If you don't want to stock up on mags, for the AR people just invest in a "Strip Lula". Can reload mags with ammo on stripper clips or from a bulk ammo can with relative ease (and no cut fingers).
- Thread starter michael357
- Start date
I go with 12 for each rifle (not each caliber but each rifle) and am also planning to buy a case of 100 pmags just "in case". Like others have said, it would be a shame if I gave a bunch of rifles to my kids but they had to spend a small fortune to get mags (like I do now for my BM-62).
FWIW I go with 12 active mags for each rifle because that is twice the number issued me when I was in the Marines. I use 6 when I go to the range (old habits die hard) and then rotate them with the other 6 after each trip.
FWIW I go with 12 active mags for each rifle because that is twice the number issued me when I was in the Marines. I use 6 when I go to the range (old habits die hard) and then rotate them with the other 6 after each trip.
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15 for each rifle.
Another tip-
Never leave the range without a loaded mag or two for your weapon. More than a few shooters have been robbed on their way out of shooting ranges (Florida is one that I remember). This is especially bad when people shoot up all their ammo for their carry weapon and don't have a reload for the trip home.
Yep. Was at an outdoor range with a buddy (an off duty cop) and a couple of shady looking guys were there and it looked more l Iike they were casing us than shooting. Then they left the range and headed to their cars ahead of us. We made a point of carrying our loaded ARs in the open on our way back to our car. Sure enough, they were still there, hanging around their car when we were leaving. I can't help but wonder what they might have tried if we weren't so openly armed.
I like to have 5 per firearm. If multiple guns will run the same mag and I would conceivably need or want to shoot both guns at the same time, add 3 more.
Whenever "Pit Shooting" I NEVER go without an openly carried handgun (currently a CZ75 SP-01) on my belt. I never shoot it during those sessions so it's ALWAYS GTG. The only places most "sketchy" people are able to shoot in this State is at the unattended sites in the National or State forest land. The other ranges run their asses usually because of their behavior and appearance of being "predatory".
That's where we were. A state park.
Enough a double basic load per rifle for you, your kids, grandkids, great grandkids x the number of rifles you have.
AR15 Double Basic Load = 14 mags
7.62 NATO = 10 mags
If you have 6 AR15's for yourself, you will want 84 magazines. If you pass on 3 of those to your children, teach them the same logistics posture and they will be GTG.
You should also have appropriate load carrying systems for different scenario-based profiles, whether under the coat/urban/semi-permissive environment, green, desert, snow...
AR15 Double Basic Load = 14 mags
7.62 NATO = 10 mags
If you have 6 AR15's for yourself, you will want 84 magazines. If you pass on 3 of those to your children, teach them the same logistics posture and they will be GTG.
You should also have appropriate load carrying systems for different scenario-based profiles, whether under the coat/urban/semi-permissive environment, green, desert, snow...
3-5 for bolt guns has worked for me but for 5.56/7.62 I've always ran a minimum of 20 per rifle. I think I have about 50 5.56 mags floating around. Mags are a perishable commodity - they wear out, break, etc. You can't have too many...
I have 5 rifles that all use the same mag but different calibers . I incude time for mag inspection before I head out the door . while a 5.56 bullet will just fall out the end of my 458 socom if loaded it could get ugly with a 300 blackout loading in a 5.56 it has already happend to a few people . I probably have around 50 mags I had more but they make great christmas presents for my family members. much better than a pair of socks or a flannel shirt .
My mags must be "special". I'm still using the crap out of some that I swear were issued to me back in he 60's, sold as surplus after I turned them in, and then showed up in a gun shop later where I bought them back (well maybe not the same ones but they looked just as bad). them in. 20 rounders so who knows, they just may have been the same
Mags are just like everything else as they need some TLC. Periodic cleaning (about every 2-3 years for me
), store in clean/dry place, and don't abuse. They'll last accordingly. It does pay to have spares though. Last edited:
Just like ammo, have what you use to train, back ups for that (stock), and a "don't touch" pile. Important to understand the "don't touch" pile should rotate out, but remain the same qty.
