Must...have...more...ammo...

[KevH]

When I started my LE career, there were still the Vietnam-vet era guys carrying S&W wheel guns with a 6+6+6 load out and no one ever thought anything of it.

The universal load out was a mag in the gun and two extra mags. At the time 40 S&W was king (so between 11 and 15 rounds per mag), but a single stack 45 ACP with (8+1)+8+8 was extremely common.

I remember the first guy I saw running Arredondo extensions on his Glock at work back in 2010 or so. I thought he was a complete tool. I look at our newer cops right now and it seems like if you aren't carrying at least a 20 round extended magazine in the gun with at least two or three extra 20+ round extended magazines on your belt or vest you're considered less than adequate. These same cops are also carrying M4's in their cars with a compliment of 30 round mags.

I look back at the officer involved shootings I've been involved with and the ones that have occurred at my own department and typically there is less than a standard capacity magazine's worth of ammo used. LEOKA data is consistent with this as well. Yes, we can always cite some abstract prolonged shootout that is a total outlier, but for the most part there are typically less than ten rounds fired and most often even less than that.

Am I missing something? Is the mondo-mag becoming a universal thing or is this just something local?

[Rex G]

As of when I retired, in 2018, I did not see extended pistols mags, very often, among my co-workers. I was the only one, as far as I knew, who kept a 33-round G18 “happy stick,” and it was among my close-at-hand gear, rather than on my person. Of course, 2018 was a thousand years ago, I reckon, as I missed the events of 2020. New trends may have emerged. I have not recently noticed local LEOs with extended mags, lately, but will try to pay more attention.

I do wonder, though, how does one sit, comfortably, in the seat of a patrol vehicle, with an extended mag? Does a longer mag not snag on things, even if one can sit OK? When riding shotgun, in the newer Ford Explorer-based Police Interceptors, I carried a G19, rather than a G17, for the duration of the shift, because the larger weapon would catch on the seat bolster, when I tried to exit the vehicle, in a hurry. If it caught firmly, it would tend to “want” to bounce me back into the car. My duty holster was a Safariland 6360, worn at 0300, and G34-sized, in order to accommodate any of my 9mm Glocks. I wore a 34” duty belt, for my entire career, so being overly large was not a factor.

Notably, carrying a G19, rather than a G17, on patrol, on the streets of Houston, Texas, was not a decision I made lightly, and not a comforting things to do, because I considered a G19 to be a serious handicap, in accuracy, which is particularly relevant at longer range. It was not the shorter sight radius that mattered, nearly as much as ergonomics, as a G19’s grip does not reach the “heel bone” of my hand, so it not going to be as stable, in my hand’s grip, which is especially significant if shooting one-handed. The terrible events in Dallas and Baton Rouge, not far away, were still quite fresh in my mind.

Edited to add: Having to start patrolling in the smaller Fords, in mid-2017, was a significant factor in my decision to retire in early 2018. I had considered the Tahoe patrol vehlcles, which had started replacing the Crown Vics, to be a career-extender, and then the smaller Fords un-did that.

[Hambo]

When I started my LE career, there were still the Vietnam-vet era guys carrying S&W wheel guns with a 6+6+6 load out and no one ever thought anything of it.

The universal load out was a mag in the gun and two extra mags. At the time 40 S&W was king (so between 11 and 15 rounds per mag), but a single stack 45 ACP with (8+1)+8+8 was extremely common.

I remember the first guy I saw running Arredondo extensions on his Glock at work back in 2010 or so. I thought he was a complete tool. I look at our newer cops right now and it seems like if you aren't carrying at least a 20 round extended magazine in the gun with at least two or three extra 20+ round extended magazines on your belt or vest you're considered less than adequate. These same cops are also carrying M4's in their cars with a compliment of 30 round mags.

I look back at the officer involved shootings I've been involved with and the ones that have occurred at my own department and typically there is less than a standard capacity magazine's worth of ammo used. LEOKA data is consistent with this as well. Yes, we can always cite some abstract prolonged shootout that is a total outlier, but for the most part there are typically less than ten rounds fired and most often even less than that.

Am I missing something? Is the mondo-mag becoming a universal thing or is this just something local?

I haven't seen extended mags, but I have noticed carriers for 3 mags. That's a lot of ammo in 9mm, but one department issues G21s. Imagine how fun it is to chase some jackass with more than a box of .45s on the belt.

[BehindBlueI's]

3 magazine carriers are fairly common here. A few guys here and there have extended mags in their car, but nobody has them on their belt. I'm not a real cop any more, but I carry the G43X and one spare mag.

[revchuck38]

A friend of mine, a now-retired local cop, was also a USPSA A- or B-class competitor. He carried a G22 with an extended mag and three spares with extensions. Everyone else I've seen has a standard mag in the gun and two more standard mags on the belt...except for the Sheriff's Department folks whose duties have them in khakis and polos, they usually have a pistol with its mag and no spares.

[CraigS]

The way things have been going in the last 2 years, if I were a LEO, I'd have a standard mag in the gun for all the reasons the OP stated. And I'd have at least 2 extended mags on the belt. An AR would be in the trunk along with some kind of discreet mag carrier bag or backpack for it's mags. I understand the statistics indicate this much isn't needed but I'd rather be over prepared.

[Lon]

It’s common around here to see the 3x mag carrier or extended mags. I run a +3 extension on my 19 and a couple 21 rd Magpul Pmags as reloads. Before that I ran a +3 229 mag with a couple 20rd 226 mags as my reloads.

[Artemas2]

I use to carry a G35 and with dawson extensions, 58 rounds total. AR with 90 rounds(3 mags) in the car.

My thought was that is was not hurting me to have extra ammo and I not need to worry if I'll have enough.
I also worked alone. On a good day, uniformed backup was 60 minutes out if my radio worked.

[octagon]

When I retired in 16 we were issuing Glock 22s and everyone in uniform carried 2 spare standard capacity mags in addition to the one in the gun. Extended mags were not allowed. The dept switched to 9mm Glocks a year or two later. A few guys would carry a triple mag pouch but that was uncommon and still seems to be. The dept is suburban with good back up from within and neighboring agencies so backup response time is not an issue like it may be in rural agencies.

I can understand wanting plenty of ammo but I also can see it leading to false confidence as missing is what causes the need for more ammo more often than lack of the ammo to stop a threat. With quality ammo and reasonable skill the chances of needing so much more is infinitesimal. My dept still has 870s and AR patrol rifles so better options are also available. If that's not the case then more ammo might be good.

I hear the phrase "the only time you wish for less ammo is if you are drowning or on fire" tossed around but when you are in a foot chase, hopping fences or running to a scene all that ammo or extra gear adds up. Go to the ground and fight with someone with a full loadout and see how much you wish for less weight, bulk and grab handles for who you are fighting with. I switched to a single cuff case and lightweight cuffs, ditched my ASP baton and went with a smaller flashlight on belt after a few years of never using or seeing anyone use a baton and flashlight tech improving beyond Maglight and Surefire 6P levels with incandescent. My back and knees would still appreciate a lighter load.

[paherne]

Also, running those extended mags hard usually results in volcano of bullets, mag guts and follower when they hit the deck. They ONLY ones we have not seen fail in hard use are the Lightning Strike +0 baseplates. Even Glock factory +2 are suspect IME.