Do you carry a spare magazine?

[smokey337]

Like the weapon, I guess I think it's better to have the spare mag and not need it than to need it and not have it!

[smokey337]

+1 Yep your most likely dead especially if its the round that is the failure. That must be the scariest thing ever to have to use your gun and just hear click on the first shot.



Why would you drop your whole mag for a malfunction? Why wouldnt you just manually rack the slide as hard and as fast as possible to eject whatever caused the failure and cycle the next round into the chamber?

Only a type three or double stack malfunction would require you to strip the mag out. A type one or two as you have described would simply require the tap, rack, re-engage as you and others have correctly pointed out. A type three malfunction in a gun fight would be really bad and you best be moving for cover while taking care of the problem and hoping the BG is a BS as well.

Jocko...Just one question. If you don't carry a spare mag, why did you cut your hand grip out on your PM9 for easier access to the magazine? That is just the type of mod that would make stripping a jammed mag out of the mag well during a type three malfunction much easier! Grabbing that 5 round mag to strip it out of the well without your mod would be pretty difficult as there isn't much to grab. It would also make it easier to strip an empty mag out if it didn't drop free for some reason!

[BobR]

I guess, but I have different thoughts on the subject. Never go unarmed. Shoot first. Hit what you're aiming at. Then short of a war it isn't a problem.

Most people are mediocre pistol shots at best, and an excellent shot on a range is likely to become a mediocre one when in a life or death situation. Given the statistical number of misses in any given gunfight, even by trained professionals, and the fact that pistols are mediocre manstoppers at best, the odds of needing more than one mags worth of bullets in an actual shooting situation increase.

You are highly likely to never have to draw a gun at all, you are highly likely to have the felon break contact on presenting a gun, but in the rare instances when shootings actually do occur, most guns are fired until the slide locks back.

You are comfortable with one mag of a single stack, and you are the only judge of what makes you comfortable - far be it for me to gainsay your personal choice. When the rubber hits the road in a bad situation in the real world, the statistics are against ending a fight with a single small capacity magazine, especialy of less than .40 caliber.

What happens if there is more than one assailant, in example? I've had people answer that "Well, then I am dead anyway, and there is nothing I can do about it", which would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Me, I am not giving up fighting back - ever - as long as I can draw breath in a life or death situation. I owe that much to my family, at the least.

[jocko]

smokey 337. I did it for two reasons, one is none of my magazines ever dropped fully out of my PM9, and personally I was cool with that to. Being that they dropped partially this mag well cut out I figured would be of no disadvantage to me having it there, and what the hell I was tickering around one evening with my trusty dremel and the PM9 was laying close and well u know they just had to get together.

I also put mag well cut out on my P380 and those magazine fall free every time, again , just one of those dremel things.

Probably not necessary on any semi, if truth be known. I never carry a spare magazine, carried for over 48 years and never had to draw in anger or for any reason. I have for me increased my rounds from my model 60 smith of 5 rounds and no spare rounds on me to now 7 wityh my PM9. With my PM9 taking my entire left pocket, I just ain't gonna jam any more stuff in what pockets I have left when the odds are way way on my side that I will never have to draw the gun in defense, and odds are more than with me that if I can't do the job in 7 then probalby I am dead. I really don't worry about it or get paranoid about not having a spare magazine. The fact that I carry 24/7 puts me way ahead of most.

The fact is that for every one of us there will be a "TODAY" that will be your last day..

[smokey337]

Jocko..whether you carry an extra mag or not is your choice, but that mag well cut out is a GREAT idea for those who do carry extra mags and that is really my point! BTW that PM9 of yours is an outstanding carry weapon. Really well thought out!

[flynbenny]

I always carry a spare or two no matter which gun I am carrying. I have heard plenty of bad stories about running out, here's one I remember vividly:

A story related in Chris Bird's wonderful tome "Thank God I Had A Gun" relates the story of Rory Vertigan, he was involved in a shooting (trying to save a cops life no less) in Phoenix, he ran through everything in his Glock 31 (15 cap', I think he only had 14 in it). Then things got real hairy. It should be noted that the cop killer had emptied his 357 revolver and was trying to obtain a loaded Ruger 9mm auto on the floor of his car when Mr. Vertigan was fighting him hand to hand. Unfortunately, Mr. Vertigan was not carrying any additional ammo. Inspite of these setbacks he prevailed and captured the murderer. He was lucky, but after reading his story in that book I think he would have traded anything for 15 more rounds of 357 Sig in that fight...Some cops in Phoenix refer to those who are carrying (off duty I'm sure) without extra ammo as 'doing the Vertigan'.