Problem is when you get so many different rifles you end up needing a safe for the plethora of magazines you end up having
Did I say problem? No..., it's a good problem.
Did I say problem? No..., it's a good problem.
1000000
I think its kind of like firewood. When you think you have a big enough stack to get through winter, times it by 5.
That's how the Indians out here forecast how bad winter will be. By the size of he wood pile on the white man's porch
At least 6 to start, then as many as you can afford, in different makes/models
FWIW I have over 100 20 & 30rd mags for my M4/AR15...all loaded. I like the 20's for shooting off a bench. I also have 2 100rd Beta-Mags loaded.
I try to have 10 per rifle and some spares. Gets harder with expensive mags like AICS, but easy for the cheaper ones like magpul pmags.
15-20 per rifle...As stated before buy quality mag bodies as rebuild kits will be available if ever needed.
Here is a good start.
Magpul PMAG Magazine BLACK
Magpul PMAG Magazine BLACK
On a night reaction platoon deployment in 'Nam (my first), I was carrying a full loadout of six 20rd M-14 mags in the issued rifle belt, and another 4 loaded ones inside my utility shirt (inside my Flak Jacket, etc.). The LVTP-5A1 AmTrac we were riding atop stopped in the middle of a rice paddy and the order was given to unass the Trac. Over the side I went, and I landed in water up over my head. I went down and stayed down. I had to bounce up, breathe, and boogie toward the edge of the paddy until I could get my head back up above water and breathe. Luckily it was actually just a short time, but it seemed like forever as it unwound. As it turned out, I only got to use up most of one mag before our ambush patrol (which had gotten ambushed) ingressed our position and we got the order to mount up and boogie. Do NOT try to operate an M-14 when there's a good chance the gas cylinder contains water, please don't ask me how I know. The expansion ratio of water converting to steam is approximately 1700:1, so it only takes a really, really little bit to become an 'encumbrance'...
There can be good reasons to keep your loadout down to what's issued. Also, what's the point of keeping more mags than you can carry at a time? Those ones you had to leave back at the hooch aren't doing diddly for you. You will either live, RTB, and reload your mags; or...
Any lost mags took a bunch of time to get reissued (yes they keep records of what's issued to you on that DD-782 form...) and you are responsible for the loss; so don't count on blithely dropping the empties about, hither and yon. These days, those dropped mags could very easily become evidence.
Its not about how much shite one can accumulate; it's about how much one can reasonably expect to be able to use in the critical moment. Folks whose combat experience comes vicariously just don't understand the realities and the practicalities. Folks who've BTDT need to first accept that it's going to be a long time on deployment before they get to know whether they are going to live or die, and that the best odds at survival come from doing what the Gunny says. Hint: he'll tell you as you need to know; inexperienced troops don't think so well; that's his job, so leave it to him. You try doing it for him and things won't bode so well...
Greg
There can be good reasons to keep your loadout down to what's issued. Also, what's the point of keeping more mags than you can carry at a time? Those ones you had to leave back at the hooch aren't doing diddly for you. You will either live, RTB, and reload your mags; or...
Any lost mags took a bunch of time to get reissued (yes they keep records of what's issued to you on that DD-782 form...) and you are responsible for the loss; so don't count on blithely dropping the empties about, hither and yon. These days, those dropped mags could very easily become evidence.
Its not about how much shite one can accumulate; it's about how much one can reasonably expect to be able to use in the critical moment. Folks whose combat experience comes vicariously just don't understand the realities and the practicalities. Folks who've BTDT need to first accept that it's going to be a long time on deployment before they get to know whether they are going to live or die, and that the best odds at survival come from doing what the Gunny says. Hint: he'll tell you as you need to know; inexperienced troops don't think so well; that's his job, so leave it to him. You try doing it for him and things won't bode so well...
Greg
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Dear All: New, old guy here. Couldn't resist commenting on this thread so I signed up.
My answer, no matter how many mags you have, is one (1). That magazine is the first one you grab, then carefully inspect (new or old) for overall condition. Are you ready to bet your life on it?
