CCW Ammo Capacity - How Many Is "Enough?"

[DragonDog]

Question: REGARDLESS OF CALIBER, in your every day CCW scenario, how many rounds do you regard as "enough" to carry without a reload?

Whatever your scenario is - mugging, carjacking, vicious dog, disgruntled former employee, random crazed mass murderer, terrorist attack, zombie outbreak, etc. - how many rounds are sufficient to deal with the threat, hopefully without harm to yourself, loved ones or companions?

This is not about caliber, and there are enough platforms available with the same capacities that we don't really have to discuss brands or models either. What's really important is how everyone compromises that never ending balancing act between weapon size, ammo weight, manual of arms, and capacity.

Looking forward to tallies and replies, thanks.

 

[skoro]

I'm an unlikely target, so my 5 round S&W snubby feels like plenty for my situation.

If I was in some risk category, I'd certainly want more capacity.

Each of us has his comfort zone.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I carry a pistol, so typically I like to carry a reload regardless of how many rounds I have since it can be the quickest way to solve several common stoppages with a pistol.

Does somebody have the link to JohnKSA's probability analysis? That struck me as a good way to approach this question.

Found the link: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=665883

I liked the way he approached the analysis in that link. It helps explain why magazines with a greater than 10 round capacity are often very desirable.

 

[RedneckFur]

both of my current CCW handguns hold 16 and 17 rounds, respectively.

I've carried a 5 shot revolver many times before though, and never felt like I didn't have enough gun.

 

[Stressfire]

I answered 8-9 as that's the capacity of today's carry weapon.

Generally - whatever the gun holds is my "enough." Out of my portable weapons, that ranges from as low as 6 to as high as 16

When I carry a six shooter, I might toss a speedloader in a pocket, but not very often.

 

[swopjan]

7 "feels" right. I wouldn't feel under-gunned with 5 or 6 and a gun I'm familiar with either, and I'm more apt to carry a gun with 5-10 rounds in .40 or .45 than a smaller gun.

An extra magazine in case of a stoppage is comforting too, but when you get right down to it, needing a gun is unlikely, needing more than one round is unlikely, having a jam is unlikely, etc. Carry what you think is enough.

 

[OldMarksman]

Posted by DragonDog: ...how many rounds do you regard as "enough" to carry without a reload?

I think it best to study John's probability analysis before making any decisions at all. I have decades of firearms experience and I have taken high performance defensive pistol training from some very good istructors, but frankly, reflection upon John's analysis caused me to revise my thinking. I even changed my selection criteria for daily primary carry, which had varied depending upon planned destination.

Here is the same analysis in a TFL thread.

Also consider this.

Whatever your scenario is - mugging, carjacking, vicious dog, disgruntled former employee, random crazed mass murderer, terrorist attack, zombie outbreak, etc. - how many rounds are sufficient to deal with the threat, hopefully without harm to yourself, loved ones or companions?

That's a different question. The answer to that one, which can only be known after the fact, only applies to one specific encounter. Three rounds may be enough, or maybe thirteen; for another similar encounter, should it occur, the answer will likely be different. And how one feels won't matter.

 

[DragonDog]

Absolutely right, OldMarksman, I know there are multiple questions being asked here, and the answers for each of us will be highly variable.

What I'm interested to see is if there is any consensus that forms anywhere along the scale. I suspect that even that will vary over time in some sort of relation to whatever news event may happen to be in the media focus that week.

I much appreciate the links to JohnKSA's analysis and the discussions thereof, I had not read that. And you are also right that reflecting on the analysis may change our thinking.

 

[OldMarksman]

One other thing: I had already realized that a J-frame was probably a rather poor choice for an encounter with multiple violent criminal actors. One will likely fire several times at someone charging around the end of the car in a parking lot, service station, or ATM; it is not unlikely that there will be more than one attacker; and it would not be prudent to rely on the hope that the others will turn tail at the sound of gunfire.

However, when going to likely "safe" places, I routinely carried a J-frame.

Then somone on THR questioned my reasoning, and I realized that, while the need to draw and fire may be lower, should the need arise, there was no reason to expect a different kind of encounter. So I now carry a small double-column 9. I can shoot it better, by the way. Trigger pull. My other choice is a .45. Still better in terms of trigger.

The J-frame still has its uses. One can grasp the grip in a pocket for faster deployment in an iffy situation, for example.

But probably not for primary carry, unless one wants to carry two of them.

 

[BigJimP]

I voted 8 - 9 ....( so 7 +1 or 8+ 1 in the gun ).

