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CC with two Mags

4K views 53 replies 37 participants last post by  Bark'n 
#1 ·
I went to a lecture the other night and Dave from Safe in Rochester made a great point about why he carries 3 mags with him...

Its not necessarily for additional ammunition but rather in case the magazine in his gun malfunctions. In the event one needs to use ones gun there is not time to take out the mag and see why its not working.

Drop it and hope the next one works better... (if you even have that much time)

BUT - I am now carrying 2 mags because i hadn't thought of it that way:twak: ...now if i could just find some pre ban hi-cap glock mags!

Just thought I would share :wink:

BTW anyone in rochester - his $10 lecture was worth it IMO especially if you are new to CCW. I am going to take some of his tactical courses...i will advise how those go after i take em'
 
#3 ·
I ALWAYS carry two mags. Wouldn't want my "Lil Baby" G26 to get hongry!! Seriously, extra mags are NOT just for additional ammo just as Dave taught you at the lecture.
 
#4 ·
+1. I've always carried extra mags. Mags are usually the weakest part of any firearm...
 
#5 ·
One in the gun and one on my left side = 21 rounds of .40 cal.

I bought a case for a multi-tool and that is what I use to carry the mag. No one notices what's in it.
 
#6 ·
Why do you need pre-ban mags? Is that some stupid NY law? I don't believe there's any difference between the current "hi-cap" Glock mags and the old ones, certainly no identifying marks or labels.

I always carry at least one spare reload, moonclips or mags depending on the gun I'm carrying.
 
#13 ·
haha you saying we have some crime down here in orlando? yeah when i carried my p345 i had 2 spare mags and now that i'm carrying my security six i have 2 speed loaders as well. never got around to carrying 2 spare mags w/ my XD but thats b/c i only had a single mag carrier
 
#10 ·
I wish I could find a mag holder that wasn't so freakin' bulky and huge, just a clip for the belt and that's it.
 
#19 ·
3 Sig P220 mags, one Taurus PT-22, or Grendel P12 mag. Often times I just sling the three Sig mags in my back pocket. The BUG mag in the left front. Trust me carrying a fullsize Sig in Florida takes some work.
On days I am staying elsewhere then my home I tend to CC all three of my pistols. Thats when things get interesting. You should see when my dad and I both have a hinky day when we hang out.
 
#20 ·
Unless one is in, or going into, a known gang or dangerous area I see no reason to carry more than one spare mag. Sometimes I go out with no spare. Sure your gun can malfunction, but if it does you are already dead probably.

If one is determined to load himself down with an extra 15 -30 rounds of ammo in mags, then go to it. As for me I have never heard of any CHL holder that needed even one extra. Maybe it has happened, but I have not heard.

It would make some sense to have a spare when the capacity is 6-8 rounds, but if one were carrying a 12-15 round magazine I see no reason to carry even a spare. However, there is nothing wrong with a spare, but who wants to be loaded down with a box of ammo on his belt? Not me.

I realize some want to be covered in a 1 in a million happening, but I don't.

Has anybody ever heard of a CHL holder, not a LEO, who needed more than one magazine in a gunfight?
If I were attacked I think that the statistics say it would be at short range, fast, and less than 6 rounds fired. If one needs to reload for whatever reason he will probably be shot.

I guess instructors sometimes need something sensational to impress the students.

Regards,
Jerry
 
#29 ·
Has anybody ever heard of a CHL holder, not a LEO, who needed more than one magazine in a gunfight?
If I were attacked I think that the statistics say it would be at short range, fast, and less than 6 rounds fired. If one needs to reload for whatever reason he will probably be shot.
I was taught in class that the average gunfight is in the 6-9 ft range, with around 6 rounds fired on average. Perhaps that's why for our back up/off duty weapons, the weapon has to have at least a 7 shot capacity. Beyond that, either you're dead or the BG is dead or wounded.

For me, anything beyond an extra mag is over kill, and like you, I don't want to be loaded down with the equivalent of a box of ammo on my belt. Before even carrying the weapon, I already do a function check of the gun and inspect the magazine, so there's already only a slim chance of a malfunction. Haven't ever had a magazine malfunction on the range, so why would I have one malfunction all of a sudden? Just tap and rack.

I guess instructors sometimes need something sensational to impress the students.

Regards,
Jerry
I know what you mean about instructors needing something sensational to impress the students. Had one instructor pound it in our heads about needing a patrol rifle for a possible active shooter/barricaded gunman scenario. So now I'm saving up for an AR-15 to get as my patrol rifle.
 
#22 ·
now here is a question....

for ones that wear it on a mag pouch. do you keep it on the weak side or the strong side? for my duty belt, its on the strong side (I used to have it on the weak side, but bunch of feds/LEOs told me to put it on my weak side. they are horizontal on the duty belt. I was thinking putting 1 spare on the weak side long.
 
#24 ·
I always carry three magazines with any auto-loader I choose to carry, that being one magazine in the gun and two spares in a mag carrier on my left side.
 