I look at the feed lips first just based on experience as I find many are beat up, bent, rough or too sharp on the edges. Take a special look at the corners of the feed lips for cracks. Then look at the mag body for dings and dents. If I find any problems, I'm done - that mag goes into the 'fix it or trash it' pile.
If it passes those checks, I take it apart and detail inspect the follower, spring(s) and floorplate - note: You need to know what is supposed to be in the mag - anything extra is a 'Fail'. Back to the guts, look at all the bits when dirty for clues that something is about to go bad. Cracks tend to start at the corners of parts whether they are metal or plastic - sometimes dirt (any sort) will collect in cracks and make them easier to spot. Buy yourself a small magnifying glass if you are old like me.
Followers are the most critical part in my mind (but the spring and floorplate are close 'runners up'). Look for any signs of wear that could indicate a contact or binding point in the mag body - if you see anything odd (not 'normal' wear) figure out what's causing it - then fix or Fail. Springs are easily checked - are they clean and show no rusted or pitted areas? If you can't wipe off any surface rust with an oily rag, the spring is suspect and could make for a 'bad day'. You need to know what the 'free length' of your springs should be - that is, how long should they be when uncompressed (outside of the mag). Ask your armorer - the FM probably won't tell you. Check that length - compress the spring and check it again.
Floorplates are either straight and flat or not, tabs should hold them in place securely. If they fail you will see how fast a rifle can unload itself.
Clean everything thoroughly and inspect it all again. This includes looking at the inside walls of the mag body - point it at a bright light and look for dents inside that you may not have noticed on the outside inspection - use your eyes and fingers, sometimes you can feel problems that you can't see. If it is a new mag, look for overall quality - are the walls of the body smooth?, is the body warped or twisted? If it is a metal mag, are there broken/separated/cracked spot welds on the back spine or catch pad? If it is a used mag all the above goes double.
Look for any rust (steel - reddish) or corrosion (aluminum - whitish) - this is a judgment call after you have done your best to clean it out - do you think it's OK?
Put the mag back together. Check that all the bits seem to be happy. Fully load the magazine (Dummies if you've got them) - note the 'feel' of each cartridge as it goes in - anything unusual is cause to start over. Mag loaders and stripper clips will often hide problems. Note, if these are mags you've used and will load out with, load with your issue ammo and inspect each round as you load it - bent, twisted, corroded, too long, too short, bad vibes, whatever - trash it. Make sure the mag is correctly marked with whatever is in it.
By my definition, new or previously unused mags are not serviceable until 'proofed' - that is function tested. If you are headed to the range anyway, great, have fun. Pay attention to what happens - any failure that occurs should tell you to stop and figure out what happened. Since this is my opinion on magazines, I'll limit the comment to magazine problems. We all got into the habit of doing 'immediate action' whenever something didn't work right. Try to resist the impulse. Just stop. Keep the weapon safe and down range and look at it. BTW, stop any bleeding that may be going on. Presuming that the shooter and any bystanders are OK - proceed, carefully.
What happened? Failure to feed?, double feed, smokestack, something never heard of before? Now, just because I've limited this comment to magazine problems doesn't mean that whatever happened was caused by the magazine. But if the mag was involved the problem may be obvious.
FTF - Failure to Feed: may be caused by the mag not pushing a round up into place where the bolt could capture it and push it into the chamber - what could cause that? Several possibilities: weak spring (especially on burst or auto fire - usually the bolt closes on an empty chamber or 'overrides' the next round and hangs up), sprung feed lips (too wide and then a double feed), bent/distorted feed lips (probably too narrow - misfeed (angle) or trapped round), bad mag fit in the mag well - too high/ too low (stopped bolt or bullet tip jammed into chamber face) - hence a possible mag catch slot on the magazine that is worn/deformed or possibly a mag catch that is worn, bent or broken.
Or, if it's an DI AR platform it could just be dirty - chamber, lugs, bore, gas block, gas tube, carrier key (partially blocked), bolt carrier itself, bolt, misaligned gas rings, bad ammo, bad karma etc.
