You either need NONE or you need twice as many as you have.

ALL OF THEM! In answer to your question, i need all of them. The only time i can have too many magazines is if... I'm on fire I am drowning Otherwise, i need all of them.

All of them. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Great point about the military logistics system....I think a lot of people don't understand that concept.

⚠ Warning, this is a long comment (2 to 3 minutes of reading). It contains important questions needed to answer the original question, but I've also added a few things you may find pretty useful. No matter your experience level (from just starting out, to former SOF community), I think it'll be worth your time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken the time to type this out on my phone just now. I made it easy to read, as well as being organized and labeled by topic. So, you know what a part will cover before you even read it. Enjoy... (One thing before we start) As for the med role part/capability, please don't just dismiss it and give up on yourself that fast. You can absolutely do something like that, and when you do, your whole group will feel a lot better when they have to face danger. Seriously, when your guys know if injured, they won't just be left or carried away and provided only thoughts and prayers, their morale will improve dramatically. Plus, the people in support roles (who you all likely know and care about) will also be kept healthier. If I can do this, so can you. I don't have magical powers. So, please just do your best with that. Some other stuff isn't common knowledge, but it pertains to ammo you (or your guys) probably have in mags and will significantly add to your capability with one easy step. Okay, now we can begin.... 1. (Necessary Questions) Yeah, the first questions to answer to solve for 'X' (how many mags) is what is the situation overall (including any current laws/rules that are actually being enforced), what is the objective/mission, what is your role (rifleman, medic, squad leader, mg/suppressive, intelligence or observation, S/DMR etc.), how many guys are with you, what distance needs to be covered, what is the terrain like to reach the objective and to egress from, mode(s) of transportation, mission essential equipment, what does the rest of the team have, are you choosing to wear a plate carrier, soft armor, or chest rig, &/or ballistic helmet, bump, or soft cover, is low visibility a requirement? Is this a presence patrol, patrol to contact, rescue, direct action/ capture/delete, standard security patrol, meet and greet or meeting with neighborhood or town leadership, recon, supply run, PSD, moving to new location temporarily, intelligence type, assisting local population (medical, water, information, etc), etc. What type of resistance is expected, and what type is possible (less likely)? Do we have a QRF? If yes, info on distance, time to arrival, number of men, and capabilities? 2. (Medical/ Building Med Capability) Do we have a medical plan in place (you need to)? Does this include a cas-evac/med-evac? Distance and time to our medical location? Btw, it's very wise and doable to have a designated medical location, set-up and operational, with all (or as many as possible) the medical supplies your medical people said they'll require to function. This (for example that is definitely just random) might be former and/or current surgical nurse, medical doctor, Navy Corpsman from Marine Recon unit, EMT/TEMS tac med, vet tech, vet assistant, med tech, and a nurse practitioner who are all part of the group. No ops should ever be run out of there, and no attention should ever be drawn to this place, though it should have low vis, but serious protection which appears to be just commonplace compared to other homes and properties. Just a family trying to get by (is how it appears). If you plan ahead (like right now), bring in people you already know in these roles who have these skills and experience. Ask them what they would need to function (best care possible) in certain situations, with the expected group size. Then, the whole group helps obtain everything on that very long list. Some will be challenging to get. Use good judgment. In addition to them doing the obvious, they should also be expected to keep the group (including those in support roles) healthy. This would require its own long explanation. Explain to them (regarding joining your group) why it's in their best interest (they get food and protection) and how it's mutually beneficial. From there, you get 'X'. Which will be (drumroll).......... It depends on all those factors. Obviously. 3. (My Standby Loudout/ skip if you don't care) For whatever it's worth, back in the day doing unconventional work, I usually carried 5+1 on my kit, plus 3 in my pack. Though there were times when I carried 9+1 on kit, plus 4ish in my pack. Sometimes, I was still on my first mag while we were leaving. Once, we all almost ran black. So, be prepared for bad intel creating a bad situation while always maintaining a balance of weight. Now, for me in my group, I'm usually in a medic role (or intel), and my mag numbers will be slightly less than others. I currently keep my PC and belt set up as general purpose for me specifically. 3 mags in front, 1 fast mag on the right forward position (lefthanded shooter), with 1 fast mag on the belt, +1 (obviously) for a total of 6 mags. Basically, like I ran back when. So, there, I participated in the question as well. 4. (Helpful Fact About A Common Ammo To Increase Your Capability With Ease) Additionally, I found (Lake City) M855 will zero (same POA/POI) with Hornady 5.56 68gr OTM (BTHP). I haven't tried this with other brands of M855 (like PMC LAP rounds). This gives me the option to carry both in the same loadout. If I need barrier performance, I have mags for that. If I need more accurate OTM, I have mags for that without adjusting anything. It appears Barnes 5.56 69gr SMK will also work with M855, but based on gel performance and cost considerations, I stay with Hornady. Note: There is another version of the Hornady 68gr OTM (BTHP) in .223 that is unknown (and unlikely) if it will zero with M855. So, stick with the 5.56 version. 5. (Commonality Of Ammo Considerations) Of course, if necessary, I have M193 as well. It's a good round, and everyone has it. So, the commonality of ammo type may require you to have M193 & or other ammo types. It makes sense if people in the same role (i.e., riflemen) can share a mag if necessary without a POI shift. 5a. (Having Multiple Different Zeros On The Same Optic) If you cannot have commonality of ammo at some point, take fine tip paint pens of different colors, zero to your ammo, and mark those spots with a dot on your adjustment knobs, using a specific color. Then, zero to a buddy's ammo, and mark that spot with a different color. If you end up needing a mag, you can at least make a quick change and maintain accuracy. This may be the case for many different reasons. It didn't start that way, but it became that way. If there is a big adjustment needed for a type of ammo, it helps to make a card that notes the ammo types and which way to adjust wind/elev, along with how far. Then laminate the card. You can even tape it to the buttstock. In the heat of the moment, when there is a serious issue, you want to make things take very little thought. This was long, but I tried to make it helpful, easy to read, and well organized. I hope you took something useful from this. If someone did, it was worth the time and effort. If not, it was a complete waste of time.

