Author Topic: how much ammo?, and how you carry it? (Read 1502 times)

oldfart · « **on:** August 28, 2009, 01:20:27 PM »

i have a sp101 357magnum, i open carry right now and carry my spare ammo in a closed shell carrier on my belt. i carry 18 spare cartridges in the carrier, is this enough? i plan on getting my c.c.p. next year, and hopefully get a concealment holster, and speedloaders. i'm on a fixed income and can't afford much of anything right now, is how i carry my ammo ok? i would like to know how much others carry, and how you carry it to give me some ideas that might be better than i'm doing now. thanks for any help.

gunblade · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2009, 02:49:29 PM »

It's unlikely you'll need that much ammo in a defensive situation...but there's nothing wrong with having it readily available. If the carrier is comfortable to wear and allows easy access to the spare ammo, then it should be OK. Another option besides speed loaders is the rubber speed strips made by Bianchi...they would provide a faster method of reloading vs pulling the rounds out of the carrier one at a time. With the speed strips all the rounds are held together and can be loaded two at a time in a small revolver like the SP101, and they are small enough that you can stash a couple in your pocket.

bluecow · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2009, 03:12:26 PM »

18? as i recall my sp101 was a 5 shooter. if i need 23 rds ill stay away or have a shotgun thankyou. im not that old but i can remember when P.D.s used drop pouches. vary nice handgun ya got there.

Dee · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2009, 03:24:44 PM »

as one old fart to another oldfart, I in my prime carried a revolver for a duty pistol, and was an instructor as well. There are many ways to carry extra ammo, and one of the best is a six-round set of loops on a belt slide. With these on the right side hip, if you are right handed with proper technique, and practice you can load two rounds at a time, and three with much practice. Far faster than a speed strip, and far more easily concealed than speed loaders unless you carry them in a coat pocket.
As far as the number of rounds needed to carry it is a crap shoot. The average rounds fired in a stand up fight by police officers has been for over 40 years about 7 rounds total, and that includes the bad guy shots also. These are FBI record stats of ALL RECORDED police shoot outs.
My first incident in 1977 was on the unusual side, as it lasted for 13 minutes according to radio logs, and not only involved shots fired but, two autos that I and my opponent also used on each other trying to kill each other. By the way, I was a police officer for 20 years. At the end, his car burned, and mine had to be towed. I fire eleven rounds, and all combatants survived.
My second, was more traumatic if that makes sense and occurred at about mid-night on June 19th, 1978. I fired 5 shots with very positive results and it started, and was over in seconds. No one else got a shot off.
My point is, I needed more with the revolver, and less with the auto, and the difference in fire power made no difference. It was the circumstances were different.
If you have fired 6 rounds, and you are still fighting, it is time to change tactics, and leave the area if possible. What you are doing is not working that well.
My last incident was a situation where I had to stand and fight as there was no place to go. Both men in this incident also lived, but left the scene in ambulances. I on the other hand hunted empty brass with the investigators, and wrote pages of reports. The incident went uncontested and both me pled guilty.
The best safe guard is to be ever present of you surroundings, and the people in them. Evaluate constantly whom is in your immediate area. Sounds complicated, but it is a way of life for me, and has been for 40 years. The survivor is the man that knows where the exit is, when the fire starts.

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2009, 03:51:41 PM »

OF, I suppose I am in a similar situation to you. I carry but mostly do not carry extra ammo here in town. I was just thinking of this situation this morning while on my walk before sunrise. What if someone or ones jumped me?

I decided for here the 5 rounds in my model 60 would be enough protection. I have few enemies, only a couple that were arrested on serious game violations. My biggest threat here would probably be some thug or thugs moving though who would need drug or traveling money. $:-\$ I feel that 5 rounds would be more than enough to protect me. Now, we have NO issue with street gangs, etc. When I leave my area for a large city, then I DO carry more ammo, usually in the form of an additional pistol or three. Often then a 1911 with an extra clip, and either a .44 or .357 in the truck. Also a rifle always travels with me.
What Dee said about being aware of your surroundings, the people and evaluating these, has been told to me by every officer I have questioned about self protection. One of my friends who lives in Pittsburgh, was robbed, knifed, and beaten by 3 to 5 blacks. When I ask him how get got cornered by these thugs, he said he was walking down the street looking at his feet!!!!! When he looked up he was surrounded!!

Old Fart · « **Reply #5 on:** September 03, 2009, 06:27:40 PM »

Well OF this OF usually doesn't carry any extra.
6 in the pipes of my smith.
I've got a couple speed loaders and a pouch when I feel the need for more.
But heck not that often anymore.
Back when I packed everyday I came loaded for bear.
Nowadays not so much.
Don't need the extra weight yanking my britches down.
If I lived somewhere that made me feel like I needed more I would.
Just where I'm at now 6 rounds will give me plenty of time to get back in the house and grab a shotty.

trex1310 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 15, 2009, 02:14:54 PM »

I carry a Ruger GP100 6" and a S&W 686 4", both .357 magnum. I usually wear a bandolier
with 30 speedloaders. Being an oldfart myself I hired an ex playboy bunny to pull a
Radioflyer wagon, wearing a bikini, with the other 200 boxes of ammo.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2009, 02:29:10 PM »

I want ot shoot with you!

