How many loaded mags do you all have ready?

[Sirex]

I keep maybe 5-8 of my mainline rifles' magazines loaded, and have new mags still in packaging stored away if needed. In rifles that wouldn't see an immediate need for use, I have maybe 2-3 mags ready to rock and roll. I have about 5 pistol mags ready per my 2 main pistols, 1 ready in the reserve pistols. I have 3 .30 cal cans of 7.62x39 ammo on clips, and a .50 cal can of .308 in enbloc clips for my M1.

 

[FZRracer400!]

All of them.

 

[FZRracer400!]

8 in each “go” bag. In the safe all AK mags full. All metal AR mags stay loaded, cheaper poly AR mags like mft’s are mixed between loaded/unloaded, as I lump them in as range mags. I’ve never had issues with them but rather not rely on them. All oem Glock stay loaded…….pmag Glock unloaded.

 

[D&Ds]

Since I live in Md, 1-10 round mag per registered firearm.

 

[HRDWRK]

Not enough.

 

[Melnic]

Not enough

or

My 2nd amendment flint lock musket is never loaded, I have to keep powder dry

 

[Bountied]

So... how many round are we loading in these mags? Full or 1-2 rounds less, like for AR mags that people chirp about?

 

[Crazytrain]

What's the plan for bugging out? Where are you going? How are you getting there? What scenario are you planning for?

If we are talking using the BOB, that suggests we need to get out RIGHT NOW.

What is your daily carry? Do you carry a pistol? Spare mags? How many. I mean, if you already carry a pair of magazines in addition to what is loaded on you, perhaps loading extra pistol mags in a BOB is unnecessary. Throw in a box of ammo instead. If you don't typically carry spare mags, maybe keep a couple in the bag.

The OP's post suggests he's also hauling a rifle, and he's keeping a full combat loadout of that ammo as well. Ammo is heavy. How are you bugging out? By vehicle? By foot? If by foot (or other transport that you don't control) a rifle might not be practical unless your destination is quite close. I'd think I'd rather have water, food, change of clothes, first aid, shelter, etc... This adds weight damn fast.

If bugging out with your own vehicle, by all means throw extra ammo, guns, and everything else you have the time and space to haul. I wouldn't think this excess stuff is what you would normally keep in a bug out bag, though. Perhaps keep a range bag ready if you have the option of carrying the extra stuff.

I like the idea of a full combat load out, because more is always more and I've watched my fair share of action movies; but let's be realistic. Gunfighting is not a high survivability profession. Avoiding situations is better if possible. Engaging, then disengaging as soon as you can is next best. If you are getting into a running gun battle, odds are not great that you are coming out the other side. We are talking bugging out, not doing a combat patrol, after all. If things have degraded to the point where there is open combat in the streets, I think I'd prefer to hunker down in a prepared position than try to fight my way through an angry crowd.

 

[BurkeM]

If things have degraded to the point where there is open combat in the streets, I think I'd prefer to hunker down in a prepared position than try to fight my way through an angry crowd.

 

[El_flasko]

What's the plan for bugging out? Where are you going? How are you getting there? What scenario are you planning for?

If we are talking using the BOB, that suggests we need to get out RIGHT NOW.

What is your daily carry? Do you carry a pistol? Spare mags? How many. I mean, if you already carry a pair of magazines in addition to what is loaded on you, perhaps loading extra pistol mags in a BOB is unnecessary. Throw in a box of ammo instead. If you don't typically carry spare mags, maybe keep a couple in the bag.

The OP's post suggests he's also hauling a rifle, and he's keeping a full combat loadout of that ammo as well. Ammo is heavy. How are you bugging out? By vehicle? By foot? If by foot (or other transport that you don't control) a rifle might not be practical unless your destination is quite close. I'd think I'd rather have water, food, change of clothes, first aid, shelter, etc... This adds weight damn fast.

