How important is it to carry a spare magazine?

[sojourner]

One time I was a RSO for an action pistol shoot (similar to IDPA) and when my shooter started his course of fire, the base plate of his Glock 19 fell out and dumped all his unspent rounds on the deck. He had a one shot gun at that point. Good thing he had a spare mag. I always carry a spare mag, especially after witnessing that.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[oneshot]

Don't put the magazine holder and holster on the same side, typically you want your magazine holder on your weak side since you'll (hopefully) be holding your gun with your strong hand.

I'm not a fan of the Remora personally, and believe any holster leaving the home should have some sort of active retention other than friction to hold it in place. There are much better options out there, in my opinion. PJ Holster comes to mind... as well as a lot of others depending on your needs.

More important than "clean underwear in case you have a car wreck". It's light, cheap, unobtrusive insurance against Murphy showing up (you know, at the worst possible moment). As for Remora holsters, I own, use & like 'em. But mine does NOT have a mag pouch 'cause (IMHO) it's the wrong spot for it. My mag pouch stays on my off (left) side.

Ammo could run out if you end up needing to fire to defend yourself, sure.

But, IMO, the far more important element is: being able to recover from a magazine failure of some sort. Can't recover easily, if all you've got is the one magazine that's in the gun. Given the prevalence of mag/ammo related issues causing stoppages, it seems a fool's gambit to fail to have at least one spare magazine fully loaded and ready to use.

^YEP^^YEP^^^YEP^^AND^^^YEP



You want the spare mag on your opposite side.

Ask your wife is she drives around W/O a spare tire for her vehicle.

Does she also wonder why everyone normally has more than ONE pair of underwear, assuming one wears them?

How about a change of clothes?

Some questions have obvious answers once we think about them.


Welcome to the forum.

Congrats to the Missus for deciding to carry, and not leave it in your hands.

[oneshot]

I carry 2 spare mags on duty. 46 rounds total on my belt.

I do not carry a spare mag off duty. My thought process is this:

On duty, I am more likely to use my pistol in an agressive manner. As in, active shooter, apprehending an agressor, shooting back and winning the gunfight. I have my vest, my car, and my radio. the expectation is that I "run into the fight." To help others.

Most shootings in public places have few rounds fired. Not counting active shooter situations.

But..... As an LEO I truly appreciate a legally armed public.

^^^^^^^^^You may want to re analize your way of thinking.

Bold # 1 above;
And as a civilian you will not need to fight in an agressive manner, just a casual one?

Bold #2 above;
You don't much worry about winning in your "civilian GF" should it happen?

Bold # 3;
How sure are you that YOUR gunfight will be like "most shootings"?

You will be fighting for your life in either situation, and you must fight back with everything you can muster, and if that means that 4 BG's are bound and determined to overwhelm you with their tenacity, and you shoot 5-10 rounds and miss a couple shots, you will not be going home to your family that day, LEO OR civilian.

[Bikemobile]

It seems to me that a backup gun may be more effective than a spare mag in a self defense situation. If you have a malfunction with your primary, you can access s secondary gun quicker than you can clear and combat reload your primary.

What if your secondary malfunctionsthen you need a third gun. You need two cell phones also just in case. I carry 3 spare tires in my car, hey you never know. You need at least 5 knives also. Oh and make sure the magazine for your primary fits in your secondary just in case. You also need to fire 2000 rounds at a minimum through your primary and secondary to ensure thst you will not have any failures with your carry ammo.

Carry a spare mag if you want. I dont and i said why.

[Smitty901]

I would carry a spare Mag but it will not fit the revolver .
Jokes a side If I lived in a area so bad I need to pack like an infantry soldier I would move.
Your right to do as you see fit but IMO if I use what I have in the weapon.
1. It is over and I own
2. It is over and I lost
It is about SD not a gun fight.

[oneshot]

It seems to me that a backup gun may be more effective than a spare mag in a self defense situation. If you have a malfunction with your primary, you can access s secondary gun quicker than you can clear and combat reload your primary.

What if your secondary malfunctionsthen you need a third gun. You need two cell phones also just in case. I carry 3 spare tires in my car, hey you never know. You need at least 5 knives also. Oh and make sure the magazine for your primary fits in your secondary just in case. You also need to fire 2000 rounds at a minimum through your primary and secondary to ensure thst you will not have any failures with your carry ammo.

Carry a spare mag if you want. I dont and i said why.

You obviously struggle with rational thought.

Too each their own.

[glockman10mm]

^^^^^^^^^You may want to re analize your way of thinking.

Bold # 1 above;
And as a civilian you will not need to fight in an agressive manner, just a casual one?

Bold #2 above;
You don't much worry about winning in your "civilian GF" should it happen?

Bold # 3;
How sure are you that YOUR gunfight will be like "most shootings"?

You will be fighting for your life in either situation, and you must fight back with everything you can muster, and if that means that 4 BG's are bound and determined to overwhelm you with their tenacity, and you shoot 5-10 rounds and miss a couple shots, you will not be going home to your family that day, LEO OR civilian.

As an LEO I agree with Bikemobile. We get tired of carrying weight around, and I understand his point completely. At times I carry a j frame with no reload.

Theres always alot of chatter and banter from the peanut gallery, probably none of which have ever been in a hostile situation, much less broke leather.
But as always, are quick to restate phrases that they have heard, or cliches from " high speed, low drag" SD schools concerning the matter.

