View Full Version : How many MAGS is "ENOUGH"???
BUCK OFAMA
02-09-09, 19:10
Just wondering how many AR mags everyone here keeps stockpiled. To be honest, until I bought my AR (and Barry "The Turd" Hussein showed up) I'd never kept many spare mags for any of my guns. Got two for each handgun, and maybe six for my AK.
That all changed after November 4th.
I finished ordering all the parts (except for a BCG...if anyone's got a lead on one) for my LMT build a couple weeks ago, and since then I've been buying mags here and there, wherever they show up. I bought another five for my AK, and then started stocking up on AR mags. So far in February I've purchased...
10 Lancers
10 Magpuls
2 Standard Brownells USGI
7 Brownells 30rd with MP follower
5 D&H gray 30rd with MP followers
So that's 34 mags.
I won't be arriving back stateside for another couple months, but before I do I'm hoping to get orders in for at least another 10 D&H (blk teflon 30rd), another 5 Lancers and another 5 Magpuls...and more if I've still got cash laying around.
I know quite a few people have well over a hundred mags in stock, but I was just wondering how many each of you keep on hand?
How many mags is enough for you?
You can never have enough mags. Ever.
Jay Cunningham
02-09-09, 19:16
As many as you can carry - about six, in my case. Everything else gets left behind if you need to move rapidly. More than that is nice but quite literally "more than enough."
As many as you can carry - about six, in my case. Everything else gets left behind if you need to move rapidly. More than that is nice but quite literally "more than enough."
Oh, I thought he meant how many in general. Oops. For my answer to that, see above post. For Katar's version, I say 8.
Jay Cunningham
02-09-09, 19:23
Oh, I thought he meant how many in general. Oops. For my answer to that, see above post. For Katar's version, I say 8.
There's no answer to "how many should you have stockpiled". But "enough?" Yeah, six or seven...
There's no answer to "how many should you have stockpiled".
Yes there is, it's "as many as your wife will allow you to have". :p
HiggsBoson
02-09-09, 19:59
Yes there is, it's "as many as your wife will allow you to have". :p
I was already trying to figure out where I can stash 1K rounds of ammo for each type (.40S&W and .223/5.56) without my wife finding it. Now I have to figure out where to put all the magazines too!
How many is enough? That's like having too much sex, too much ammo, or too much money. It can't realistically happen.
I think for now, though, I will at least pause when I reach 20 or so of each flavor (PMAG and USGI). For me, 40-50 minimum, preferably all with Magpul followers and ranger plates/pulls. That's a long ways off at the moment.
I found a place that carries 20-packs of D&H USGI for $269, and I am thinking I should at least do that until I can find an unattended truckload of PMAGs somewhere. :rolleyes: That way, I have the metal ones covered. I can get more of those later pretty easily. I suspect it will be a long while before I can get enough PMAGs to be satisfied. I had a catastrophic failure of a Lancer the other day, so they're off the wish-list for me right now. It was my dumbass fault, but I still can't trust them anymore.
QuickStrike
02-09-09, 20:03
Forty-two.
Edit: J/K, I feel that 30 is enough for me right now.
Ten loaded for use
Ten for practice
Ten for back-up
ChristopherM4
02-09-09, 20:07
I had a catastrophic failure of a Lancer the other day, so they're off the wish-list for me right now. It was my dumbass fault, but I still can't trust them anymore.
What was the failure?
Topher
QuietShootr
02-09-09, 20:08
I think of it like this. I break or otherwise render unserviceable about +/-5 magazines a year from training, and realistically speaking I might be able to keep up the pace for another 20 years, so I need a hundred magazines just to keep up with wearing them out. Add another hundred or so to have in warm storage, and some spares and so on, I think about 250 or so would keep a reasonably serious shooter in good shape for a long time.
As many as you can carry - about six, in my case. Everything else gets left behind if you need to move rapidly. More than that is nice but quite literally "more than enough."
I carried FAR more than 6 in Iraq. Typically 15, 6 on my vest , 1 in my weapon, 1on my weapon, 4 in a drop leg, the rest in and on my camelbak. That was just what I had on me, I kept 2 bandoleers(6 apiece) in my pig(vehicle). As a saw gunner before that I carried 3 200rnd drums and about 10 mags. :D
QuickStrike
02-09-09, 20:12
I think of it like this. I break or otherwise render unserviceable about +/-5 magazines a year from training, and realistically speaking I might be able to keep up the pace for another 20 years, so I need a hundred magazines just to keep up with wearing them out. Add another hundred or so to have in warm storage, and some spares and so on, I think about 250 or so would keep a reasonably serious shooter in good shape for a long time.
Pmags? Do you use them as melee/throwing weapons? :cool:
QuietShootr
02-09-09, 20:16
I carried FAR more than 6 in Iraq. Typically 15, 6 on my vest , 1 in my weapon, 1on my weapon, 4 in a drop leg, the rest in and on my camelbak. That was just what I had on me, I kept 2 bandoleers(6 apiece) in my pig(vehicle). As a saw gunner before that I carried 3 200rnd drums and about 10 mags. :D
Yeah. My Wasatch that I've used for years is configured to carry 16 M4 magazines and six 1911 mags. There are 12 in the internal carriers and four in a shingle as the emergency load.