My concept of defensive fire ...is a double tap or a triple tap ...is plenty of firepower. Sure you can develop scenarios where you have multiple attackers ...but I'm not sure how realistic that really is / especially when a gun starts firing...

....and I train a couple times a week - and I'm confident in my ability to put shots on target ...in a tactical situation at what I consider tactical ranges ( 5Ft - 30 Feet primarily ) because beyond 30 Feet, I think I have other options.

 

[Master Blaster 2]

We just had one of these polls not to long ago..is 10 enough?

 

[sigcurious]

I voted other. Whatever the pistol holds. To me having an option is more important that that option covering every possible outcome. Right now for CCW I intend to carry 12+1. I didn't pick the pistol over others because of increased or decreased capacity. I picked it because it fit me well, I shoot it well, and it will conceal easily with my everyday clothing. In the future, it could end up being 7+1 or 15+1 if I find that I can reliably conceal some of my fullsized pistols.

 

[OldMarksman]

I voted 8 - 9 ....( so 7 +1 or 8+ 1 in the gun ).

With that, you can fire four at a charging attacker, and if that does the trick, you still have four or five left.

Sure you can develop scenarios where you have multiple attackers ...but I'm not sure how realistic that really is /

Stats show that an attack by one or more is not unlikely if there is an attack; so do news reports, except for some reason when it comes to bank robberies; and I have to ask the question, who in his right mind would instigate an attack alone without the additional eyes, ears, arms and weapons of an accomplice, if he had the choice?

 

[Spats McGee]

This poll poses something of a dilemma for me.

Question: REGARDLESS OF CALIBER, in your every day CCW scenario, how many rounds do you regard as "enough" to carry without a reload? . . . .What's really important is how everyone compromises that never ending balancing act between weapon size, ammo weight, manual of arms, and capacity.

OK. I edited the OP to demonstrate my dilemma a little better. The first question is "how many rounds do I regard as 'enough' to carry without a reload." The second is "how do I balance the various factors that go into making carry decisions." A lot of the answers in this thread are not only about what someone considers to be enough, but also what they actually carry.

My dilemma is that I come up with two different answers. As an attorney and a city employee, I'm often in and out of places where I cannot legally carry. That means that I often wind up carrying fewer rounds than I would actually consider to be "enough," but it's the best I can do under the circumstances.

 

[manta49]

As many as you can carry comfortably. It puzzlers me that the main reason when asked why people on this forum carry a firearm. The answer is nearly always just in case. Follow that logic then you would carry as many as you can comfortably just in case. PS You then get the answer that stats show that 5 is normally enough. Stats also show that the chances of having to use your firearm is low but it doesn't stop people carrying one.

 

[sigcurious]

To that I say, there are plenty of things people do in life just incase. Whether its having fire extinguishers, wearing seat belts, having insurance of various sorts, etc. Particularly when factoring varied locations, the risk-benefit of these things may seem odd to one person and necessity to another.

 

[Dragline45]

I often carry my S&W 640 but I cant deny that I feel more confident with 10+1 in my SR9C vs 5 in the 640. Not to mention I can shoot the SR9C a hell of alot better than the J frame.

 

[OldMarksman]

Posted by Spats McGee: The first question is "how many rounds do I regard as 'enough' to carry without a reload." The second is "how do I balance the various factors that go into making carry decisions." A lot of the answers in this thread are not only about what someone considers to be enough, but also what they actually carry.

Absolutely. And that leads to this:

Posted by manta49: As many as you can carry comfortably.

We will likely never draw, and if we do draw, we may not fire. But if we do, we would want to have what it takes. It is pretty clear from John's analysis, from the realities of shooting under stress, and from the facts of handgun stopping power, that to reduce the risk to a really negligible level would take a large capacity.

That is not practical. Most of us cannot carry comfortably all day, much less easily conceal, a Beretta 92F, a Browning Hi Power, a CZ75, or a Glock 17.

So we settle for something less.

 

[Stressfire]

Most of us cannot carry comfortably all day, much less easily conceal, a Beretta 92F

Oh, would that I could, but now way my skinny butt can hide that, not in the summer anyways- and legal though it might be in my state, I don't have the stones for open carry...yet

 

[Steviewonder1]

I carry a G-19 with 16 in gun and two spare magazines. As others have said, a spare mag is the fastest way to clear ammunition related failures. Having 46 rounds available means that after getting off the X and engaging the closest target if more than 1, I am looking for cover to check the situation. If no cover then running and shooting which I am pretty good at. Having just seen the Pawn Shop owner scatter 5 BG's with 2 shots out in California, you don't know if 2-3 rounds or many more will solve the problem. There is nothing better than COM hits on a target to get it to stop or flee.