How Many Reloads Should A Private Citizen Carry? POLL

[carlson1]

Since the thread was started by Paladin about carrying extra ammo or not carrying extra ammo. It is a great thread and I think a fantastic thought provoking question. I thought it would be fun to see an unprofessional poll among people who carry daily or often to see what you do. Besides I haven’t seen a poll in a while. Even if you don’t always carry a back up gun go ahead and make that choice.

By the way this has nothing to do with the poll if you have not trained with Paladin I suggest it highly. He is a great instructor and easy to learn from.

[striker55]

I used to carry extra mags and then got complacent. I've been seeing so many bad scenes on the news I've started carrying extra mags again.

[LTUME1978]

I rarely carry a second gun but always carry spare ammo (two magazines). Some of the training I have had taught me that, if engaged in a self defense shooting, I should reload just as soon as there is a break in the action. Reasoning on that is that the bad guy/s may had a buddy that gets mad and decided they need to do you harm. You don't want to start a second gun fight with a partially empty firearm.

I do carry a knife and other tools as well as a very bright (1600 lumens) light. The light can discourage someone when you shine it in their eyes.

[JRG]

I am currently EDC a Shield .45 acp. Since it is only 6+1, I am also carrying two backup mags.

Joe

[Boxerrider]

1911 with two extra mags (preferred). If I need to be stealthier, then J-frame revolver and a speed strip.
I very seldom carry both, although I frequently have my wife with me. She is similarly equipped.

[RPBrown]

I usually carry a BUG but always carry at least 1 mag or speed loader

[BigGuy]

I usually carry a BUG but always carry at least 1 mag or speed loader

.380 bug with 6 + 1. EDC is 9mm with 17 round mag +1. Two 10 round extra mags.

[carlson1]

I really like the Ruger LCP Max that I just bought as a bug, but it is hard to leave my J-Frame behind.

Back when I was constantly in a wheelchair I carried two S&W 340PD with +P .38 and they concealed just fine.

[BigGuy]

I've been reading a lot of posts on "The Pistol Forum." A lot of the LEOs pointed out that what ever takes out your primary weapon might also take out you strong hand. I carry my bug at 9-o-clock, available to weak hand. By this time, I'd be in deep manure. This would be my last chance to take out the BG. I've trained with the BUG on the range. With no sights to speak of, and shooting weak hand, I was surprised to find that at 20 yards, I could still hit the 8 ring.
While it's not a senecio I want to try out, I do feel that I've got a back up plan.

[srothstein]

I've been reading a lot of posts on "The Pistol Forum." A lot of the LEOs pointed out that what ever takes out your primary weapon might also take out you strong hand. I carry my bug at 9-o-clock, available to weak hand. By this time, I'd be in deep manure. This would be my last chance to take out the BG. I've trained with the BUG on the range. With no sights to speak of, and shooting weak hand, I was surprised to find that at 20 yards, I could still hit the 8 ring.
While it's not a senecio I want to try out, I do feel that I've got a back up plan.

I am glad you practiced with the weak hand. That is important to know how to do. A little trickier, but I always recommended that you carry the BUG where it is available to either hand. Best case scenario (other than not getting in a shooting or needing it) is that your primary malfunctions and you can pull the BUG with the weak hand and transfer it to the strong hand. But, you don't know which hand may be injured, so pulling it with the weak hand or strong hand may be necessary.

My habit is to carry 2 magazines of spare ammo. This is the way I was taught and required to do while in uniform. Over the years, carrying OWB at the 3:00 position with spare ammo at 9:00 to 11:00 (depending on belt and what else I am carrying on it) has become a habit.

Incidentally, do you know which way your magazines are facing in your carrier? I make sure I position mine with the front of the mag facing towards my front. That way, when I grab it, my left index finger is laying along the front of the mag and helps me guide it into the magazine well during a reload.

[troglodyte]

XDm with at least one spare mag.

BUGs interest me but I don't know where I'd carry it. My beltline is already busy and by the time I could get it out of an ankle holster it probably wouldn't do me any good. I'm not opposed to the idea, just haven't figured out how to make it work for me.

[philip964]

https://www.click2houston.com/news/loca ... olice-say/

If your thinking of not carrying extra ammo, here is a recent video of a convenience store robbery in Houston.

I especially like the BG brandishing two full size guns, one in each hand.

[Rafe]

I honestly don't listen much to arguments telling me why I don't need spare magazines. Statistically, I don't need to carry a firearm at all. Statistically, I don't need fire extinguishers in the house, either.

John Correia would no doubt laugh at me when I tell him that I always have two spare mags on the hip opposite my primary carry gun, whether that means my 1911...or my Springer XDm, with 15+1 rounds in the gun (I download the mags by one) and 30 rounds on the other hip. Yep; 46 rounds walkin' around. But hey: the weight doesn't bother me so much as the balance. I'd rather carry two 60 lb suitcases than one that's 40 lbs. The Springer usually gets winter-only duty, so in southeast Texas that means a 1911 about 75% of the time. And like others have mentioned, I don't view spare mags so much as extra round count as I do as a failure drill requirement or the ability to quickly reload at a lull in the unfortunate action; been trained to switch out to a fully charged mag whenever practical.

I'm not rich enough to carry two identical guns. Not a fan of cellar-dwelling 1911s, so if I'm ever involved in an incident I'd rather the LEOs confiscate one $1,500 1911 and leave me with another at home, than take both of them. Also, frankly, I would have to retrain myself to carry like a cowboy with one on each hip. As it is, as soon as the "action" stalls my left hand would slap down to my left hip expecting to find a magazine there.

