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.
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?
I bought a used Savage 99 that came with only one mag.
They weren’t cheap, but found two more online and that should suffice for a infrequently used hunting gun.
For my EDC carry gun I’m up to about thirty mags now and it has really helped me with points 1-4 that you mention above.
Especially not having to jam mags between relays at classes is a huge benefit.
Yup, those 99’s probably don’t need 30 mags, but a couple spares is always a good idea. I lost a magazine on a hunt one time. That will never happen again. For EDC, 30 mags is good start, lol. How do you like that 99? I have always admired them but have never had one.
I am always amazed at people cheaping out on mags. Buy good mags, usually, but not always, factory mags, for you guns. Do not buy the cheapest you can get, just because they are cheap. I’ve seen so many people have issues with cheap, crappy, mags over the years that I’ve lost count. I’ve heard nightmares from friends in various units about the same thing. And clean them too, so many people won’t do it, even after spending a day on a sandy or loose dirt range, stuff gets in there and jams em up, regardless of how “perfect” they are.
Preach on! This seems so basic to us but can’t be said enough. Similarly, the number of guys who will buy a fairly expensive gun snd ask to train with it, but then show up with the mags it came with and no more. Really? Get thee some mags!