How many mags should a recreational shooter stock?

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  • Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Minimum of 2 per gun. But more is better.

    I would not go out and buy 10 or 20 at once. I buy 1 or 2, here and there, over time.

    Unless it is something like a deal on Pmags or I am shopping out of state. :)
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    Well...

    I try to keep at least 4 on hand for sidearm, but my HK has 6, and my glock has 10, the xD has another 6.

    As for the AR I must be slacking because I only have 3 that are on constant range duty with 3 backups. I think I almost forgot to mention the other 17 mags that are fully loaded, just sitting on the shelf. Damn, I need to get more mags when the lunacy dies down a little bit more, need to get up to 20-25 loaded mags.
     

    hogarth

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 13, 2009
    2,504
    To the OP: were you in Annapolis in February and March? Heard what happened in Colorado, NY, NJ, here in MD?

    I would buy as many as I could.
     

    Cliff P

    Member
    Mar 22, 2013
    79
    Bel Air
    As a rule, I require at a minimum 7 per battle rifle. 7 EA 30rd magazines is commonly known as the "battle load-out". 6 for sidearms.

    Yes, that's PER rifle and PER sidearm. Always have a plan to expect the unexpected. I'd rather reload rifle mags at 200 spent rounds, than 60.
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,407
    Glen Burnie
    I have 7, 15 rounders for my 226. I'm fine. 1911 doesn't matter. And honestly, no life changing difference between 12 or 10 rounds for a 229. Although plenty of 229 mags.

    But here are your NY approved mags :)


    sent from somewhere in the world.
     

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    Mickey the Dragon

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 19, 2009
    1,315
    Ohio
    As a rule, I require at a minimum 7 per battle rifle. 7 EA 30rd magazines is commonly known as the "battle load-out". 6 for sidearms.

    Yes, that's PER rifle and PER sidearm. Always have a plan to expect the unexpected. I'd rather reload rifle mags at 200 spent rounds, than 60.

    We roll 7 and 4, but I'm also in the Air Force, so what do I know? Regardles of the branch of service, the principle remains the same. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
     

    Cliff P

    Member
    Mar 22, 2013
    79
    Bel Air
    We roll 7 and 4, but I'm also in the Air Force, so what do I know? Regardles of the branch of service, the principle remains the same. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

    To be completely honest, I'm not sure what those that were privileged to have sidearms used as basic load (I'm prior service Army).

    Your last sentence says it best though, regardless of what branch of service you're in or were in. :party29:
     

    tennisdr

    Active Member
    Apr 22, 2012
    112
    Better to have extra an not need them, than to need them and not have them.
    At the end of the day, most mags keep their value so you can always resell if you decide not to need them down the road.
     

    Robert1955

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 25, 2012
    1,614
    Glen Burnie
    I currently have 6 factory 17 rounders for my Glock. With the way I hear Glocks breed once you let one in the house I may need to get a few more :D
     

    phx223

    Member at Large
    Feb 15, 2010
    1,517
    West of MD, East of CA
    Why a lot of mags?

    I for one don't really buy into the idea that I need a stockpile of mags to fight off invaders. But having gone through the 94-04 mag ban I have a large supply of mags so I don't have to baby my mags when out shooting.

    And this is what you asked about, recreational shooting, so I address that specific question.

    How many?

    That's a harder question. Magazines are a wear item, semi disposable. As soon as the 94-04 ban lifted I bought 10 more AR 30 rounders, and I've bought a few more here or there, sticking with a few makers and not really experimenting with the latest and greatest.
     

    pakman916

    Active Member
    Apr 23, 2011
    143
    MoCo, MD
    I totally get the whole "might be banned" notion. But still, most of the people I talk to (and some of those that have already responded to this thread) say buy as much as possible. (when it comes to ARs).

    I'm fairly new to purchasing firearms. And with Oct 1st rolling around, I'm trying to make as many purchases as possible and then hunker down. Each pistol I own, I have 4-6 mags. Each rifle, I have 4-6. The only exception was the AR, which I bought quite a few because of the shortage these past few months. But now I'm doing inventory on my supplies and I'm looking at these AR mags thinking to myself..."when am I ever going to need the other 15 magazines in my stash?" I almost want to sell them so that I can purchase one more gun with it. But then I keep hearing "buy more"...and it makes me wonder.

    The Battle Load out makes sense. But still, that's less than 10 mags. But I guess if we're talking "per" rifle...then having 20-30 is not that bad.

    Thanks for the feedback all. I guess I'll hold onto my investment. Just need to tell myself not to buy more. :)
     

    SWO Daddy

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 18, 2011
    2,468
    Most of the gun enthusiast that I know seem to stockpile on mags. I never really understood why. I realize that a mag is a gun part that can eventually go fail over time, but why stockpile. Why not just replace it when it goes bad?

    How many magazines do you typically purchase per gun and why?

    My thought would be 3-5 mags per gun is enough to keep on hand.

    Because when the gov't (state, or fed) bans them, you need not only enough for the rest of your lifetime, but your children's lifetime...and hopefully your children's children.
     

    iH8DemLibz

    When All Else Fails.
    Apr 1, 2013
    25,396
    Libtardistan
    I like to pre-load my mag's so when I am at the range it make shooting more smooth and I have to spend less time loading mag well in the really loud range.

    Thanks
    Robert

    Loading magazines at your house and then taking them to the range to save 120 seconds is a really bad idea.

    The police frown on such things. A lot of ranges frown on such things to.

    I was told you can't even have rounds inserted in the elastic cartridge carriers that slip over a buttstock.

    Be careful.

    Just my .02
     

    JohnCard

    Member
    Jan 15, 2013
    58
    My understanding is that the springs are the part of mags which fail and limit their useful life. Is that correct, and if so, how hard is it to get replacement springs?
     

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