Furthermore, it must be remembered that not everyone gets their tighty whiteys in a wad over this stuff. Some just want a reasonable level of protection for a quick trip to the store in small town America. Reality check here; a 5 shot j frame will get you to the Dry Cleaners and back, and probably thru the drive thru on your way home.

Be realistic in your decisions. Are that that an important that someone would want you dead to the degree you would be pinned down in Wally world parking lot shooting it out? Do you live in a Super high risk area? Are you in a high risk job where you make alot of enemies?
Or, do you watch to many movies and read Soldiers of Misfortune, or " Guns and Animosity"?

Evaluate your needs OP, and choose accordingly.

[nathanjns]

Used to be I didn't cary a spare mag because I didn't like packing around the extra weight ( No rude comments please - I 'm aware that is a rediculous reason. I plead laziness and poor character! ) But I have had magazines malfunction and turn my gun into a fishing weight. Not often, but is has happened. I agree with those who do carry the extra mag and a small but powerfull flashlight. A backup gun ( for the reason Bikemobile stated ) sounds sensible to me too, in leiu of the spare mag. I have a friend who carries a Glock 19, spare mag, backup S&W 638, knife and flashlight all the time. If he ever falls into deep water he is sure to drown, but we will be able to find his body with a metal detector.

[nmbr5ml]

Lessons from a Fatal Shootout in a Crowded McDonald

I urge anyone who feels they have no need for a reload to read the linked article.

People don't always drop when they're shot. Sometimes they don't do anything. You may have no clue if you've even hit them. We may all like to think we will calmly stand there puffing our chest out and line up a perfectly centered head shot if that happens. I'm willing to bet, most of us will instead keep shooting. You should not underestimate how quickly you will empty a mag if this happens.

Just drop all the YMMV, "it's personal preference " and dumb "if 17 rounds ain't enough then it was Allah's will " rationalizing and carry a spare mag. You can't go wrong doing so
You can go very wrong not doing so.

Thanks.

Btw, I was googling for this particular after action account and the linked site is where I happened to find it. Just ignore the idiotic ad libs whoever's site that is threw in there. The off duty LEO involved was armed with a Glock 26 with a full size 17 mag as a spare.

[packerfan]

ghost tracker, just wondering what guns yo're using with the remora holsters? i have a crossbreed for my xd40 and was thinking about a remora for it? thanks

[Bikemobile]

You obviously struggle with rational thought.

Too each their own.

Sarcasm, do you speak it? If four guys jump on your back will you have the dexterity to tap and rack??? No! Im serious that an ankle gun is going to be a better choice at this point. What robocop scenario are you trying to shoot your way out of. There are always those guys that say if youve got one knife you need two, one mag, you better carry another, only one spare tire, better bring two. Where does it end?

I think a well trained shooter with good muscle memory to successfully clear a ftf or fte is much more important than another magazine on your belt to shove into a malfunctioning gun.

Using your justification you should carry a backup gun for malfunctions and a spare magazine for more ammo. This isnt call of duty.

[Bikemobile]

As an LEO I agree with Bikemobile. We get tired of carrying weight around, and I understand his point completely. At times I carry a j frame with no reload.

Theres always alot of chatter and banter from the peanut gallery, probably none of which have ever been in a hostile situation, much less broke leather.
But as always, are quick to restate phrases that they have heard, or cliches from " high speed, low drag" SD schools concerning the matter.

Furthermore, it must be remembered that not everyone gets their tighty whiteys in a wad over this stuff. Some just want a reasonable level of protection for a quick trip to the store in small town America. Reality check here; a 5 shot j frame will get you to the Dry Cleaners and back, and probably thru the drive thru on your way home.

Be realistic in your decisions. Are that that an important that someone would want you dead to the degree you would be pinned down in Wally world parking lot shooting it out? Do you live in a Super high risk area? Are you in a high risk job where you make alot of enemies?
Or, do you watch to many movies and read Soldiers of Misfortune, or " Guns and Animosity"?

Evaluate your needs OP, and choose accordingly.

Well said, thank you.

[mulle46]

Sarcasm, do you speak it? If four guys jump on your back will you have the dexterity to tap and rack??? No! Im serious that an ankle gun is going to be a better choice at this point. What robocop scenario are you trying to shoot your way out of. There are always those guys that say if youve got one knife you need two, one mag, you better carry another, only one spare tire, better bring two. Where does it end?

I think a well trained shooter with good muscle memory to successfully clear a ftf or fte is much more important than another magazine on your belt to shove into a malfunctioning gun.

Using your justification you should carry a backup gun for malfunctions and a spare magazine for more ammo. This isnt call of duty.

and if the failure is from magazine, like a post where the bottom fell out? No amount of muscle memory is going to help in that case without a spare magazine. That said, I also sometimes don't carry a spare mag when off duty, as I get tired of the weight of a duty belt. But I do tend to carry a spare more often than not.

[First Sgt]

Ive heard this go around and around.... Some manufactures have cataloged there firearms as "Clip Fed". Usally the people fighting over this are old military types who cant change with the times. Either is apropriate. DR

Interesting statement...I'd appreciate any reference material you can provide to support your statement...

Us "old military types" are always open to an education from the up and coming young whippersnappers.....

Just remember, it's the "old Military types" along with the "current" military types that allow you to profess the great knowledge which you've accumulated...

I eagerly await your reply Junior...

Aww...what the heck...let me help you out a lil bit as i fear "Websters" has confused what little knowledge you may have thought you had....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_(firearms)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF21sihEgOU

You're welcom DR...

[soonershoote]

House carry, I might not always have a spare mag with me, but off property and out in town, always have @ least one spare mag..