I answered the poll with "Back up gun and spare ammo," but it's never 100% of the time. My BUG is an actual BUG: a pocket carry. Yeah, sort of a mouse gun. But back to statistics, most kinetic gunwork for civilians will be at close distance. If my primary fails, and if a clearance drill and new magazine doesn't solve the problem, it's highly unlikely that I'll then need to be engaging targets at 25 yards with my, er, mouse gun. Most likely, it will be at a distance that may be about the same as using my blade...which I do always carry at least one of (a fixed blade horizontal at the back of my belt if normal untucked Blackhawk or 5.11 shirt over a T-shirt, but always a Kershaw folder).

If I need to dress up, the primary handgun may have to stay behind and the Kershaw get unclipped and just ride inside a pocket. Even with a shoulder holster, it just isn't practical to carry much of anything in a suit and tie; suits aren't cut like they were in the '50s. The BUG is with me at those times, though, and the pocket carry and small size make it easy to lock-up in the console safe if I have to go into a building where I can't carry.

I hate to admit--from a tactics and training perspective--that I vary what and where I carry dependent upon clothes, but it's a mostly unavoidable fact. No primary, the BUG goes into the right pants pocket and a spare mag for it in the left. That's actually the main reason I always carry the BUG: I'm acclimated to having it with me even if dress/location doesn't allow primary carry. So if I don't carry it when I do have the primary, I feel like a situation could happen where I'd expect it to be there...and it wouldn't be.

With the primary and two mags, I'll carry an extra mag for the BUG only if I'm wearing 5.11-style cargo pants. If cargoes, I'll also have an extra folder in the mix and a bigger flashlight. My EDC flash is a Streamlight MicroStream; tiny, can be carried all the time, and will do the job for target identification, but not really a force multiplier in low-light situations.

Also have a 6"-long sturdy, aircraft aluminum tube pepper spray on my keychain. The macho among us might chuckle, but hey. Truth is we may already be at bad breath distance and in the grasp before we can take action, so if a spritz to the eyes can help me quickly clear distance for a better defensive implement, I'll carry it. It's also strong enough to be used as a kubotan if needed.

[The Annoyed Man]

I've been reading a lot of posts on "The Pistol Forum." A lot of the LEOs pointed out that what ever takes out your primary weapon might also take out you strong hand. I carry my bug at 9-o-clock, available to weak hand. By this time, I'd be in deep manure. This would be my last chance to take out the BG. I've trained with the BUG on the range. With no sights to speak of, and shooting weak hand, I was surprised to find that at 20 yards, I could still hit the 8 ring.
While it's not a senecio I want to try out, I do feel that I've got a back up plan.

I am glad you practiced with the weak hand. That is important to know how to do. A little trickier, but I always recommended that you carry the BUG where it is available to either hand. Best case scenario (other than not getting in a shooting or needing it) is that your primary malfunctions and you can pull the BUG with the weak hand and transfer it to the strong hand. But, you don't know which hand may be injured, so pulling it with the weak hand or strong hand may be necessary.

My habit is to carry 2 magazines of spare ammo. This is the way I was taught and required to do while in uniform. Over the years, carrying OWB at the 3:00 position with spare ammo at 9:00 to 11:00 (depending on belt and what else I am carrying on it) has become a habit.

Incidentally, do you know which way your magazines are facing in your carrier? I make sure I position mine with the front of the mag facing towards my front. That way, when I grab it, my left index finger is laying along the front of the mag and helps me guide it into the magazine well during a reload.

No bug, 2 spare mags (G19). I do practice shooting with my offside hand. Since I carry AIWB, I can reach my holstered pistol with my offside hand if I have to. As to which way my spare mags face, my mag carriers all force the mags to be facing front-forwards.

[srothstein]

I've been reading a lot of posts on "The Pistol Forum." A lot of the LEOs pointed out that what ever takes out your primary weapon might also take out you strong hand. I carry my bug at 9-o-clock, available to weak hand. By this time, I'd be in deep manure. This would be my last chance to take out the BG. I've trained with the BUG on the range. With no sights to speak of, and shooting weak hand, I was surprised to find that at 20 yards, I could still hit the 8 ring.
While it's not a senecio I want to try out, I do feel that I've got a back up plan.

I am glad you practiced with the weak hand. That is important to know how to do. A little trickier, but I always recommended that you carry the BUG where it is available to either hand. Best case scenario (other than not getting in a shooting or needing it) is that your primary malfunctions and you can pull the BUG with the weak hand and transfer it to the strong hand. But, you don't know which hand may be injured, so pulling it with the weak hand or strong hand may be necessary.

My habit is to carry 2 magazines of spare ammo. This is the way I was taught and required to do while in uniform. Over the years, carrying OWB at the 3:00 position with spare ammo at 9:00 to 11:00 (depending on belt and what else I am carrying on it) has become a habit.

Incidentally, do you know which way your magazines are facing in your carrier? I make sure I position mine with the front of the mag facing towards my front. That way, when I grab it, my left index finger is laying along the front of the mag and helps me guide it into the magazine well during a reload.

No bug, 2 spare mags (G19). I do practice shooting with my offside hand. Since I carry AIWB, I can reach my holstered pistol with my offside hand if I have to. As to which way my spare mags face, my mag carriers all force the mags to be facing front-forwards.

TAM, somehow there was never a doubt in my mind that you would know which way your mags faced.