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How many AR mags are "enough"
- Thread starter Hohn
- Start date
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https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/accessories-gear/328725-latest-deal-pmags-thread.html
AngryRooster
Master
Mags are a wearable item. They get lost and damaged. Stock them while they are cheap and avoid this:
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MohawkSlim
Expert
During the last panic I sold firearms for 2-3 times their normal value. I sold magazines for 5+ times their value. As such, magazines are a much better firearms-related investment. Plus, they're smaller (easier to store, move) and they require a smaller initial investment.
I love trading magazines for guns, ammo, etc. Since I have a "hoard" I don't miss moving out 20, 30, even 50 mags at a time and I'm able to leverage my trade value since folks see that huge amount of mags as a great value for their trade, whatever that may be. A dude with a new AR who has one magazine might just trade his old SKS for a stack of magazines. It's a great deal for him because he bought it back when they were $100 and he doesn't want to pay $8 each for mags. I can offer him double digit magazines and he can trade me his old gun. Win-win!
The other reason for having "bags of mags" is when you're defending a position, granny may not be there to reload. I know a lot of fast shooters. I know very few fast mag loaders. If you have the luxury of taking a break in battle to reload your magazines, great. But, typically, the attacker gets to choose the duration of an attack. If he overwhelms your position while you're out of loaded mags chances are good he'll win the engagement. I don't want to be in that situation. I want to have enough magazines to defend my position indefinitely.
I love trading magazines for guns, ammo, etc. Since I have a "hoard" I don't miss moving out 20, 30, even 50 mags at a time and I'm able to leverage my trade value since folks see that huge amount of mags as a great value for their trade, whatever that may be. A dude with a new AR who has one magazine might just trade his old SKS for a stack of magazines. It's a great deal for him because he bought it back when they were $100 and he doesn't want to pay $8 each for mags. I can offer him double digit magazines and he can trade me his old gun. Win-win!
The other reason for having "bags of mags" is when you're defending a position, granny may not be there to reload. I know a lot of fast shooters. I know very few fast mag loaders. If you have the luxury of taking a break in battle to reload your magazines, great. But, typically, the attacker gets to choose the duration of an attack. If he overwhelms your position while you're out of loaded mags chances are good he'll win the engagement. I don't want to be in that situation. I want to have enough magazines to defend my position indefinitely.
I don't buy AR mags off the internet store sites. I keep an eye on Craigslist, Armslist, etc., and whenever I go to the shows I try to buy in bulk. Most of the "sky is falling" hoarders are now dealing with the aftermath of a Trump win and Christmas season spending. The deals are out there.
A good rule of thumb is to have a minimum of 10 magazines and 1000 rounds of ammunition per piece. This refers to training ammo and allows for enough magazines to rotate through training and carrying. If you have defensive ammo that you carry, you should change that out annually at a minimum. Some guys only train with their defensive ammo and that never becomes an issue unless there is a bad lot from the manufacturer.
Save your fingers and get one of these. Love mine! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Maglula-Magazine-Loader-and-Unloader-M16-AR15-LULA/36156704
Here's my reasons why I have a lot of mags:
*When I go to the range, I am there to shoot. I don't want to spend my time reloading mags, and I don't make it to the range often enough to want to use that time stuffing mags.
*I also color code some mags. I have 10 go-to mags that are cleaned inside and out and filled with my preferred ammo that are one color. The mags I use at the range for training are usually wrapped in orange, and white duct tape with my name sharpie'd on them so they're more easily found where they were dropped in grasses/weeds/mud/puddles or whatever. I use another color duct tape for 300 black out mags just for safety sake.
*Nostalgia. While I'm a big believer in the virtues of the Pmag and I have nothing but love for the business model Magpul has laid out, sometimes I just I also enjoy shooting an aluminum mag I like I had from everyone's favorite uncle sam years ago. Sometimes I go really old school and break out the c-products stainless mags just because.
*Family. Most of my family members are sheep and if the day comes when there's a wake up call they will need mags. I know a lot of people take a nasty attitude about sleeping sheep and "screw em if they didn't prep on their own" type of mindset, but I'm not that way. If hard times come I want to be able to hand every male member of the family a rifle of some type with more than just a few mags.
*Kids and grandkids. Along the same lines as my family reasons above, if the laws ever change I want my kids and grandkids to at least be able to get their hands on something. Laws are a single vote from changing and not all things get grandfathered in.
