Do we need Hi-Capacity in everyday Carry?

[JERRYS.]

if you don't have a lot of ammo already under the hammer it would be a good idea to keep some fast reloads immediately at hand. a revolver as a primary will probably be all you would need in the majority of self defense shootings, but there is always the what if that has to be balanced with practicality. a 17 shot G17 is nice, a 7 shot 1911 with a reload is still doing well.

 

[USNRet93]

That's an easy answer, my wife does the banking! She would just take one of those nice easy chairs. As always I would just back into a spot. Get the story, after our Orange County Deputys had been and gone.

Maybe that is what you would do in Boulder? Orlando, not so much. Not sure where the capacity we all carry fits in here. As we are in Folsom for a month, minus any firearms and banking via her laptop. As the Aussies would say. No Worries.

Not saying that's what I would do, just what are the ramifications of this type scenario. Related to the coup de grace/murder?, comment.
I don't know what I'd do. Probably draw weapon and say something..try to take the BG's eyes and gun off the teller..
See this lots of time on videos like in Active Self Protection(yes, lots not in the US)...gun out, GG shoots him..

 

[Brit]

I have seen a couple of Cell phone videos, of off duty, or plainclothes female LE in San Palo.
They just draw and fire multiple rounds! All other citizens (who know the score, leg it!) one produced an, I think, Glock 19 from a big shoulder carried purse.
Pick the gun up from the street, no attempt to check or handcuff the well-shot individual.

Call a cell phone or small radio. Another day at the office.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

San Palo?

Did you mean São Paulo, Brazil?

 

[Brit]

Correct! The English were never any use at foreign languages, verbally, we just talk louder. Thank you.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

HAH, never knew I was British.

 

[OhioGuy]

Wow, 14 pages and counting!

I guess for me, it seems as though the "advocates" for higher capacity are basically coming at it from "it might not help, but it sure can't hurt." Would that be a fair assessment?

I guess Sig and now Springfield have changed the equation to where one can carry 10-11 rounds in a footprint about the size of a 5-shot revolver. So one could ask, "OK fine, all else being equal, regardless of whether you live in the safest town in the safest state in the safest country on Mars, why wouldn't you carry something with more capacity, just in case?"

The original question was "in every day carry" which puts no restrictions on what's being carried, or why. If someone prefers carrying full frame pistols, it's a non-issue because they have 17 round mags anyway. If someone prefers carrying a revolver on the merits of a revolver, it's a non issue because 6-7 shots is probably your max in any scenario, 5 probably being most likely, and reloads are similarly small (and much harder to pull off under stress).

And so the question is absolutely open-ended.

Maybe a more focused question might be "do we need high capacity in micro-compact EDC?"

That limits the discussion to what had always been either 6-8 round (in 9mm) single stack pistols, or 5-6 round (.38) revolvers. Or .380 pocket pistols I guess.

OK, so there the "why not?" argument would seem to have a lot of merit. If a P365 or Hellcat is the size of a J-frame or a Glock 43, then (ignoring brand loyalties or specific ergonomics) why not carry a 10 round micro-compact instead of a 6 round micro-compact?

Is that really the question being asked?

Seems to me, then, ignoring brand or price or whatever, just on the merits of the guns themselves, you can either get a micro-compact with 10-12 rounds, one with 6-8 rounds, or a revolver with 5-6 rounds.

To the revolver guy, both of the other options are basically "high capacity" He's carrying the revolver because he prefers revolvers (and now having carried one for a while, I scan see why -- they're so easy and comfortable to conceal!).

Anyway, I'd resolve the question this way.
1. Might not help but can't hurt. If I were in the market for a brand new EDC, sure, I'd get one of the higher capacity models cuz why not?
2. I'm not in the market, I'm happy with my Walther PPS, and I do not feel under prepared with 8+1 and an 8 round reload.
3. On days when I just want to keep it simple, or need to wear dress attire, the J-frame comes along and I really don't feel under prepared with that either. But I'll almost always pick the semi-auto.

By the time my Walther breaks, Sig will have released a pocket pistol holding 21 rounds of .45 ACP with no recoil, so I guess I'll buy that next.

I'm still holding out for a 13 round J-frame!!!

 

[Brit]

Ohio Guy gets to it right below!

Anyway, I'd resolve the question this way.
1. Might not help but can't hurt.

Also, Bulk by Capacity? If bulk is a big problem, re the way you dress, wear a suit to work? Then you could be forced into fewer rounds for your EDC.
And the ever common-sense voice of reason. No matter what you carry, do it every day!

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The original question was "in every day carry" which puts no restrictions on what's being carried, or why. If someone prefers carrying full frame pistols, it's a non-issue because they have 17 round mags anyway.

Unless the full-frame pistol is a 1911, in which case the capacity is 7+1 (or 8+1 if you trust the modified magazines).

 

[Brit]

When my EDC was an LW Commander, the magazine I carried, plus a spare, where stainless steel McCormicks. 8 rounders, worked perfectly.