I'd just rather have more than I need; when you are trained to shoot in controlled pairs and triples, even the 13 rd mags in my Glock can run dry in under 6 seconds. I usually carry two spares, when I end up pocket carrying I'm down to one generally.

[ltxi]

I signed on in the '60s, well before "spray and pray", and believe in the concepts of training, marksmanship, and self discipline/control under stress.

The Glocks in the console of each of my vehicles have two spare magazines. The arm on my hip does not.

I'd rather have more than I need also. But I now carry solely for my own personal protection and don't feel the need to equip on every trip to the grocery store for a full on firefight. I'm with Jocko on this one.

[.45fan]

I voted yes, most gun failures are mag related.

[BobR]

I voted yes, most gun failures are mag related.

Not to mention it seems statistically that single stack mags are more prone to failure.

[ripley16]

I voted yes, most gun failures are mag related.

Not to mention it seems statistically that single stack mags are more prone to failure.

Not sure I agree with these statements. Any link or reference to back up or verify these points?

Seems to me it depends more on the particular, gun, the particular magazine, and a thousand other variables involved. Blanket statements about reliability in general need some verifiable emperical data, otherwise it is opinion.

[Hoop1101]

I used to carry a spare for my P9 everywhere I went. I recently got an LCP and now that resides in my front pocket instead of a spare mag. If I decide not to take the LCP the spare mag goes back in the pocket, but with a BUG that weighs little more than a spare mag that rarely happens.

[JodyH]

The PM9 is the "spare magazine" for my H&K P2000.

[HadEmAll]

I think carrying a handgun, and not having at least one reload for it is the height of optimism. Especially 5-shot revolvers. Speed strips are so flat and easy to carry.

I guess a story I read once about an off-duty officer who got caught up in a bar holdup sticks in my mind. Whenever this topic comes up, this story pops into my mind.

I know, nothing good happens in a bar, but this could have been a drugstore, or any of several types of businesses.

Out for a pleasant evening of dinner and drinks with his wife, and wouldn't you know it, the bar they were in got held up by 2 guys.

The officer's wife, a little under the influence, and thinking she was whispering, said to the officer in stage whisper "Don't draw your gun!". The officer, not really under the influence, seeing that she had been heard, and realizing he had been revealed, drew his .38 snub revolver, and attempted to engage both robbers with it. He emptied the pistol, and succeeded in wounding one of the robbers.

Sadly, he was then executed while lying on the floor.

I believe holdups involving multiple perpetrators are becoming more common. We all know there are people who wake up every day, and need to commit robbery to support a drug habit, or any habit for that matter.

I realize the reload might have done him no good in this case, but it created a paranoia in my mind. He might have managed it. The image of standing there with an empty pistol, and not even have a chance to reload is something I'm not prepared to ever consider.

I guess everybody that has ever been caught up in a gunfight didn't expect it to happen that day.

[jocko]

#1 u ain't gonna go wrong in carrying a spare mag. #2 u ain't gonna go wrong if u don't either. #3 if you dont carry then u done gone wrong!!!

99.995% of all of us posters will never have to draw and use our ccw gun. to me it is not the amount but where those first couple of shots GO. Some statists. years back showed the NYPD officers who fired their gun under 6 feet mssed over 60% of the time.

For me, I love to shoot my PM9 for it is a fun gun to shoot BUT it is my life saving gun and I carry it 24/7 so I want to know every litlte quirk about it and I want to know exactly what to do if I need to draw it. Carrying different guns "just because" u have them tends to changes ones grip, sight picture,magazine release, safety features. I love to shoot my G19 but it gets rounds through it about one in 5 compared to my PM9. I never was paranoid about carrying either. Where I live, violence is just not like in most places, but I have carried for 48 years because I can and I certainly don't move near as fast as I used to 40 years ago either..

[Kahr Carrying Infidel]

Nope. :53: I carry TWO.