Stop Runnin' Around With No Spare!

 One of my favorite Jimmy Buffet albums came out in January 1977, 48 years ago.  It is called

“Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes”.  There’s a song on there called “Wonder Why We Never Go Home”  Second verse is as follows:

People are movin' so quickly
Humor's in need of repair
Same occupations and same obligations
They've really got nothing to share
Like drivin' around with no spare

I love Jimmy’s subtle humor.  “Drivin’ around with no spare” is a good example of that.  Why would you want to be in a situation without any type of back up? 

I was in a combat situation that would have been a disaster if I was in a patrol situation.  I ran out of ammo.  It was frustrating and scary and without those around me, the cover I was behind, and the fact that I could duck into a hardened shelter and grab more ammo, I would have been in trouble.  After that experience, I was never without about 20, 30 round magazines besides what I had on me.  I kept 10 mags on me in case I had to be mobile quick.

As civilians we have our own version of a “load out”.  It’s our EDC or everyday carry.  Usually it is a phone, keys, knife, wallet or purse/bag, and hopefully a gun.  I taught my children, “Never leave home without a knife or gun.”  Often a flashlight is part of that EDC.  A spare magazine should also be in your EDC.  Having been scared from seeing that bolt back and open because of my magazine running dry, I have vowed to never let it happen again.  I always have a spare mag.  Of course, this is only useful if you carry a semi-auto pistol. If you carry a revolver, speedstrips, speedloaders, and moon clips can provide similar benefits.

The most obvious reason for carrying a spare mag is for the extra ammo. Depending on the type of pistol you carry, this may be more or less of an incentive, but it is always advantageous. If you carry a mouse gun with around 6 rounds in the mag, this may be a requirement. If you carry a full-size, double-stack 9mm with upwards of 15+1 rounds on hand, you may feel like you’re already covered. Likely you are, but there are other reasons it’s good to carry a spare magazine. 

Having a spare magazine is also great should you suffer a firearm malfunction. General malfunctions such as a double-feed or failure to eject can be quickly and easily cleared by dropping your mag and racking the slide. Unless you work to hold and maintain the magazine while manipulating your pistol, which requires more time and coordination, this leaves your mag on the ground. It’s much faster to simply eject, clear, and reinsert a fresh magazine. However, I will say there is a lot of value in retaining your original mag (and rounds) in case you need it later. It’s up to you to train and determine your proficiency level. 

Also, your original magazine may incur some damage that causes it to no longer function. Whether it breaks while dropped or binds up with grit, this leaves you out of luck if you don’t carry a spare magazine. Remember the preparation phrase “Two is one, one is none.” 

As we add more and more to our EDC loadout, things get heavier and tend to get left at home. Single-stack magazines tend to be easier to carry than double-stack mags because they are slimmer and lighter.

The most simple method of carrying a spare mag is just dropping it in your bag or pocket. However, this does not provide you with rapid access in the event of an emergency. You’ll likely be fishing around trying to retrieve your spare. 

The solution is a magazine carrier. These are available in Kydex, leather, and synthetic materials with different clip and attachment options. One model features a sleeve with a pocket clip, similar to what’s found on many common folding knives. This is perfect for the pocket and keeps the magazine held in the same place for a repeatable draw. Other options ride on the belt, either inside or outside the waistband. These will feature a sturdier belt clip or belt loops to hold them in place. Paddle style holders slide under the belt and are held in place by tension. 

You can also select a holster with a built-in spare magazine carrier. This is common on appendix carry holsters and shoulder rigs. This makes it harder to forget and keeps everything contained into a single unit. Unfortunately, these tend to be a bit less discrete and may print more than other options, depending on your body type and wardrobe. 

The type of magazines you buy also matters. Not all mags are the same, so don’t cheap out when it comes to choosing your mags. Perhaps you could if the mags were reserved for range use/malfunction training. Even then, I stick mainly to quality OEM or reputable manufacturers. They’re just as good as most factory options, sometimes better when they have more capacity.

You may also choose to carry an extended mag as your backup. This will hold more ammunition but may be more cumbersome. If you can take the extra weight and bulk, this is a good option.

Magazines aren’t 100% disposable, but they are expendable. Especially when you use them. A good magazine is designed to be used, maintained, and eventually replaced. It is important to get yourself on a replacement schedule to prevent malfunctions. They’re not the most fun thing to buy, but it’s like getting batteries for your devices, it’s a necessity. 

There are differing thoughts around spring wear and what wears out magazines the most. From what I have seen and experienced, the most wear will come from the loading/unloading process while shooting. You may also get some wear when the magazine sits loaded with the spring compressed for a long period of time, but less so. 

Shooters should have multiple magazines for their firearm. When considering a new purchase or looking through your current inventory, consider which firearms use the same magazines. This can save you money and allows you to use your mags across a number of different firearms.

Whether you need it or not, carrying a spare mag is good insurance. In many ways, it echoes the reasons we carry a firearm in the first place. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

These are many viable reasons to carry a spare magazine.  But the one that is tattooed in my brain is a dry mag and someone shooting at you!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn