How Many Loaded Magazines
Kevin Felts 06.05.17
While browsing through the military weapons section of the forum, I came across a thread asking, “How many AR magazines to keep fully stocked ready to go?” Some of the replies were along the lines of, “I keep all of my magazines loaded.”
I fully understand keeping a certain amount of magazines loaded, but how many are enough? Some of us stockpile a large number of magazines. My personal magazine stockpile is not large, but it is reasonable.
What purpose would be served by keeping 50, 60 or 70 magazines loaded? Lets take 50 fully loaded 30 round AR-15 or AK-47 magazines. That is 1,500 rounds. Why would someone need 1,500 rounds of ammunition loaded and ready to go?
Personally, I would rather have that ammunition in an airtight ammo can where it is not affected by humidity. While loading the magazines, body oils will get on the casings, which will promote corrosion.
Then, what type of ammunition do you keep the magazines loaded with? Would the magazines be loaded with cheap steel cased range rounds, or good quality brass cased soft-points?
How Many Magazines Are Enough
Personally, I keep several magazines loaded with Federal 55 grain FMJ or soft-points. These are my go-to rounds for when the dogs start barking at night. Then, there are several magazines I take to the local sandpit. The magazines that are loaded with Federal 223 Remington rarely get unloaded, unless they are shot. Range magazines are used for cheap steel cased ammunition and are my regular range magazines. Then, there is my stockpile of magazines still in the original packaging,
This makes me wonder, the people who keep all or most of their magazines loaded, do they only shoot one type of ammunition? Do they take all of their magazines to the range? Or maybe rotate out which mags go to the range?
I live in a rural area and have various predators that cross the property. At any given time there is coyote dung just 100 yards behind my house. A few weeks ago, a trail camera took a picture of a large bobcat under the deer feeder at the back of the property.
Since my ammunition stockpile is divided into two different groups, range and home/property defense, I feel it would be self-defeating to keep a lot of magazines loaded.
Someone will probably say, “Kevin, if my family and I have to bug out, the magazines would be loaded and ready to go.” I would have to ask, “What kind of situation would you expect to happen for your local area to go from peace and quiet to hell in the blink of an eye?”
If someone says they keep 50 or 60 fully loaded magazines, what “exactly” are they prepping for?