As much as I can carry without drastically decreasing my performance. I think a good minimum is 6 +1mags but I think it’s reasonable to scale up 8,10, etc. Also don’t forget water and water caches as well. Ammo and water are the two biggest things you don’t want to run out of cut off from home base.

Logistics factors aside, something to note from the experience of myself and many others, a React to Contact (RTC) generally consisted of expending a minimum of 4 to 6 mags with the initial spurt of fire suppression, cover, and movement; patrolling as an Infantryman we always had extra loaded mags at the ready in our day patrol Packs (5 to 10) to supplement expended ones, Contracting being heavily vehicle reliant we would have as many as we could in there apart from other variable weapon systems, but on our Chest Rigs and PC plus setups we would have a minimum of 8 to 10 (carried and in the gun). Obviously like you said the incidental and risk assessment-applied factors for various exigent situations and regional factors matter to how much is carried, and what you're doing individually in establishing a PB or if you're operating out of a Homestead logistics hub or whatever you are doing. Certainly no less than 6 (for AR/ STANAG load) on your Chest Rig, LBE, or PC should be a benchmark, but I would personally increase it to 8, with 1 in the gun makes 9 for a base Minuteman combat load, and then as aforementioned in nuance having additional in your patrol Pack as one sees fit and however that dispersion factors for the group/ team (if you have one, you should to whatever small or scaled size) to additionally supplement. Good video brother, nicely articulated.

I carry 18-20+1 on my armed & prepared kit. It’s a belt kit (12) with a chest rig (8). I am my own resupply!

Lots to be said on this topic! And most of it folks don't want to hear. My .02 is if you need a rifle with more ammo than what it has in it. You need as many mags as you can carry. There's not really an in between scenario.

Not just your mags, but your entire kit depends upon your environment as well as your mission/intent. There’s no one answer for everyone

this is why I have a totally separate bag with only loaded mags in it and at the time I can make the decision based on what is happening but I think having that option is really the best thing and then practicing with scenarios and finding out how much ammo you go through in them will help a lot.

Like many have said: as many as needed, but don't overload your gear. As a combat experienced Infantryman, the original battle load was 210 rds, or 7 mags, on your person. If you run out, I hope you have a battle buddy that is running with the same platform. Reloading and Resupply in a gunfight is next to impossible given certain situations. Now, most combat vets carry an additional load in their assault pack, or, they've set up a drop-leg with a MOLLE shingle for up to 4 or 6 magazines. Again, the pro is that you got that extra ammo; the con, you will be weighed down on your mobility.

