When I carry concealed I think I have a whopping 15 rounds! What’s the difference? Combat is the difference. As a soldier you are expected to hold a position. As a law enforcement officer you’re expected to engage and take out the criminals. As a CCW (Carrying concealed weapon) holder I want to defend myself and others but expect to E and E (escape and evade) as soon as possible. My mission is safety. It’s fight or flight and if given a choice I would choose flight. I don’t consider myself a coward, but if the threat is no longer a threat to me or others, it’s time to leave and let those brave LEO’s (law enforcement officers) do their job. Their mission is to stay in the fight. I am not their back up, even though I would back them up if given the need and opportunity. Most LEO’s will not want a civilian there to “help” them. First of all, LEO’s must be positive that the only civilians with a gun in a active shooter event are the bad guys. They can’t determine easily who’s side you are on. Unless expressly asked by a LEO, and that would be extremely rare, it’s not your fight.
When we talk about CCW I usually ask “How much?” not “What caliber?” When it comes to ammo, more is always better. Would you be likely to need 210 rounds? No, not normally. For me it all depends on where I will be. What part of town? Will I be dealing with a money drop or pick up? Will I go from a closed0 parking lot to a secure building? Is it a long, dark walk? Is security obvious and on location? Are we in the U.S. or Beirut? Is the climate with or without the rule of law? ie. A riot or civil unrest? All of these answers will vary and so will my personal load-out with each scenario. Yes, you never know when you will need 50 rounds. But, you also never know when you will need your battle rifle and 10 mags too! Planning and intell will dictate what I carry.
A most recent and dramatic example of this was a fairly recent shooting in northern Illinois where a police officer shot an armed assailant 21 times with good quality .45 ACP rounds. Despite the fact that 14 of those hits were to the chest, the assailant kept coming and was only stopped when the officer was able to score two shots to the head. Toxicology reported showed only a small amount of alcohol in the criminal’s blood. That officer subsequently switched from the .45 ACP to 9mm, just so he could carry more rounds. He now regularly totes more than 100 rounds while on duty.
I also don’t carry a spare weapon or a battle rifle or shotgun, but if I were a LEO I would! 100 rounds would be a good start. Like I said, I’m not a coward but I want to come home each night. Someday I may consider a double stack weapon if I feel the need. Many times I’ve heard shooters say “If I can’t do it with 10 then 15 won’t make a difference.” Anyone who says this speaks from inexperience. As the story above indicates, 14 well placed hits didn’t make a big difference. The double tap headshots did. I will still train center of mass. But center of mass doesn’t mean a double tap higher can’t be included in your training.
When I find the right mag pouch, I will up my ammo to 22. I always have a few boxes of 50 next to my gun in case I feel I need that too. Normally, I don’t grab it. I also store a box in my vehicle so it’s there if I need it. If you carry, I would advise at least 1 extra magazine too.
When you train you should always include a magazine change. It would be better if that change was under stress, such as competing with a clock or another shooter. This will keep your skills fresh and improve your muscle memory. When training remember the acronym FAST:
F = Fire (Shoot!) Move to cover, communicate
A = Assess. Do you need to keep firing?
S = Scan. Are there more threats? Moving your head and view will break the tunnel vision you may experience.
T = Top off. Reload. If another threat appears or re-appears, you want a full magazine.
So, I ask again, how much ammo do you carry?
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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