If bugging out with your own vehicle, by all means throw extra ammo, guns, and everything else you have the time and space to haul. I wouldn't think this excess stuff is what you would normally keep in a bug out bag, though. Perhaps keep a range bag ready if you have the option of carrying the extra stuff.

I like the idea of a full combat load out, because more is always more and I've watched my fair share of action movies; but let's be realistic. Gunfighting is not a high survivability profession. Avoiding situations is better if possible. Engaging, then disengaging as soon as you can is next best. If you are getting into a running gun battle, odds are not great that you are coming out the other side. We are talking bugging out, not doing a combat patrol, after all. If things have degraded to the point where there is open combat in the streets, I think I'd prefer to hunker down in a prepared position than try to fight my way through an angry crowd.

 

[FZRracer400!]

Mine i referred to as “go bags”……not bug out bags. They are just ready to go, wherever it may be…….from one house to another or just the range. They are merely ready “to go”. If the real shtf was to happen, we are bugging in anyways

 

[CZ_Jockey]

Not enough

or

My 2nd amendment flint lock musket is never loaded, I have to keep powder dry

You Sir, have class!

 

[cap6888]

Mags are only empty after I leave the range.

 

[Blacksmith101]

When you are planning your Bug Out Bag keep in mind what conditions you are likely to encounter. Such as crossing rivers.

 

[FLBoy]

8 in each “go” bag. In the safe all AK mags full. All metal AR mags stay loaded, cheaper poly AR mags like mft’s are mixed between loaded/unloaded, as I lump them in as range mags. I’ve never had issues with them but rather not rely on them. All oem Glock stay loaded…….pmag Glock unloaded.

May I ask why prefer the AR metal mags vs pmags? I ask as I have almost 100% pmags for AR and am worried I am missing an issue with them…

 

[willtill]

May I ask why prefer the AR metal mags vs pmags? I ask as I have almost 100% pmags for AR and am worried I am missing an issue with them…

There's no difference to me. All feed well. I think it's more old school (metal) -vs- young pups (pmags).

 

[BurkeM]

There's no difference to me. All feed well. I think it's more old school (metal) -vs- young pups (pmags).

The track record on metal magazines goes back to 1900.

Plastic / Bakelite mags only date back to the late 1940's.

Are metal magazines better than polymer?

As noted above, polymer is lighter than steel, which means you might not get mag drops that are quite as reliable as you would with heavier steel mags, but if you're carrying a lot of them around, the weight savings will be welcome. Although it's strong, polymer can't compete with the strength of metal.Nov 2, 2023

The Lee–Metford rifle, developed in 1888, was one of the first rifles to use a detachable box magazine, and the spare one could be optionally worn on soldier equipment, although with the adoption of the Short Magazine Lee–Enfield Mk I this became only detachable for cleaning and not swapped to reload the weapon. However, the first completely modern removable box magazine was patented in 1908 by Arthur Savage for the Savage Model 99 (1899),[36] although it was not implemented on the 99 until 1965.[37] James Paris Lee’s patent of November 4, 1879, Number 221,328 would have been before Arthur Savage's magazine. Lee's magazine was also used on the Remington Lee model 1899 factory sporting rifle. Other guns did not adopt all of its features until his patent expired in 1942: It has shoulders to retain cartridges when it is removed from the rifle. It operates reliably with cartridges of different lengths. It is insertable and removable at any time with any number of cartridges. These features allow the operator to reload the gun infrequently, carry magazines rather than loose cartridges, and to easily change the types of cartridges in the field. The magazine is assembled from inexpensive stamped sheet metal. It also includes a crucial safety feature for hunting dangerous game: when empty the follower[38] stops the bolt from engaging the chamber, informing the operator that the gun is empty before any attempt to fire.

The first successful semi-automatic pistol was the Borchardt C-93 (1893) and incorporated detachable box magazines. Nearly all subsequent semiautomatic pistol designs adopted detachable box magazines.