How many bullets are enough?

[Bm7b5]

Quite an interesting outlook on your life that you've stated.

Someone once passed this little observation along to me: "If something bad happened to someone else, it can happen to you. Don't exist in a state of denial. Just because we don't want to face an attacker tomorrow does not mean it will not happen."
...

Yes, anything can happen. But if you prepare for every risk as if they are all equally likely to happen, you will make a lot of poor choices.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[jem102]

Well, I think all the comments made have value and may be what is needed in a "given" situation to be sure YOU are the one that walks away, or at the very least are not crippled for life from a predatory encounter forced upon you or any you have chosen to defend.

When I carry an auto I carry ONE extra mag only because (as anyone who's has carried an auto for a long time will tell you) they (the mag) WILL FAIL to feed, the pistol WILL JAM and/or your Adrenalin shocked brain and shaking hands WILL push the mag release with 10 rounds still on board. I do not carry them for capacity.
1 in the pipe, 7 rounder on board for the 1911's & 7 rounder on belt.
1 in the pipe, 1 down for the on board (its a personal thing with me and double stacks) & 1 full up on the belt for the Glock & HK.

Now folks, the following is "my" opinion and my thought process as applies to multiple attackers. I am not judge and jury here ok...

Before you set your mind to delivering 3-5 shots on the first target or "shooting them to the ground" with 2 or more sets of 3-5 rounds each OR EVEN 2 ROUNDS, "I" would get someone to time me while I delivered 3-5 rounds "into" (as on target and I hope I don't need to elaborate the reasoning for this in a public venue gun fight) a torso target at 15 feet. You might be surprised just how long it takes the average carry gun and even an experienced operator to do this let alone do it 2-3 times. In the interim I don't believe BG's 2&3 will be drawing straws to see who gets first shot!

The plan... Get one good torso hit on each attacker, "get the BG's to start thinking about the blood they are loosing and STOP thinking about you and yours!
Against 2-3 attackers, at 6-15 feet, "I" honestly don't think you will be perpendicular long enough to load mag #2 unless you can accomplish this and/or you have a partner fighting with you! Even then I would be adding distance as fast as I could before I loosed more rounds.

Speaking of said partner, HER MAJESTY (known in some circles as wife, better half etc.) and I train together and I have made the strongest effort to convince her that, if together, and in a fight for our lives, either of us goes down that person is lost, DO NOT go to their aid, do not look down, do not disengage the TARGET. The remaining operator MUST carry the fight or all is lost. Never having been put to the live fire test who knows how it will go but this is our plan and how we practice.

Against terrorist in public, I think you would be darn fortunate to only face 3...you take it from there.

Carry 30+ rounds and 3,4, or however many mags you want if you believe as a lone civilian operator or partnered you will encounter a sustained fire fight were you will reload and fire against multiple assailants, multiple times or defend from a heavily barricaded/fortified position in public places. But information I see says CQB and under 10 rounds.

Just my thoughts and the way I set my mind and train. Thanks for reading along.

[Ring]

2 things you will never hear after a gun fight


"boy, i with i had less ammo"
and
"boy, i wish i had a smaller gun"

[oneshot]

Just as miklcolt45 said a quick encounter with only 2-3 rounds being shot may be more likely but there is also a chance you will have to defend your self again more than one person. It kinda fits the old saying about carrying a gun "Its better to carry it and never need it, than need it and not have it."

Its like I tell people when they say to me, "why do you own a gun for personal protection, you'll never be in a situation like that"?

AND I say to them, "do you own a fire extiguisher for your house?

AND they say "of course."

AND I say "why, your house is Probably never going to catch on fire".

WASHINGTON DID’NT USE HIS RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH TO DEFEAT THE BRITISH, HE SHOT THEM

"To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic." Ted Nugent

[PM]

I have always heard that enough ammo is one to two rounds more than is needed to stop the threat you have encountered.

[Paymeister]

Yes, anything can happen. But if you prepare for every risk as if they are all equally likely to happen, you will make a lot of poor choices.

