What would be a "real" world amount of magazine capacity

[M1NM]

10 rounds in a 10 round mag
20 rounds in a 20 round mag
30 rounds in a 30 round mag
etc.

[Jsapata]

I read this and some of the responses and thought to myself, if I had to flee for my life how many gallons of fuel would I want in my tank. The answer was easy, as many as it holds and then some.

[tacticalcity]

No shortage of police cam footage of suspects having several magazines unloaded into the by multiple officers while they continue the fight for what seems and feels like an eternity, firing just as many rounds back at the officers, before eventually collapsing due to shock and dying.

Real life is MUCH scarier than the movies. The body is amazing at overloading the brain with adrenline and overriding the pain and shock from the trauma.

So as many rounds as you can legally carry. Carry spare magazines. The more you have during the actual fight the better. But during EDC (every day carry) odds are you'll only have 1 or 2 tops.

More important than how many round your magazines can hold is proper training. Take a Tactical Pistol I course. Then take the next level course, and the next level after that. Then retake them to stay fresh periodically and continually practice what you learn there. Not only so you can guarentee your shot placement under stress but also so you completely master the manual of arms and can reload quickly, efficiently, and clear any malfunctions that might occur.

[bigger hammer]

I know quite a few people who have been in gunfights. NOT ONE of them ever told me, "I wish that I had less rounds in my gun."

The difference between 10 and 14 rounds many mean nothing in one situation, and it may mean the difference between surviving and not surviving, in another. If you can predict which situation you'll be in, you're gold.

[Trenchfoot]

Just wondered how many rounds a highly trained person might carry if they where not on the clock and might encounter dubious persons? For a chance encounter, would 2 X 14 rds 9 mm be a comfortable amount?

I would think the answer to that would be situational, depending on the clothing you were wearing, how you carry your extra mag(s) and what gun you were carrying. If you go with a belt rig, carrying 2 extra mags vs. 1 isn't a big deal. If you are pocket carrying in a T-shirt and shorts, 1 extra mag might be the most you were comfortable carrying.

For me, 1 extra mag, whether it was 10 or 15 would be the minimum I would carry. In most cases I would carry 2 extra mags. I believe in carrying as much ammo as you can comfortably carry. While the majority of encounters might be 1 on 1, if you get caught up in a situation like at the mall in Kenya, it pays to be prepared for a worst case scenario.

[postal]

.

Wonder what a trained, off-duty person might feel would be adequate? Minimum?

Highly trained like NYPD shooting/wounding like 10 civilians?

Highly trained like LAPD shooting up a BLUE Toyota truck?

Highly trained like LAPD shooting up a grey Honda Element?

Highly trained..... My skinny a%%!!!!!!

And as I already pointed out, statistically, civilians (who are often times MUCH better with firearms than those so called 'professionals'... ) typically use less than half as many bullets and survive.

Go to a match. Any match. Handgun/rifle/3 gun whatever. Ask how often a 'highly trained' professional shoots the match.... They usually only show up once... and never come back. The typical ego of a typical cop cant deal with getting SPANKED by a bunch of regular 'civilians'.

[Ronin2]

Go to a match. Any match. Handgun/rifle/3 gun whatever. Ask how often a 'highly trained' professional shoots the match.... They usually only show up once... and never come back. The typical ego of a typical cop cant deal with getting SPANKED by a bunch of regular 'civilians'.

Sad to say it but its true. Very few LEO's are truely proficient with their weapons and maintain that proficency at matches. To most LEO's the gun is just another piece of "equipment". I have been a RO/offical at the shooting portion of the police olympics several times when hosted by LASO. It was eye opening to say the least.

[Bad Caselaw]

No shortage of police cam footage of suspects having several magazines unloaded into the by multiple officers while they continue the fight for what seems and feels like an eternity, firing just as many rounds back at the officers, before eventually collapsing due to shock and dying. . .

Real life?

CDC Study On Guns

2. there were anywhere between 500,000 to 3 million defensive uses of guns, per year.

So, "no shortage of police cam footage" equates to what percentage of 500,000 to 3 million?




Caselaw

[sigstroker]

When I was instructing and large cap mags were first becoming popular, I noticed that folks with lots of rounds shot more freely, even wastefully. Shooters with only six rounds available shot more carefully.