Uncle Pat takes great pleasure in the "Fire two rounds from every magazine on your body" drill when I'm on the line.
QuietShootr
02-09-09, 20:19
Pmags? Do you use them as melee/throwing weapons? :cool:
No, I haven't broken a Pmag yet. I have had welds pop loose on USGI mags, feed lips crack, and mag bodies swell.
I have tried like hell to break a couple of Pmags, including the truck tire test, beating them on Pepper Poppers (I guess I DID use it for a melee weapon:D) and throwing them into piles of rocks. I'm a believer.
Enough is just one more.....
-RD62
Lets see...
146-30rd PMAG
2- 20rd PMAG
71-30rd USGI (mix of DSG/Cprod)
3- 20rd USGI (Colt)
1-30rd Lancer5
223 Mags total.
I'm not buying mags right now.
As soon as those E-Mags are out, I'm in for 50 or so.
John
QuickStrike
02-09-09, 20:27
No, I haven't broken a Pmag yet. I have had welds pop loose on USGI mags, feed lips crack, and mag bodies swell.
I have tried like hell to break a couple of Pmags, including the truck tire test, beating them on Pepper Poppers (I guess I DID use it for a melee weapon:D) and throwing them into piles of rocks. I'm a believer.
I'm going to make my USGI mags my training mags.
With the availability of Pmags nowadays, I wouldn't even drive over one with my ultra-tuff 2 door civic... :D
HiggsBoson
02-09-09, 20:31
What was the failure?
Topher
I guess I shouldn't really call it catastrophic, but it could have been fairly serious if I hadn't noticed the problem before putting it back in the rotation. My confession:
I hate to admit it, but I hadn't secured the magazine properly, and when I was adjusting my sling, the (fully loaded) magazine dropped out of the magwell... to fall ass-first on the tile floor ~4 feet below. It was waist-height, and I am guestimating the distance, but that's about how high it was. The clip on one end of the L plate snapped, allowing the plate to protrude out of the bottom and start working it's way loose. Their website states the L5 mag "withstands 5’ drop, fully loaded onto concrete", but my experience does not really support that claim. I'll write to them and see about possibly getting it replaced. I do not mention this to give Lancer a bad rap or anything; I didn't really expect a magazine to function all that well after a fall from 4' onto my tile/concrete floor, but I am not comfortable buying more of them for now.
QuietShootr
02-09-09, 20:33
I'm going to make my USGI mags my training mags.
With the availability of Pmags nowadays, I wouldn't even drive over one with my ultra-tuff 2 door civic... :D
Oh, agreed - this was last summer when I was getting as many as I wanted from Brownells for $12.95/each.
Yes there is, it's "as many as your wife will allow you to have". :p
LOL!!! Maybe if she were the boss, she would have a say so! But she isn't.
I have 30. Only 4 of which are 20 rounders.
dog
How many mags is enough for you?
Only ARFCOM can answer a question this PROFOUND!
HiggsBoson
02-09-09, 21:07
Only ARFCOM can answer a question this PROFOUND!
He'd post it over there, but it'd start a 50-page flamewar. :D
thopkins22
02-09-09, 21:11
Lets see...
146-30rd PMAG
2- 20rd PMAG
71-30rd USGI (mix of DSG/Cprod)
3- 20rd USGI (Colt)
1-30rd Lancer5
223 Mags total.
I'm not buying mags right now.
As soon as those E-Mags are out, I'm in for 50 or so.
John
Wow dude. All for how many guns? Why the E-Mags? Do you have a 416? Or just on the chance that you'll buy one in the future?
He'd post it over there, but it'd start a 50-page flamewar. :D
Bring up the new tango down mags and you could get another 5 pages.;)
Forty-two.
....
H2G2 LOL The answer to everything!
On me:
7~8 30rd USGI.
Available:
103 30rd USGI mixed (+20 more inbound)
35 30rd PMAGs
4 20rd USGI
1 30rd Thermold (hey, it works in my Bushmaster Arm Pistol!)
Needed: At any given time... just 10 more.... LOL
Wow dude. All for how many guns? Why the E-Mags? Do you have a 416? Or just on the chance that you'll buy one in the future?
6ARs (4 Noveske builds, a BCM build and a LWRC M6A2)
The E-mags are for the MR556 that HK is going to put out if they every get around to it. Good guess.
john
RogerinTPA
02-09-09, 22:03
60 30 rnd USGI (20 DSG, 30 BCM, and 10 CPs. All have enhanced Magpul followers.)
