULL of people carrying J-frame revolvers with a mere 5 shots and no "reloads". Their thinking is, if I need to shoot THIS GUY IN THE FACE, I've got five shots to do it with, NOT that they need to get strapped up with a semiauto and half a dozen spare mags to deal with EVERYONE in the room!


I'm not sure what the ALL CAPS is all about. It usually denotes "shouting" when online. They seem random here so maybe I'm not understanding your post correctly. Anyway, I've carried K-Frame as well as J-Frame revolvers as EDC handguns much of my life, but just about always with one or two speed loaders or strips; sometimes even just extra rounds in a pocket. Moreover, I don't know if I could tell what a revolver toting person had on them as far as backup (no "reloads") is concerned, nor could I tell what "their thinking" about it is. If asked, I'd not admit to being armed, much less discuss my backup capability. I'd probably look askance at anyone asking. 

I think those rubber strips are softer carrying than any magazine meant for a pistol. Metal or plastic speed loaders might indeed be a little less comfortable in one's pocket. They were for me, but I still always carried backup of some type.

"Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself."


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Tangof said:


> This came up as a question during a CCW class. An instructor, a good one, stated that he could not find one documented case where a citizen CCW holder needed a spare magazine during a shooting confrontation. I was always mandated to carry spare magazines as a LEO, and always carry them now that I'm retired. My thought is not that I'm going to need more ammunition, but what if the magazines goes bad? I have had this happen once, on a range when a staple found it's way into the magazine of my CZ75b. Immediate action drill kept me going, but it showed it COULD happen for real. What do you think? Good idea to carry a spare or wasted effort?


Odds are, you won't ever need any spare ammo.

Heck, odds are, you won't ever need a handgun to defend yourself at all. And yet here we all are, carrying a handgun for defense.

So anyone who carries a handgun for protection is admitting that if they ever need it, they've already busted some big odds. Is that really the best time to roll the dice again? You've practiced, you've trained, you've got the mindset and skills needed to prevail, and now you're deliberately gonna short yourself on ammo? What, you think you need a bigger challenge?

Carry spare ammo!


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Tangof said:


> All good answers. It actually it wasn't just his opinion, he had the statistics. I personally can't see a good reason NOT to carry a spare. When a good handgun malfunctions, I look at the ammunition first, then the magazine. A second gun is never a bad idea. What does an LCP or the like weigh? Less than your wallet, key's and cell phone.


statistics can be very misleading, statistics say the unemployment rate is down, but does anybody here have a job,lol


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## DLYskes1976 (Sep 15, 2015)

this is what i do..... when i am carrying my Glock 19, i carry 1 extra 15 round mag..... when i carry my 1911, i have a 1 in the chamber, + a 8 rounder in the gun.. then have two 10 round mags in my pants... 

this is how i look at it.. i'd rather have the extra rounds, than to not have them...


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

Something happening to the magazine in the pistol would be my main reason for carrying an extra.
But does anyone believe that when SHTF having some extra ammo won't be comforting?

I read a true story about a home invasion where the home owner fired 7 rounds, 5 were hits and the guy was still able to drive off in the home owners car.
I believe the owners 9mm pistol was 8 +1 with no spare mag handy.
The man said he was nervous knowing he was almost out of ammo and the BG was still not down.
I think it was 2 in the leg, 2 chest and 1 across the scalp. The thug was so 'shot-up' that the police caught him.

Isn't the statistic something like 2.3 shots fired in a civilian encounter?
That's what's wrong with statistics, they're only good till they're not.

Yeah, carry a spare mag.....


Sam


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## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Somebody wiser than I once said that nobody ever survived a gunfight, and then thought, "Well, it looks as if I brought too much ammunition."
> 
> Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
> 
> ...


Nuff said! :smt1099


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Being ex-LE, it's hard to forget about all you've learned and how you trained. 

In other words, I hope for the best, but I'm prepared for the worst. :numbchuck:


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## specgrade (Jan 17, 2017)

Odds are you will NEVER pull your gun in your lifetime. Factor THAT into your spare mag equation.

I think shot placement is key.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

specgrade said:


> Odds are you will NEVER pull your gun in your lifetime. Factor THAT into your spare mag equation...


After reading your words, I went into our kitchen and threw out our fire extinguisher. :mrgreen: :smt083


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> After reading your words, I went into our kitchen and threw out our fire extinguisher. :mrgreen: :smt083


I threw out my spare tire.


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## CW (Mar 20, 2015)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> After reading your words, I went into our kitchen and threw out our fire extinguisher. :mrgreen: :smt083


Isn't there a joke about only needing 1 kidney?

Of course if you really think having a reload is not necessary....

You probably carry a flamethrower.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Tangof said:


> I threw out my spare tire.