If I chip in can we get a Current Playboy Bunny?

LONGTOM · « **Reply #8 on:** September 15, 2009, 04:00:00 PM »

Ruger Blackhawk or Vaquero in 45 colt with 6 in the gun and a small fold over carrier that holds 12 more.
Also a 12ga pump in the truck with 5 on the stock and 4 on the sling, 3" #4 buck.
Don't have a carrier on the frame yet. comming! holds 4 rounds.

LONGTOM

Steve P · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2009, 09:02:19 AM »

If I am on my quad, walking, or camping, I have a six gun and it carries 6.
If I am in my car travelling, I have a 45 and it holds 8.

I have extra boxes of ammo in my car, but never on my person.

If I can't take care of the situation in 6 or 8 shots, I am likely not going to be able to take care of it anyway.

Steve

Flash · « **Reply #10 on:** September 19, 2009, 02:48:08 PM »

Quote from: trex1310 on September 15, 2009, 02:14:54 PM

I carry a Ruger GP100 6" and a S&W 686 4", both .357 magnum. I usually wear a bandolier
with 30 speedloaders. Being an oldfart myself I hired an ex playboy bunny to pull a
Radioflyer wagon, wearing a bikini, with the other 200 boxes of ammo.

If that were me, I'd find a dark alley and ditch the guns, ammo and get a pillow for that radio flyer.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2009, 12:14:05 PM »

Oh when I carried a gun it was a Sig P230 and I would carry a 2nd mag with me in the fanny pack holster.
I was on my bike( human power, not something cool) at the time and if I needed a gun it was going to be fast and I would reload once I got clear of what ever I needed the gun for. If I were to to it today and was to carry a revolver I would toss a speed loader in a jacket pocket or in the right hand pocket of my pants with my pocket knife/ money clip.
Left pockets are for keys and flash lights.

B2crawler · « **Reply #12 on:** September 30, 2009, 11:37:09 AM »

I live in a bad part of town and usually pack my S&W 686+ 2.5 snubby that holds seven rounds. Besides what's in the gun I keep 2 speed loaders in my truck when traveling around town. Even though I may never need the gun and probably would never need the spare ammo it's comforting to have it.

I like Dee's quote about "The survivor is the man that knows where the exit is, when the fire starts".

I only carry my gun in case that exit needs clearing so I can get the hell out of a bad situation as fast as possible.

ohiobenito · « **Reply #13 on:** October 10, 2009, 06:02:37 AM »

while out woods loafing, I use an old perscription pill bottle. it holds two layers of 6- 357 shells. keeps em dry and right in a shirt pocket

cybin · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2009, 04:48:39 PM »

When growing up I used to go fishing with an old fart --I was about 8 or 9--Olie was in his late 50's for sure--he always told me that he carried a knife and a gun--when he saw trouble comming, he cut around the corner and shot for home.

cybin

Old Fart · « **Reply #15 on:** November 02, 2009, 07:35:11 AM »

Not sure who that remark was pointed at but I blew coffee out of my nose when I read it.......

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2009, 09:38:49 AM »

5 in my gun and 6 in a pocket on a bianchi speed strip . If i go in to areas where gangs hang out then i add a gun as its the fastest reload and get others to go with me if possible , hey cops go in twos now why shouldn't i .
To be honest i try not to go to bad places if i can avoid it .

NickSS · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2009, 08:10:36 PM »

When carrying for CCW I generally carry only what is in the gun. I avoid places that are dangerous most of the time but was surprised once a long time ago right outside my favorite gun store. I was accosted by three guys who asked me for money and I told them that I did not have any. Then one pulled a knife on me and threatened me with it so I made like I was reaching for my wallet and pulled a 1911 colt out of my hip pocket. It was not loaded as I had just bought it but they did not know that. I never saw three guys run so fast in my life. I carry more ammo when I am packing with a purpose like shooting critters. Depending on what I am hunting I have carried up to a couple hundred rounds for that purpose. But for CCW I figure that 5 to 15 rounds in my gun is all I will need for self defense to get away. Now if I were a cop I would carry more as I would have to deal with the situation and my need a reload. My nephew who it a NYC cop carries a sig with two extra mags on duty off duty he carries only what is in his sig.

bagdadjoe · « **Reply #18 on:** November 27, 2009, 10:44:18 AM »

I carry a 1911 .45 and an extra clip full in my back pocket when I'm walking around. When in the car, I carry 6 extra rounds in the .41 mag in the back....
Get the permit. I don't always carry something, but it takes some of the stress away knowing I can and I don't have to explain anything should I have the unlikely opportunity to get pulled over. Doing the speed limit helps in that respect as well

Only took me til about my 60th bd to figure that out.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #19 on:** November 30, 2009, 04:55:47 AM »

2 speed strips ( 12 rounds ) of 357 mag.