Seems obvious, but magazines are a really important part of many guns. If your gun gets shot a lot and uses magazines, you probably know what I’m talking about. Lots of people I see though don’t seem to know what I’m talking about.
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If you have a neat gun that you bought on a whim and only shoot it once a year to remind you how it used to be done, then a mag or two is probably fine. On the other hand, if you carry and like to train with a modern gun, then more mags are better. How many more? I feel ok with 3 magazines set up to carry, three tested but otherwise new mags in reserve, and 10 mags available for training, so that the first six are babied.
I feel better if I have double that number in all categories. If you are really nutty like me, then more than double is ‘mo better. Here are my not-so-scientific reasons.
- You can load them all up in advance and not waste range time.
- You can shoot a bunch of reps or a bunch of drills without having to stop and reload.
- If a mag fails on you it doesn’t end your range day.
- Related to point 2, you can go through an entire day of formal training without having to load a mag. Save that for the hotel at night. This allows you to be relaxed off the line and pay more attention and have more fun.
- You can leave some loaded mags in your vehicle to supplement what you are carrying.
- You can leave other mags (and ammo and ears and…)in your vehicle in case you end up on a range unexpectedly. It happens.
- You can give a mag to a buddy or a stranger in need and not feel like you are losing vital capability. The Dave Ramsey magazine theory.
Finally, magazines are disposable, even the very expensive ones. If you use them long enough, some will eventually fail and need to be destroyed. This should not cause you grief but rather, joy. With modern magazines, it takes a lot of shooting to wear out most mags. I’m not talking about needing a new baseplate or spring, I’m talking about feed lips cracking, bending, shifting, or any other catastrophic failure that might occur. If you have shot enough to have this happen, congratulations! You probably have some skill to show for it, and ultimately, magazines are cheap. Did I mention they are necessary too?