Disclaimer: I went through Basic and AIT with the M-14 and learned to love that rifle more than my first .22. When I went though RVN orientation they gave me the 'New M-16!!' I was not a happy camper. I eventually put about a million miles on the Ultimate weapon - the M-60 - just sayin'. Since then, older and smarter, I've come to respect the AR and appreciate its virtues. It requires all the care that I gladly lavished on my M-14. I now have two M1As and two homebuilt ARs. Good stuff.
I digress.
FTE - Failure to Extract: Fired case gets stopped by next round in the magazine - may be caused by mag feed lips allowing that next round to rise up into the extraction path of the fired case. This may just cause general confusion in the action or the classic stovepipe jam.
FTE - Failure to Eject: Related to the above - too many pieces of brass in the same space.
Troubleshooting any weapon problem gets complicated - fast. Fortunately mag problems are pretty easy to identify and cheap to fix. 1) try another mag. If that doesn't work, 2) check out the weapon; inspect, clean, inspect again, test with a known good mag. 3) Fix or replace whatever isn't working - chances are very good that it was the mag all along.
If all this was successful, you now have at least one good magazine. Grab another magazine, inspect, clean, inspect and test - now you have two. Keep going .............
Detachable magazines have many virtues - generally they are inexpensive, simple, easy to maintain and have even been considered to be disposable as well as collectable. They are of course also ‘evil’ if they have too much capacity - again I digress. They are critical to the reliable functioning of our battle rifles and carbines and MSRs and even common hunting rifles and of course handguns. Further, they are also cantankerous, trouble prone, dirt trapping, fragile, frustrating, annoying ……………
Any mag that has not been inspected and tested is a crap shoot at best. Brand new mags, from the best of manufactures have been known to function poorly or fail outright. If that mag is still in its original wrapper it is ‘user beware’.
You really want to figure out how many good magazines you need/want. Getting them will take a bit of time and effort.
IMHO,
BH
My answer, no matter how many mags you have, is one (1). That magazine is the first one you grab, then carefully inspect (new or old) for overall condition. Are you ready to bet your life on it?
I look at the feed lips first just based on experience as I find many are beat up, bent, rough or too sharp on the edges. Take a special look at the corners of the feed lips for cracks. Then look at the mag body for dings and dents. If I find any problems, I'm done - that mag goes into the 'fix it or trash it' pile.
If it passes those checks, I take it apart and detail inspect the follower, spring(s) and floorplate - note: You need to know what is supposed to be in the mag - anything extra is a 'Fail'. Back to the guts, look at all the bits when dirty for clues that something is about to go bad. Cracks tend to start at the corners of parts whether they are metal or plastic - sometimes dirt (any sort) will collect in cracks and make them easier to spot. Buy yourself a small magnifying glass if you are old like me.
Followers are the most critical part in my mind (but the spring and floorplate are close 'runners up'). Look for any signs of wear that could indicate a contact or binding point in the mag body - if you see anything odd (not 'normal' wear) figure out what's causing it - then fix or Fail. Springs are easily checked - are they clean and show no rusted or pitted areas? If you can't wipe off any surface rust with an oily rag, the spring is suspect and could make for a 'bad day'. You need to know what the 'free length' of your springs should be - that is, how long should they be when uncompressed (outside of the mag). Ask your armorer - the FM probably won't tell you. Check that length - compress the spring and check it again.
Floorplates are either straight and flat or not, tabs should hold them in place securely. If they fail you will see how fast a rifle can unload itself.
Clean everything thoroughly and inspect it all again. This includes looking at the inside walls of the mag body - point it at a bright light and look for dents inside that you may not have noticed on the outside inspection - use your eyes and fingers, sometimes you can feel problems that you can't see. If it is a new mag, look for overall quality - are the walls of the body smooth?, is the body warped or twisted? If it is a metal mag, are there broken/separated/cracked spot welds on the back spine or catch pad? If it is a used mag all the above goes double.
Look for any rust (steel - reddish) or corrosion (aluminum - whitish) - this is a judgment call after you have done your best to clean it out - do you think it's OK?
Put the mag back together. Check that all the bits seem to be happy. Fully load the magazine (Dummies if you've got them) - note the 'feel' of each cartridge as it goes in - anything unusual is cause to start over. Mag loaders and stripper clips will often hide problems. Note, if these are mags you've used and will load out with, load with your issue ammo and inspect each round as you load it - bent, twisted, corroded, too long, too short, bad vibes, whatever - trash it. Make sure the mag is correctly marked with whatever is in it.