Always great points, and here is some emphasis on those points for the prepared citizen: 1. The basic infantry load is 7-mags. The basic infantry load is for one day of combat. This is a starting place. I’d say 10-mags between belt, chest rig, and armor, with immediate access. 2. The key is scaling up when necessary. 3. Having access to more mags i.e., assault pack, ruck, bail out bag, truck, house, shop, (or maybe a pre planned cache?) 5. How many mags is this?!?!

There’s really two distinct scenarios in my mind. 1) Walking out the door in a situation where I won’t know if I’ll ever have more access to additional ammo. In this case it’s as much as I can carry without compromising my ability to get to where I’m going/fight (if I’m forced to) along the way. 2) A pre-planned operation (even if it’s just perimeter defense or other inside the wire tasks) in which case METT-TC plus a healthy sprinkle of paranoia will dictate my mag count.

1 in rifle, 6 on my PC, 2 on my belt and 10 in my ruck. The most priceless thing you can have are already loaded mags.

Awesome video and keeps prople thinking thank you

Great content as always

I always appreciate your ideas and opinions!

You'll wish you had one more 👍

I train with ten mags, maybe more than I would need but if I train with heavy loads than I will not hurt as much in actual. I also ruk with 10 quarts of water for the same reason. May not ever carry that much in actual but at least I know I can.

Thanks for the video

My personal load setup for my PTR-91 is 15 mags (1 in the rifle, 12 in the plate carrier and 2 on my battle belt) plus another 6 mags in my ALICE pack mag pouches. The plate carrier in question is a Yakeda plate carrier with double inserts that support 2 G3 mags in each cummerbund. condor triple flap pouch on the front, double on the right and a triple bungee pouch set on the left. Then my utility knife is on the right side in front of the condor double mag pouch. If I put AR mags in that plate carrier, I'll most likely take out the cummerbund inserts and double stack them in the condor pouches plus the 3 singles on the left for a total of 15 + 1 in the rifle Edit: I'll probably keep another 100-150 in baggies as restock supply as well. All together, that means I'll be carrying a combined 570 rounds of 308 for my PTR-91 or 780 rounds of 5.56 for an AR if we account for 6 extra mags in the Large ALICE pack's mag pouches plus another 150 loose bagged ammo in my ALICE pack.

Very good. You're trying to create critical thinkers. Definitely better than making folks who only want someone to tell them. Teaching to evaluate the situation. Kudos to you sir!

I have 35 mags loaded currently. Depending on the kit I'm carrying 4-12 mags plus 1 and 6 in the pack.

I usually have 6 on person, one in the gun, both rifle, and handgun, but have the ability to plus up depending on mission, buy either, carrying extra on my battle belt, to using a Bandolier, over my shoulder, and another in my pack, so essentially I can carry up to 21 mags on a sustained loadout.

How many of these people that are carrying 20+ mags actually have the physical fortitude to do so? As a civil, it seems to make a lot more sense to break contact as quickly as possible rather than to get into a firefight where all those mags would be useful. It seems to me that you probably can't effectively break contact and dig out all of those extra mags from a rucksack at the same time and that fewer mags and moving faster would arguably be the better option for most.

1 in rifle, 6 on rig, 2 on belt, and 6+ in back pack for rifle. 1 in pistol, 2 on belt, 3+ in back pack

In the pouches I have the ability to carry 16 magazines. But normally I carry 8 and an additional 8 in my backpack.

Personally for me, i have 1 in gun, 4 on chest rig, up to 2 on belt, and i have a 2 more in my backpack

4 rig 1 gun 2 bag. This is the way

Ounces equals pounds, pounds equals pain...as you've clearly stated, METT TC dictates what you'll need in the Field.

As you said, it certainly depends on a lot of factors. That being said, my standby kit has 4 mags plus one in the gun with more in a grab bag. But as far as perceived realistic threats, my location is a semi-hardened rural property...so if there was a threat in my driveway, I'm more likely to don a mask as I pop two CS at the gate while perforating their windshield and radiator with 00 buck rather than grab the rifle and chest rig or body armor. Obviously that's assuming an imminent, serious, threat that can't be dealt with by my everyday carry G19 and spare mag or de-escalation.

