I can't be the only one who has a specific threat in their life. That person absolutely is out to get me, so even if you discount any and all non-specific threats (potential mugging/carjacking/whatever attempts), I still feel 100% justified in carrying a gun. If I'm going to bother to carry a gun, then carrying a spare mag has no significant downside and potential upside, so I might as well do it.Originally Posted by Catshooter
IMO, this is an odd time period to ask this question IMO with civil unrest, some rioting, threats from extremists etc...
Carry one or not, it’s an individual decision. Adding one extra mag on me edc isn’t difficult for me to do.
There's another very good reason to carry at least one spare magazine, which I don't believe has been mentioned here yet.
A struggle for the gun always has to be considered, whether the weapon is in the defender's hand or holster. Aggressive hands on guns can easily hit a mag release button (or paddle) and eject the magazine.
This is particularly likely with a left-hand palm down attack on a pistol in the defender's right hand, consistent with an attempt by the aggressor to stall the defender's draw, or to disarm a defender holding the pistol in a retention position. The aggressor's left thumb will now be in particularly close proximity to the magazine release button.
Glad you posted here. I can recall several of your articles where a reload/second gun was needed.
I've also posted an article here a few times about an off-duty officer that was shot execution-style (and lived) after using up all 5 rounds in his j-frame.
It's about best practices. There are undoubtedly a lot of people here who don't follow the best practice at all times - I know I don't.
What I don't do is go around making threads questioning the best practice, or try to insinuate that those following best practices are paranoid. I just keep my mouth shut and do what I do.
I don’t see a reason to take accidentally dropping your own mag out of the equation, as it seems much more likely than actually getting in a gunfight. I have never been in a gunfight, but I have had my magazine dislodge while carrying multiple times. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to carry another item to remedy such a situation.
I also remember a story from Clint Smith where he jumped out of a car and had the floorplate of his magazine catch on something, get ripped off, and dump rounds out of the bottom of his gun all over the highway. A spare mag would be useful in such a situation.
Why would you assume it's about paranoia? Of course you've also said in this thread it's a good idea, so I'm not sure what that means. You've also said 'ignoring dropped magazines..." which means you're trying to set parameters for the discussion to prove your point, but reality does not care what parameters you set.
It's not about capacity to me. If I carry a Glock 17, I have the same ammunition available as when I carried a P220 with a spare magazine, so if I was comfortable with the P220 +1 I'd be comfortable with the Glock 17 +0 if capacity was the only concern. Capacity is my last concern.
The primary reason I carry a spare magazine is the psychological satisfaction of being able to top off after a shooting. Returning the gun to it's original condition makes it 'normal' again and starts the transition back to 'normal' for the shooter. It's something you can control, and you may well feel that post-shooting events are largely out of your control...because they are. Concerns about malfunctions, lost magazines, etc are a distant second but still exist.
I do not find carrying a spare magazine to be any sort of burden. If I can carry a full size pistol, I can carry a spare mag. I'm not ultra-lighting so I'm not sure what the downside could possibly be. In the absence of a downside, even a slim upside wins.
Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.
It's not the odds, it's the stakes--Tom Givens
Statistics are of little comfort when you are the notable exception--Jeff Cooper
Probability is not real math--My son (Engineer)
If you fire your handgun in self-defense, you'll make the news. If you have to reload, you'll make the encyclopedia -- Unknown
I carry two spares, my mag carrier holds two mags--KellyinAvon
Can you post that again?
Yes. We (wife and I) had a stalker, who was addicted to vicodin. We were advised to carry the largest pistol we could, plan to empty the mag, reload, empty the mag, and then still expect to fight off the attacker while trying to escape. At the time the wife carried my old FS 92 with a spare mag, and I carried a .45 with one or two spare mags.
To the OP, carry what you personally are comfortable with. It is better to be legally armed with a snubnose revolver you are comfortable legally carrying, than having the ultimate Skorpion in a safe at home.