One tool which might be of use here is to consider the cost of being wrong. Sure, I could bump a knuckle on the side of the car, so maybe I ought to wear gloves: cost of being wrong? Close to zero. I could also get jumped, so maybe I ought to carry: cost of being wrong? Dead.

And if the poor choices don't cost you much, who cares? I mean, tomorrow I'll be sitting with an extra mag in my back pocket. A red mark and a dent in a place that doesn't get much exposure is OK with me.

I agree about the wisdom to include likelihood in the equation, though: I carry an extra mag or two but not an ammo box. And I also have lost five pounds this week, in response to your cheeseburger remark.

[pelicanruck]

Equate it to this..."I dont know how many of you guys it takes to kick my ass, but I know many your gonna use."-Ron White.
The more ammo the marrier.

I just couldn't help it..what ever happened to
"You die first, get it? Your friends might get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe, you understand me?"-Wyatt Earp.Tombstone..

but i guess i do have to yield to the majority. I asked a similar question and the how may spares thread and its overwhelming how many feel a pocket 5-8 rounds is asking for trouble. But its got to be better than nothing. again though, the masses have convinced me, bullets defiantly fall into the if one is good, too is better, category.

[stoprilshoot]

Because 'most' doesn't cover 'all.' Stuff happens. Murphy is alive and well.

i prefer to try and take Murphy out of the equation if possible so i download ALL my mags by a min. of 1.

[Tigrebleau]

[QUOTE=Horsetrader;1304348]After 40 years of showers and sleeping in clean sheets, I still dream the same dream. I'm in the jungle and I ran outa ammo. I still wake up sweating and scared to death. Scared because I RAN OUT of AMMO.
...QUOTE]

41 years this August for me. Similar dream, but involves not having a gun at all. Some things don't completely go away, like the habit of shaking out shoes before putting them on, not drinking tap water or using ice, looking up when entering a room for the first time, etc.

[yzcrasher]

I carry a 5 shot revolver with 1 speed loader. I'm comfortable with that.

[ccw9mm]

After 40 years of showers and sleeping in clean sheets, I still dream the same dream. I'm in the jungle and I ran outa ammo. I still wake up sweating and scared to death. Scared because I RAN OUT of AMMO.

Whether enough'll be enough. One of the critical questions. Can't know for certain, hence if you can easily carry more then you're not carrying enough.

Reality bites. Our goal is to make sure it doesn't bite too hard, when it does.

[rottkeeper]

I am confused. I have read that most firearms encounters occur between 2-3 meters, last 2-3 seconds, and involve 2-3 shots being fired. Why then do I read so much on this forum about topping off the mag after chambering a round, carrying extra mags, etc. My Sig will allow 15+1, so if I carry two extra mags, I will have 45-46 rounds. Why do so many consider this the right thing to do with CC?

Thanks for your advice and opinions. I am learning a great deal from all of you.

Life doesn't always follow stats so I always top off after racking a round.Why leave yourself one short?

As others said mags can fail so carrying an extra is like having an insurance policy in case it happens to you. I will say if you are carrying 45-46 rounds maybe you are going someplace you don't belong.

[coriantan]

I'm one of those that tops off my mag, but I don't carry anything extra. I'm not batman, so I think I would look funny if I were running around with half a dozen things on my belt (2 mags, Cell phone, pepper spray, expandable baton and a BUG.) I have yet to carry an extra mag at all.

I guess I subscribe to the thought that being covered for 90% of situations is better than doing a California Carry (no gun at all). Also, I subscribe to the idea that all things come with a cost and I am willing to pay the price of carrying a gun, but not the price of looking like Rambo.

[unloved]

I will say if you are carrying 45-46 rounds maybe you are going someplace you don't belong.

Really? So I guess my 55 rounds mean I'm screwing up somehow, huh?

[MedPig]

Someone on another board said it best: "Ammunition is like chewing gum in school. If you didn't bring enough for everyone, you're in trouble..."

I'd say that describes it nicely.