By my definition, new or previously unused mags are not serviceable until 'proofed' - that is function tested. If you are headed to the range anyway, great, have fun. Pay attention to what happens - any failure that occurs should tell you to stop and figure out what happened. Since this is my opinion on magazines, I'll limit the comment to magazine problems. We all got into the habit of doing 'immediate action' whenever something didn't work right. Try to resist the impulse. Just stop. Keep the weapon safe and down range and look at it. BTW, stop any bleeding that may be going on. Presuming that the shooter and any bystanders are OK - proceed, carefully.
What happened? Failure to feed?, double feed, smokestack, something never heard of before? Now, just because I've limited this comment to magazine problems doesn't mean that whatever happened was caused by the magazine. But if the mag was involved the problem may be obvious.
FTF - Failure to Feed: may be caused by the mag not pushing a round up into place where the bolt could capture it and push it into the chamber - what could cause that? Several possibilities: weak spring (especially on burst or auto fire - usually the bolt closes on an empty chamber or 'overrides' the next round and hangs up), sprung feed lips (too wide and then a double feed), bent/distorted feed lips (probably too narrow - misfeed (angle) or trapped round), bad mag fit in the mag well - too high/ too low (stopped bolt or bullet tip jammed into chamber face) - hence a possible mag catch slot on the magazine that is worn/deformed or possibly a mag catch that is worn, bent or broken.
Or, if it's an DI AR platform it could just be dirty - chamber, lugs, bore, gas block, gas tube, carrier key (partially blocked), bolt carrier itself, bolt, misaligned gas rings, bad ammo, bad karma etc.
Disclaimer: I went through Basic and AIT with the M-14 and learned to love that rifle more than my first .22. When I went though RVN orientation they gave me the 'New M-16!!' I was not a happy camper. I eventually put about a million miles on the Ultimate weapon - the M-60 - just sayin'. Since then, older and smarter, I've come to respect the AR and appreciate its virtues. It requires all the care that I gladly lavished on my M-14. I now have two M1As and two homebuilt ARs. Good stuff.
I digress.
FTE - Failure to Extract: Fired case gets stopped by next round in the magazine - may be caused by mag feed lips allowing that next round to rise up into the extraction path of the fired case. This may just cause general confusion in the action or the classic stovepipe jam.
FTE - Failure to Eject: Related to the above - too many pieces of brass in the same space.
Troubleshooting any weapon problem gets complicated - fast. Fortunately mag problems are pretty easy to identify and cheap to fix. 1) try another mag. If that doesn't work, 2) check out the weapon; inspect, clean, inspect again, test with a known good mag. 3) Fix or replace whatever isn't working - chances are very good that it was the mag all along.
If all this was successful, you now have at least one good magazine. Grab another magazine, inspect, clean, inspect and test - now you have two. Keep going .............
Detachable magazines have many virtues - generally they are inexpensive, simple, easy to maintain and have even been considered to be disposable as well as collectable. They are of course also ‘evil’ if they have too much capacity - again I digress. They are critical to the reliable functioning of our battle rifles and carbines and MSRs and even common hunting rifles and of course handguns. Further, they are also cantankerous, trouble prone, dirt trapping, fragile, frustrating, annoying ……………
Any mag that has not been inspected and tested is a crap shoot at best. Brand new mags, from the best of manufactures have been known to function poorly or fail outright. If that mag is still in its original wrapper it is ‘user beware’.
You really want to figure out how many good magazines you need/want. Getting them will take a bit of time and effort.
IMHO,
BH
my rule of thumb is 10 per weapon
G
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I currently have 30 per rifle (more for my ak's and 556R's) but minimum thirty for 5.56 and 7.62x51.
How many Mags per gun? ALL OF THEM.
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so at least 8 magazines.
so at least 8 magazines.
NJ sucks! I can only have 15 round mags and became so disgusted at a recent PA gun show because I couldn't buy anything.
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