*Capacity & sizes. I think I'm one of the few guys on the internet that has a preference towards the 20rd mag for a lot of reasons. I can stick a 20rd mag in a coat pocket very easily and it's unnoticed. I can use a 20rd mag on a bench or prone without it touching what's below it. It's less clumbsy to carry an AR with a 20 round mag, at least for me. Bottom line, lots of reasons for different capacity of magazines for different uses, then we're back at square one with 20rd mags for training, 20rd mags for serious use that are colored differently and treated a little better.
*My favorite reason, is that people who don't like me being free don't like me to own the amount of magazines that I'm working towards. Lots of liberals and plenty of conservatives out there would sell you/me/us out in a heartbeat if it benefited them enough to do it. I buy mags and let the federal bean counters be aware of the record sales of those companies. I consider being a responsible gun owner and well trained citizen part of my civic duty and I expect it out of myself as a father and husband.
Having said all of that, I'm a little surprised my "latest deal on Pmag thread?" is still going strong.
*When I go to the range, I am there to shoot. I don't want to spend my time reloading mags, and I don't make it to the range often enough to want to use that time stuffing mags.
*I also color code some mags. I have 10 go-to mags that are cleaned inside and out and filled with my preferred ammo that are one color. The mags I use at the range for training are usually wrapped in orange, and white duct tape with my name sharpie'd on them so they're more easily found where they were dropped in grasses/weeds/mud/puddles or whatever. I use another color duct tape for 300 black out mags just for safety sake.
*Nostalgia. While I'm a big believer in the virtues of the Pmag and I have nothing but love for the business model Magpul has laid out, sometimes I just I also enjoy shooting an aluminum mag I like I had from everyone's favorite uncle sam years ago. Sometimes I go really old school and break out the c-products stainless mags just because.
*Family. Most of my family members are sheep and if the day comes when there's a wake up call they will need mags. I know a lot of people take a nasty attitude about sleeping sheep and "screw em if they didn't prep on their own" type of mindset, but I'm not that way. If hard times come I want to be able to hand every male member of the family a rifle of some type with more than just a few mags.
*Kids and grandkids. Along the same lines as my family reasons above, if the laws ever change I want my kids and grandkids to at least be able to get their hands on something. Laws are a single vote from changing and not all things get grandfathered in.
*Capacity & sizes. I think I'm one of the few guys on the internet that has a preference towards the 20rd mag for a lot of reasons. I can stick a 20rd mag in a coat pocket very easily and it's unnoticed. I can use a 20rd mag on a bench or prone without it touching what's below it. It's less clumbsy to carry an AR with a 20 round mag, at least for me. Bottom line, lots of reasons for different capacity of magazines for different uses, then we're back at square one with 20rd mags for training, 20rd mags for serious use that are colored differently and treated a little better.
*My favorite reason, is that people who don't like me being free don't like me to own the amount of magazines that I'm working towards. Lots of liberals and plenty of conservatives out there would sell you/me/us out in a heartbeat if it benefited them enough to do it. I buy mags and let the federal bean counters be aware of the record sales of those companies. I consider being a responsible gun owner and well trained citizen part of my civic duty and I expect it out of myself as a father and husband.
Having said all of that, I'm a little surprised my "latest deal on Pmag thread?" is still going strong.
6 topped off and ready at all times in each rifle case (that's 12 total right now, but hopefully more soon!!). 12 more in the SHTF bag. That's 720 rounds and 2 rifles that can leave the house as quickly as I can. If 720 rounds and 2 rifles can't get my family where we need to go, I guess we are screwed.
8-10 beaters that are rotated through for range trips & competitions, replaced as needed. Always try to keep some NIP, as mohawkslim stated above. Nice bartering and trading tools. Again, try to buy at least one on any trip to somewhere that stocks them.
So I guess my answer is about 32+/-, with another 10 or so NIP. Much less for pistol, as this would be used only in an emergency to retrieve the rifles or flee the fight.
8-10 beaters that are rotated through for range trips & competitions, replaced as needed. Always try to keep some NIP, as mohawkslim stated above. Nice bartering and trading tools. Again, try to buy at least one on any trip to somewhere that stocks them.
So I guess my answer is about 32+/-, with another 10 or so NIP. Much less for pistol, as this would be used only in an emergency to retrieve the rifles or flee the fight.
It's in the accessories and gear forum.
BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 25,897
- 113
This is a big driver. Particularly if you're paying for a set block of time. If you've got your own property or have all day, you can reload one mag over and over if you want. If you X minutes, having your mags preloaded before checking in means more drills ran.
I keep 3 loaded with duty ammo and they do nothing but duty use, they are not for training.
3 replacements for when those are in time out in the evidence room.
5 for training.
Then I've got "some" still in the plastic for when I break one or wear one out. Magazines are consumable items.
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