 

[Brit]

My Son totes a quick draw fanny pack has had it for years still looks like new. Glock 19, plus G17 spare magazine.

 

[Gas Bag]

A magazine with 11 rounds of .40 is enough for most things.

BUT....what does being a law abiding civilian have to do with anything? Are you implying that trouble will breeze by, and not find a home with you, as long as you are a good citizen?

I was a law-abiding civilian and lots of trouble found its way to me.

But was 11 rounds of Federal 147g HST hollow points, going to be sufficient?

I finally hit the title, above. Do we need Hi-Capacity in everyday Carry?
As law-abiding citizens, in our everyday life?

Civilians do need hi-cap mags, I had a couple of Taurus 9mm, with 15+ capacities. And I loved them, and I loved tham even more when they were loaded with Cor-Bon.

I am the atypical man, in that I have drawn on wanna-be's & gangsters. And I would have killed a few of them, if the sit-rep, had continued its decline into Hell.

PS: As my last barb, I don't mind a low cap gun. Like this Taurus. But I would have 2 or 3 speedloaders with it.

 

[USNRet93]

With crime escalating generally, for the past year I've wanted to carry larger, not necessarily caliber or capacity, but larger gun that's easier to shoot well.

NOT disagreeing with anything you said and the crime stats in your area may indeed show that violent crime is on the rise BUT crime in general is down, and that downward trend has been evident since the mid-late 90s. Those Stats don't mean a thing if you or yours is a victim of a violent crime and even tho in a very safe town, statistically, I'm still gonna EDC. I just went from a 7+1 to a Glock 26, 15+1...as an example of what I do.

Public perceptions about crime in the U.S. often don’t align with the data. Opinion surveys regularly find that Americans believe crime is up nationally, even when the data shows it is down. In 18 of 22 Gallup surveys conducted between 1993 and 2018, at least six-in-ten Americans said there was more crime in the U.S. compared with the year before, despite the generally downward trend in national violent and property crime rates during most of that period.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/17/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

Just for info...

 

[davidsog]

Statistically speaking, the one who runs out of bullets in a firefight has a high probability of not surviving the experience.

 

[JERRYS.]

I can answer this question rather easily. you only need a hi (Sic) capacity in everyday carry on the days you are going to be criminally attacked.

 

[Brit]

Jerrys.

Do you use a crystal ball or coin toss to pinpoint that exact day? Me, going with 11 rounds of Federal 147g 9mm. And a spare mag! And unlike many not saying I hope it never happens. We have no control over SXXX happening. Even staying at home?
Home invasions are alive and well.

I use camouflage! Old People are easy prey! So I am disguised as an 84-year-old Grandad, white hair and all. So pick on me, see how that works out for you!

 

[zoo]

I use camouflage! Old People are easy prey! So I am disguised as an 84-year-old Grandad, white hair and all. So pick on me, see how that works out for you!

Brit, statistically you present as a pretty good victim for most criminal predators. Maybe you could also hang a few large bills out your pockets and walk through dark alleyways.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Statistically speaking, the one who runs out of bullets in a firefight has a high probability of not surviving the experience.

Statistically speaking, the one who runs out of ammunition in a firefight has a high probability of not firing back anymore.

 

[Tactical Jackalope]

Statistically speaking, the one who runs out of ammunition in a firefight has a high probability of not firing back anymore.

Been away a little while from this but I came back on a pure golden line! Very well said!

 

[BradS]

1. Nobody knows what we will need. If we could know ahead of time, no one would carry except when they needed to, and no one would ever run out of ammunition in a gunfight. In fact, there would probably be very few gunfights as it would be much smarter to just take a "sick day" on the days when you knew a gunfight was upcoming.

2. Tom Givens, in his analysis of the shootings his students have gone through (I think it's up to around 60 so far) distinguishes between shootings (a defender uses a firearm against a legitimate threat, but one who is not armed with a firearm) and gunfights in which both the defender and attacker are armed with firearms. I have tried to find a supporting link but can't at the moment. So I'm working from memory. He says, as I recall, that "shootings" involve a relatively low number of rounds fired--perhaps 3. Gunfights, on the other hand, often empty the gun.

The bottom line is that NOBODY knows what your defensive encounter will look like or how many rounds you will need to live through it. They might be able to tell you what the AVERAGE encounter of a certain type might require, but that's hugely different. Your encounter (if it ever happens at all) may be a "shooting" or it may be a "gunfight", it may be close to average, or it may be very different from average.

I just talked to a guy whose wife needed two spare tires for her car in a single day. Is that AVERAGE? Not at all, but the fact that it was far from average didn't stop it from happening, nor did it magically somehow allow her to deal with the situation using only one spare.

Don't get confused between the different types of encounters.
Don't get confused about what happens MOST of the time vs. what CAN happen."

I agree with this post and think it to be spot on. I would also add that in reality, there are no "safe" havens, ie. you local neighborhood, compared to "high risk" unfamiliar areas.
Bad things can unfortunately happen to good people anywhere.