Do you carry a spare magazine?

[wyntrout]

Situational awareness needs to be honed and paramount. You need to be aware of threats and able to reload without being unduly distracted by careful placement and retention of the empty or used magazine, or making too much noise if trying not to attract attention! There are no timeouts and if you don't come in first, it's more than a game you could lose. Second place sucks in a fight for your life!

Wynn

[Badwolf75]

Re: Do you carry a spare magazine?

I carry a spare magazine with any semi auto type pistol. It's a training thing for me. 18 yrs of tap, rack, fire and if that fails load a fresh mag has been drilled into me. Add to that the 6+1 capacity of my CM9 and I think it's a must.

I have a small leather pouch from Recluse holsters that I drop in my pocket and forget it's there.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[CeltKnight]

I've been through several active-shooter drills with Simunition and such. While generally police oriented, at least one was set up for "You're off duty ..." and in all the most recent ones, through either the Sim-guns breaking or ammo shortages, we were limited as to only a few rounds on board (5 or 6 usually, or as I say, "Gee, thanks for turning my SIG into a revolver").
What we learned was that as soon as the bad guy turned and especially once shots started coming our way, 5 or 6 rounds went ReallyReallyFast. Plus there are stories galore of bad guys soaking up several shots and not killing over. The beauty of tiny single stack mags is that they drop into a pocket (a couple of my jeans have watch pockets deep enough for the 5-round PM40 mags).
Also, okay bad guy is down and out. Are you SURE, absolutely bet-your-life positive that there's not another bad guy? Predators tend to work in pairs. Even in my neck o'the woods, we see violent crime often carried out by 2 or 3 perps. I teach "Reload, Secure the scene, dial 9-1-1."
I often don't "feel" the need for a spare mag (usually have two and/or a spare piece [after a shooting I'd like to have something to go home with since the local constabulary will need the shootin' iron I just used]). I don't "feel" the need to go armed, either. Feelings are funny things and 100% subjective. The times I've needed a weapon I did not leave the house thinking "Gee, I feel like I might get jumped today, run into a wanted fugitive, or otherwise need a firearm."
Just food for thought.

[RRP]

Very informative post, CeltKnight. Thanks for your contribution. It is indeed food for thought.

[jg rider]

We carry a spare mag for several reasons
1- To balance us out so that we don't lean to one side
2- Something we can throw at the bad guy to distract him or her
(LTM)

Seriously though we do carry a spare for our Kahrs or my 1911 because
I- It may take multiple shots to take a bad guy or guys down.
2- In case of a malfunction like a double feed, stove pipe etc. that calls for us to drop the mag, clear the chamber and reinsert a new mag.
3- Accidently hitting the mag release button. Also some of the older PM9s were notorious for dropping the mag under recoil because a weak mag release spring and the older polymer button with steel insert.

Although none of the above scenarios have happened to us in practice, that's not to say it couldn't in real life. That's why we practice shooting at a 8" steel plate at 10 yds with the PM9s . We draw from concealed carry, fire one drop the mag, reach for the spare concealed mag, insert and fire one.

Carrying a spare 9mm Kahr mag in a pocket doesn't work for us. Because of the short mag lips the top round slips out of the mag. IOHO mag pouchs with tight or rounded bottoms are the way to go.

I carry a spare mag in a Don Hume pouch. I think this is a great design. The only down side with my pouch is it has a steel retention clip that will scar a reversible dress belt. When Hume inally catches up on orders I will order one with a loop.

Or I mostly use a shrunken Galco pouch that has a plastic? clipthat dosn't scar up my belts. It ain't pretty but it works

The wife use a custom made pouch with a snapped belt loop

[RRP]

We draw from concealed carry, fire one drop the mag, reach for the spare concealed mag, insert and fire one.

Outstanding. That's a great drill. I use a similar drill and incorporate double taps. Double tap, emergency reload, double tap, etc.

There's not much talk of training on this site. I wish there was more.

[Ae35]

So, how do I vote, I carry the CM9, but no spare mag, just a S&W 442 with BB 156gn. SWCHP's, ( there about 3/4 of a 357mag. round ). I never was good at math, figure 2 is 1 and 1 is none.

[Bawanna]

Didn't realize this was such a vintage thread, clear back to September 2010.

I lean towards the paranoid side I reckon. I carry a 1911 with two spare mags on the off side, a PM45 on the ankle with a spare mag for it in my chair bag up front.

I'm saving up to get a Garrett 7 mag pouch a spring loaded kydex affair that holds 7 1911 mags. Doubt it will see everyday use but when the UN approaches the front porch it might come in handy.

I am getting easier though, I have a beautiful single mag pouch with a clip enroute from Beardog. He sent me a picture and it's a thing of beauty like all of his stuff that I have seen.

It'll be handy when undressing (except for the ankle gun shhhsh) to enter the dept as a lowly sheep.

[sas PM9]

Not always, not even most times. Probably around 15-25% of the time.
I feel pretty good about the 7 rounds i'm carrying in the pistol.
Two more than in the 2" SS revolver I had depended upon previously.

-steve

[jocko]

indeed, I carried a Model 60 for 20+ years, never really give it any thought about carrying extra rounds. I guess if armagen came I might regret it but my loaded PMJ9 is enough carry for me. I try not to get to carried away with this stuff. but again it is an individualo choice and I am sure ones location might dictate also if u wanna carry alot of spare rounds. If I lived in some chicago areas. a body armour would be part of my dily dress also.they value life there like nothing I have ever seen. When u shoot a darn baby 5 times while his dad is changing his diaper, then urjust not worthy a sh!t

[pilot172]

I "usually" carry one spare 8 round mag for my CM9. I also always have the 7 round mag in the CM9. I've had zero failures so far with the 7 and 8 round mags, although I had to buy 3 of the 7 round mags before I got one that works. The easiest way to carry the extra mag I found is in my pocket with a RJ Hedley pocket mag pouch.

[TexasTom]

Heck, I'm just glad all you guys carry spares!

It's probably the best defense for the word to get out that everyone does.

[wyntrout]

Here's Massad Ayoob's take on carrying spare reloads:

http://www.gundigest.com/gun-blogs/b...&rid=232349660

Wynn

[JFootin]

Excellent article, Wynn! That SnagMag looks interesting, but he doesn't have a working website to purchase from, just Facebook and Twitter accounts and a placeholder to secure the website name.

[jocko]

hwll I got two cars with no spares. no big deal. If I can't do it in 7, then I am probably dead anyways.