Lesson? Shoot each round as though you have no more, don't depend on the quantity of ammo you have available.

Shooting more rounds may have a suppressive fire effect on the bad guy, where even though not hitting him, benefits you with a high-cap vs a revolver.

[jumbopanda]

More is always better, provided that your your magazine is not huge and cumbersome like a 33rd Glock mag. You may not need the extra rounds, but it doesn't hurt to have them.

[elSquid]

Go to a match. Any match. Handgun/rifle/3 gun whatever. Ask how often a 'highly trained' professional shoots the match.... They usually only show up once... and never come back. The typical ego of a typical cop cant deal with getting SPANKED by a bunch of regular 'civilians'.

I'm not sure that match competitors can be considered 'regular civilians' - they're the enthusiasts. What percentage of gun owners have shot a match? How many compete with any frequency?

If you think the average police officer is a poor shot, what about 'joe average' gun owner? I see folks at the range having a hell of a time keeping all their shots on a static target backer at 15m...

-- Michael

[NewGuy1911]

The mind opener or head slap for me was one of my first action pistol events. 4 bad targets about 6-8 ft (yes feet, 2+ yards), pistol on the bench in front reversed (right or left), sights taped up. Grab and shoot fast, I completely missed 2 (2 ft X 3 Ft) of the four bad targets. What I thought and what I could realistically do, two completely different things.


I need to get off my back side and start enjoying IDPA/Action sports

[Bad Caselaw]

I'm not sure that match competitors can be considered 'regular civilians' - they're the enthusiasts. What percentage of gun owners have shot a match? How many compete with any frequency?

If you think the average police officer is a poor shot, what about 'joe average' gun owner? I see folks at the range having a hell of a time keeping all their shots on a static target backer at 15m...

-- Michael

Went to the range yesterday and 'Joe Average' was in the lane next to me with his wife/gf. He puts up a hostage target, runs it out to Five yards, and then proceeds to put Seven rounds in the female hostage and a flesh-wound on the perp.

LMAO - no sugar tonight for that guy.


As for mag capacity for SD? Consult Trayvon or George about it.

For home defense I prefer the higher capacity pistols, as there is a better chance that I may have to advance and engage unknown targets to protect and retrieve family members in other parts of the house.


I also think Police engagements are different. The perps have to make the decision to fight an armed and armored LEO. That there is a huge psychological spike.

Some street-thug or crack-head in your house is likely just trying to get-n-go. The presence of a gun in those situations is also a huge psychological spike, in the opposite direction. They would have most likely picked a softer target had they known, since they are, at their core, cowards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwrgvqlc8DA

Caselaw

[diverwcw]

Training!

My opinion is if you carry 10 rds, whether you ccw or for HD, someone prepared should always carry another spare mag of 10 rds. If you have to pop off 2 or 6 rds to protect yourself or another, make sure you keep the mag you just used instead of discarding it and tactically reload with the extra fresh mag you have to stay in the game. As always train, train, and train.

Yes. When I go to Front Sight, I always use my 10 round magazines. I always see people from CA there who are using magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The average gun fight lasts 2 to 3 seconds with 2 to 3 rounds being fired. They hammer in tactical reloading exercises. After doing it a few times, it becomes second nature.

If I carry CCW in this state, I'll use the 10 round magazines. If I'm involved in a shooting I don't want to have the DA clear me of the shooting only to file charges against me for having a magazine that holds over 10 rounds.

If it was a SHTF situation, I think carrying a handgun with a magazine holding a standard capacity will be the very last thing the government would be worried about.

[ap3572001]

Real life magazine capacity

Its a good question .

5-6 shot two inch revolvers and single stack compact 9mm pistols are used for CCW and by off duty LEO's all over the place.

I am a little older than most, when I got into guns most common guns that were carried by people with CCW and off duty cops were 2 1/2 inch S&W K frame revolvers in 38/357 and Colt Commanders in .45ACP.

MANY people (including me) are still VERY comfortable with those guns and use them a lot.

I have 20 + in LE and government work.

Based on the most recent, realistic FORCE on FORCE training, I can tell You that:

AN ABILITY TO FIRE A LOT OF ROUNDS (w/o a need to reload) CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.