#25 ·
As to the question about NYS and the hi cap mags.... yea it is another stupid NYS law. Can only carry 10 rounds...

As for telling the difference between the mags, I got a lesson on it from my gun shop owner. He held the two of em up and there are definitely some differences.

Some of you guys are preparing to take on an entire gang with 3 mags! Sweet, i just don't want to carry around that much ammo.

I carried an extra mag all weekend and I can definitely feel the extra weight. I have though through the scenarios and if i ever need that backup mag--I'm glad i know where i'm going if the Lord takes me cause that is not a good situation to be in.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I generally carry two spare mags. With the one in the gun, that's three on me. I'm all for having more rounds, of course, but malfunctions do happen. When a mag holder supports two anyway, it's hard to spit in Murphy's eye on this point.

Some of you guys are preparing to take on an entire gang with 3 mags! Sweet, i just don't want to carry around that much ammo.
I believe that two full mags ought to be enough, from the standpoint of round count. Though, all I have are dual-magazine holders. So, carrying two spares is as simple as carrying one. As others have suggested, it isn't about gangs so much as having two alternatives to a malfunctioning magazine. It's the N+1 scheme, in which any one of the three might have issues, but I'll still (likely) have two remaining. It's all a bet, but with the ability to carry a third right there in the holder, and the fact that Murphy's got eyes, it seems that karma would be looking for excuses to remind me of that fact. YMMV.
 
#27 ·
Went to Lowe's yesterday and found a cell phone/radio pouch that clips to your belt. Fits my Glock 15 rd mags perfect in the covered pouch. If I want to I can even clip my pepper spray behind that. But it makes it a bit more bulky. With just the mag it looks like a cell phone. I have always carried 2 mags, but just upgraded my holser and now need a seperate mag carrier. Similar to this in black, check the section with the tool bags.

Texas Hold-Ums at Lowe's: Cell Phone Holder
 
#28 ·
BUT - I am now carrying 2 mags because i hadn't thought of it that way:twak: ...now if i could just find some pre ban hi-cap glock mags!

Just thought I would share :wink:

BTW anyone in rochester - his $10 lecture was worth it IMO especially if you are new to CCW. I am going to take some of his tactical courses...i will advise how those go after i take em'
I carry one in the gun in my front strong side pocket, and two in the holder in my weak side back pocket.

Dave's courses are excellent. Well worth the price of admission. I hope to take another soon.
 
#30 ·
Has anybody ever heard of a CHL holder, not a LEO, who needed more than one magazine in a gunfight?
I've needed to swap a magazine twice during IPSC courses, due to clear mag failure.* Reality is, equipment failures happen.

* The swaps were back when I was shooting 10-15Krds/yr and not so aggressive about maintaining the reliability of the magazines. After those two fumbles, I realized that springs and followers every year or two simply wasn't going to cut it, at least in that gun with that amount of shooting. T-R-B didn't resolve either of these two. Based on the follow-up testing I did to isolate the problem, one was a gritty mag follower, and the other was a weak spring. Hasn't happened since, due to the magazine, on any gun I've had.
 
#31 ·
I can imagine that in the case of dirty mags there could be failures. I think that if kept clean your experience demonstrates reliability.

Thinking of a need to have one extra mag in case of a gun failure as posed by the instructor, I would be interested to know how many of you have ever had a failure in the first mag. This of course does not include a new gun which you have not tested, or guns that are not cleaned after each trip to the range.

In my case I do not remember a single instance of a failure during firing of the rounds in the first or second magazine. That being true I see no need to carry an extra mag specifically to clear and reload because of a malfunction during the firing of the first magazine if I did get into a gun fight with some BG.

Nothing wrong with carrying a spare magazine, and I nearly always do when I carry my 1911 compact to church, but not because I fear a malfunction during the first few rounds.

Is it a possibility of some very small magnitude? I suppose so, but so is having a fatal accident on the way to the range. The latter is probably much more likely than the former.
Not something I am concerned with.

Regards,
Jerry
 
#32 ·
I can imagine that in the case of dirty mags there could be failures. I think that if kept clean your experience demonstrates reliability.
In the two cases I mentioned, being "dirty" wasn't the problem. Worn gear was. But, sure, any number of things can lead to the equipment failing.
 
#37 ·
I am with my buddy, JerryM on this one, again. I manage my life around a focused and sensible understanding of risk. I don't carry a BUG or dozens of rounds of ammo, in response to inflated anecdotes of doom and gloom. If I believed I would go some place where I would need all this, I simply wouldn't go.

There is too much to do and see in the world. A ccw is just one tool in my broader risk management arsenal (no pun intended), but I don't look down upon anyone who makes a different decision.
 
#38 ·
I have a spare mag for my P7 but I don't carry it. In fact, I have speed strips for my 642 and I don't carry them either. Guess I'm just lazy and ill prepared.
Now, I do have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, but no fire truck in the driveway.
Regards,
 
#40 ·
Dang, why on earth would the guy refuse the transfusion? This story is really sad but people need to: "Seek first to understand, and then to be understood"
Regards,
 
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