How many mags to you USE?

[BMyers]

I take 20 mags to IDPA match with  me. They are pre-loaded and ready to go. Most of the time they have 5 stages, which is 3 mags a stage. Since I'm usually running the scorepad or the stage, I can just swab out mags and be ready to go and don't have to spend anytime loading mags and can focus in on helping out.

 

[Bucky]

22 hours ago, fortyofforty said:

Having lived through the Democrat Magazine Ban of the 1990s, I now have bins full of high capacity magazines for each of my primary weapons.  I have enough to supply my own needs, and pass them out to neighbors in the event of mass unrest.

This. I never considered overstocking on magazines until this happened. 

Competition guns, I take a minimum of 6 with me to a match. One time I brought 16 to a match, because the ground conditions were bad, and the thought was if one got excessively dirty, I could put it aside and clean it when I get home. 

[t4terrific]

I always see "how many mags should I own" threads all over the net, and photos of guys with 30+ mags per gun. I'm guilty of having between 5-8 mags per firearm and usually keep my eye out for cheap used ones to toss in the bin.

But honestly, how many mags do you use? And by that I mean, at the range, or taking a class, or shooting an event... how many mags do you bring with you and use on a regular basis.

I maintain two dedicated range mags for each pistol. I use the same tow mags for all pistols that they are designed for. (2 1911 mags are used for all five .45 Auto 1911’s...).

 

If I have a failure, I’ll mark the magazine. If I get too many marks, I’ll ditch the mag or re-spring it, depending on cost or availability.

[fortyofforty]

Two points:  I have magazines dedicated for range use (as described above).  Range mags get dropped, stepped on, kicked, and rolled in mud and dirt.  They are also kept in the trunk of my vehicle, so I always have them.

Second point is that I have tons and tons of 30-round AR magazines.  I keep telling myself that I will discard them when they break, or cause malfunctions.  The problem is that they don't break very often.  I anticipated a much shorter lifespan for AR magazines, but my reality is that they last and last.  I have a mixture of Brownells and Magpul, various generations.  Prices are relatively reasonable, still.

Think about it:  even if no new high-capacity magazines were made starting now, millions of them are still floating around.  Unless the government plans to go around rounding them up, criminals would always be able to get their hands on some.  Forcing honest citizens to limit themselves to ten rounds is heartless.  Typical, but heartless.

[blueiron]

I once counted my P-Mags. I could supply a coup d'etat or revolution in much of Central America.   

[Smokey45]

I have many mags for most of the guns I own. More than that for the guns I actually use regularly.  For practice days, I preload magazines to save time on the range. I load mags until I get tired of it. Usually 7-10 magazines. On match day I carry twice the number of magazines I think I'll use. I like to have spares for everything, including duplicate firearms. 

s45 

[Fyrtwuck]

It depends. If it’s just a fun trip to the range, I’ll carry five pistol magazines. I carry my reloads in 50 round boxes. I load ten per magazine, shoot fifty, take a break and repeat. 

 

If im going to a match, I’ll preplan for the match. 

Example. Steel challenge. Six stages, five strings of five rounds each. I shoot PCC so I carry six 30 round magazines and two 15 round magazines. One of the 15 round mags is for use in the final string and the other is backup and usually never needed. Ammo is checked and magazines are preloaded the day before. 

I do this because I hear too many people whining, “why is it taking so long?”, “why didn’t they bring more magazines?”.  So, I preplan, shoot my stage and throw my used mags into a separate pocket on my bag and listen to the others whine.   

When it comes to how many I need? As many as I can find and store. I survived the AWB of 94-04 and I won’t ever have that problem again. California and the east coast are excellent examples of what can happen with a signature from a politicians pen. 

Edited July 25, 2018 by Fyrtwuck

[willieH]

Just one...

[G21H30]

I shoot 6 different divisions at a GSSF match. I have 11 magazines plus 4 backup magazines to use if a reshoot is required for a total of 15 magazines per division. My wife shoots 4 divisions and has 15 magazines per divisions.

[Paper Tiger]

I want as many as I expect to need in my lifetime.. what I take to the range is (3) mags pistol and (4) mags rifle. 

[Smokey45]

I don't know how many magazines I have, but I know I need more. Just took delivery of another 6 Magpul 12rd Glock 26 magazines. 

 

s45

[PATCHMAN]

For my 2 G19s, I have 9 mags.  Plus 6 of those 10-rounder mags that I got back in 2004 when the Clinton AWB sunsetted and I got them for a great deal.  

[PNWguy]

I have 5 for both my G35 and G29, but that's because I need that many for GSSF matches.