I wish that I could throw out my own spare tire, but I just can't get it out from under my belt and shirt.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I went out to my garage / shop, gathered up all of my fuel cans and donated them. 

Who needs extra gas anyways? :watching:


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## specgrade (Jan 17, 2017)

Why don't you walk around with a toilet paper roll strapped on your belt. 
In case of fire...get out the house. That was 101 ever since I was a kid.
A spare tire came with my car and no sence throwing the baby out with the bath water, lol.
Why not carry the full gas cans in your car?

How many knives are enough?


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## specgrade (Jan 17, 2017)

nevermind.....


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

specgrade said:


> Why don't you walk around with a toilet paper roll strapped on your belt.
> In case of fire...get out the house. That was 101 ever since I was a kid.
> A spare tire came with my car and no sence throwing the baby out with the bath water, lol.
> Why not carry the full gas cans in your car?
> ...


If you have to take (or leave) a crap and don't have toilet paper, what's the worst that could happen? Messy.

If you have a small pan fire on the stove, it's nice to have a fire extinguisher around. Leave the house, and you might lose it.

Whether or not I have a spare tire, it's a call to AAA for me. This has happened, and I did have a spare.

Run out of gas because you failed to fill the tank in time, again, what's the worse that could happen? A call to AAA, for me, but it's never happened.

*Run out of ammo* in an active shooter situation, what's the worse that could happen? AAA isn't coming, I promise, but you might mess your pants (see answer #1).

Now, how many knives are enough? That's a good question. I'll have to think it over, but at least two, on me. One is a blue Leatherman Squirt ES4 key chain and one is a baby Case two blade. When I might go out for the evening, I usually pocket a 3.5 inch folding Damascus steel knife. They are all extremely sharp. I could and would easily butcher a wild hog or deer with that last.


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

That's a true piece of data (Until your trapped in a mall with a crazy or two shooting up the place). The truth of the matter is we all could be like Barney Fife. We could all carry a five shot revolver and possibly just carry one bullet in shirt pocket for emergencies.

I'll stick with my G17 and a spare mag or three


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

I was running a class last week and had 4 or 5 shooters on the line doing a stress shoot when I heard a thump on the range floor. I observed a 1/2 full magazine on the range floor about 4 feet from the student. Under stress, the shooter accidentally pressed the mag release and found himself scrambling to get a second magazine out of his pouch and get his gun loaded. This was a good shooter with solid fundamentals i have instructed for over a year... he was not new to firearms. He didn't plan on this, but under stress we sometimes do strange things.... point is, if in fact you are engaged in a gun fight you WILL be feeling stress and overcoming the bodily effects of extreme stress while operating a firearm is nothing like a relaxing day at the range with buddies. Things you do well in low/no stress range visits can rapidly deteriorate on the street.

Always better to have at least one spare mag in case the unexpected happens... or you could find yourself in a bad situation. This incident really made me think about this post and share this story.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

TAPnRACK said:


> I was running a class last week and had 4 or 5 shooters on the line doing a stress shoot when I heard a thump on the range floor. *I observed a 1/2 full magazine on the range floor about 4 feet from the student. Under stress, the shooter accidentally pressed the mag release and found himself scrambling to get a second magazine out of his pouch and get his gun loaded.* This was a good shooter with solid fundamentals i have instructed for over a year... he was not new to firearms. He didn't plan on this, but under stress we sometimes do strange things.... point is, if in fact you are engaged in a gun fight you WILL be feeling stress and overcoming the bodily effects of extreme stress while operating a firearm is nothing like a relaxing day at the range with buddies. Things you do well in low/no stress range visits can rapidly deteriorate on the street.
> 
> Always better to have at least one spare mag in case the unexpected happens... or you could find yourself in a bad situation. This incident really made me think about this post and share this story.


I think you've made my case for carrying an extra gun?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

desertman said:


> I think you've made my case for carrying an extra gun?


My suspenders just ain't that strong. :smt083


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> My suspenders just ain't that strong. :smt083


LOL Neither are mine. I'm serious. I love suspenders, even while wearing a stiff gun belt.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Craigh said:


> LOL Neither are mine. I'm serious. I love suspenders, even while wearing a stiff gun belt.


Me, too.
It's a fairly recent development, just within the past year.
But, my, oh my, what an improvement!

I just can't wear my belt that tight, any more.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> After reading your words, I went into our kitchen and threw out our fire extinguisher. :mrgreen: :smt083


I'll pay shipping if you send it to me.
I haven't put up my Christmas presents yet. I got to smoke alarms. Santa was good to me.


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> After reading your words, I went into our kitchen and threw out our fire extinguisher. :mrgreen: :smt083


^ Now that right there is funny, I don't care who you are. :lol:

Sam


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