4 20rnd Colt
70 Pmags (all to feed 3 AR's)
12 for M&P9
12 for M&P9c
12 for M&P40
12 for M&P45
6 for CZ82
4 for S&W22A
20 for AK Variant
= 212
I don't really know how many is enough. I always think about 12 per carbine is probably good. If we can't get more add another 12 per carbine. I can't seem to pass them up if the price is right. I think I have about;
50 USGI
12 Colt 20 rounders
12 Brownells
30 P-mags
I'm not looking for anymore.
BushmasterFanBoy
02-09-09, 22:13
10 per gun I'd say. This is assuming a steady supply of spares is available.
I personally have 12ish per carbine, but I baby my mags, so I think I'm good to go. Besides, in my shape, I'd be lucky to be able to carry my rifle with me, let alone 6 mags.:D I just got the new BFG SOC-C belt and its now my go to kit, with just 2 Eagle FB M4 mag pouches on it. I'm used used to carrying 7 on a DBT chest rig. I feel a lot better having two quick mags than 7 hard to get ones. For me, I think that is just fine. I can carry spares on my chest rig or bandoleer if I need to, but two at waist level for quick access suits me fine and lets me move a lot better than my chest rig ever did.
So I think a better question, if you are asking this from a use perspective, would be: how should I carry my mags?
trunkmonkey
02-09-09, 22:31
hmm a good subject to address.
If your number is in the hundreds I think you should put away the tinfoil hat you wear at night.
Saying as many as you can carry with you is a good start, but it's not entirely accurate.
Sure I can carry 12-15 on my person without it being too heavy. But then again I need to train too. And that requires having a few spares around.
My vote is 20 per long gun
10 per pistol
That leaves enough to both train with and take what you need when it's time.
AirmanAtwood
02-09-09, 22:43
hmm a good subject to address.
If your number is in the hundreds I think you should put away the tinfoil hat you wear at night.
Saying as many as you can carry with you is a good start, but it's not entirely accurate.
Sure I can carry 12-15 on my person without it being too heavy. But then again I need to train too. And that requires having a few spares around.
My vote is 20 per long gun
10 per pistol
That leaves enough to both train with and take what you need when it's time.
You have to take into consideration mags that need to be tossed for damage. The people that have 100+ mags, if one takes a dump and needs to be trashed, they have plenty more to replace it. Me on the other hand, I have 17 for my 1 rifle. If 1 of those takes a dump, I have to hit up the internet and order more because there is no shop where I live that sells AR mags.
I'm only holding about 75 AR mags and am not comfortable with such at low count at this time.
I have
10 pmags (will have 11 when my carbine gets here)
6 Glock mags
I also have a couple of 25 round mags for my 10/22 and 3 or 4 factory 10 rounders that I bought back in 99 when AWB was in full effect.
I carried FAR more than 6 in Iraq. Typically 15, 6 on my vest , 1 in my weapon, 1on my weapon, 4 in a drop leg, the rest in and on my camelbak. That was just what I had on me, I kept 2 bandoleers(6 apiece) in my pig(vehicle). As a saw gunner before that I carried 3 200rnd drums and about 10 mags. :D
You could probably utilize every round you carried and whatever you could scavange off of my dead self.
With my lack of training, I could probably get through 1 mag before the next of kin could effectively utilize my AR.
It really depends on your training and situation. After that, you're just hording petroilium product.
Magazines are disposable. You can never have too many. I try to have at minimum 10/gun, because you never know what might happen. With this said, I'm sitting on 30 USGI Center Industries and Okay, 22 Pmags.
as many as necessary to load ALL of your ammo in mags :D
...
My vote is 20 per long gun
10 per pistol
That leaves enough to both train with and take what you need when it's time.
About the same as I do. Except I do 20 for each. Forgot to add 40 M3 Grease Gun mags for my two AR45's.
I just ordered 6, 20 rd PMags yesterday. Hopefully, they'll be waiting on me when I get home on vacation.
I'll probably end up getting at least a half-dozen more in the future.
I have about 35 mags, and 4 ar's... I want more, but I have other projects I need to get set with first... all this hoarding gets expensive! :D
I think I have about 60 PMAG's and 30'ish aluminum and steel mags for 4 AR's. Can you ever have enough mags? Not sure...as someone pointed out factoring in things like mags that get damaged, used for training only, etc..etc...Personally I chalk it up to the category of you can never have enough ammo. My goal is to have 20K rounds of combined types of ammo on hand (7.62 NATO, 5.56, 9MM, .40 and 12a.) by the end of the year. I have at least 10 mags per Glock at the moment and since Glock just raised prices on spare parts I am going to stock up on some those things as well.
I have about 75-80 mags total, lost count. Picked up 8 Brownells mags from bravo Co. last week. I've given up on finding P-Mags right now - if I see some I'll snag them but "USGI-style" mags are fine, too.
In a month or so I'll pick up 8 more of something.
This thread has become SO "TOS" that I have no other alternative but to give the ultimate ARF reply.
87 MAGS is all you need. :rolleyes:
Jay Cunningham
02-10-09, 08:11
There's the answer: 87.
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