From reading the comments it's obvious that some people dont understand the difference between a patrol load out, and a load out for going into contact/combat. If you know that you are going into a fight, that's one load that does require more mags. If you are patroling or doing recon, you're being stealthy, and not looking for a fight. There's a difference. The more you know!

More. The correct answer is more.

awesome sir! Sheep Run makes some of the best clothing, highly recommend their tanks!!!

The only too things to really think about. Is how to react if one is attacked and or Ambushed, conducting counter ambush etc.

I carry 20- 30 round rifle magazines on my carrier (chest rig), plus four 10 round pistol magazines.

Q: How many should you have loaded? A: EVERY *insert Gordon Ramsay cuss session* MAGAZINE YOU HAVE.

7 on plate carrier, 10 on chest rig, and 8 in Ruck.

Knowing that I have no resupply...twelve 30s and a can in my backpack with over 450 in zipper stripes...you have to stay physically fit to operate.

Well patrol 5-6 mags on body and 3-4 inside a bag SHTF 12+ total.

If One is forced into a fight never fight fair.

Gotta figure that there's no resupply coming if shit gets lit. You are inevitably going lose/break some mags and everything eventually wears down and fails over time. Mags are, unfortunately, essentially consumable. 10 should probably be the bare minimum you have for any weapon platform, with 100 being a great number to shoot for. All the more reason to standardize platforms with the rest of your team whenever possible.

I carry 4 surplus eagle pouches (8 mags) up front and 4 xtra mags in an army ifak pouch in the back of my web gear, 1 in the SBR

Typical six 30’s on body and one 20 in gun. In my “assault pack” I have two 30’s in outside pouches for quicker access and the rest in pack depending on situation.

As many as you can...

mags are both disposable in combat as well as the single most point of failure so proceed with that theory....i have 10 per handgun and 20 per long gun...my covert rig i carry 7 mags and my overt rig i carry 11

How many magazines for an AR-lmg type weapon? Ideally you’d have a team and/or assistant gunner to carry extra mags. I’m working towards carrying 12 with a PLCE belt kit and maybe adding to that with a chest rig. It just makes for a lot of straps if I have a backpack, too.

My current load it 6+1 , with 3 loaded mage in the pack and another 120 rds on stripper clips in my butt pack. And i keep a stripper clip spoon attached to my plate carrier for ease of use.

When I was in Iraq I had about 30 magazines I would rotate between them. When I would go out. My loadout was 10 magazine on my gear

Generally 10. Specifically, 2x the capacity of the fighting rig with 1x stored in the pack. For 308 I add 2x more due to low count mags. For 300blk I add 2x 20rdrs of subs. For PCC the count is 12 +2x for subs because the belt line holds 2 instead of 1 for rifle. I am a civilian, so my pistol is my primary. to get the most crossover out of training time my fast mag is angled in the front, same spot it is when carrying concealed. For my body size I can have access to this mag if I have a 3 wide placard on. So that is 3 on chest, 1 on belt, 1 locked in. A complete refresh would be 5 in the assault pack. I don't have a long range pack so I always have a belt. If I need to go further I am taking a bicycle or my truck if I can. The difference between a ruck and an assault pack is on the bike rack.

I do 6 in my plate carrier and 1 on my belt +1 in the gun totalling 8 and a chest rig in the pack that can resupply my kit.

The answer is always way more than you want to lug around, and simultaneously way less than you'd want if you need them.

All of them

The US will larp itself into a civil war lol

Be sure to account for Mr. Murphy in your magazine loadout calculation. The vagaries of fate and your less prepared teammates may also come into play.

YES

Personally, I think you should keep all your mags loaded and ready to go, the more you have, the better even if you aren't carrying them, it's good to have as many backups as possible.

Chest rig 6 magazines and an I.F.A.C. put everything else in a backpack. You're good to go.

6 mags on body, one in rifle and bandolier with 4-6 mags in assault pack. I tend to put a single mag in my back left pocket as well. I believe it’s a solid amount of ammo without to much weight. But that being said, having a squad or fire team would be ideal.

more then i have

situational dependant, offense,patrolling 7-10. Defense, maybe 13. If you're patrolling in a vehicle, it's probably a good idea to have speedball. CIV will not have the same resupply as mil.

Great info! Just curious about mags. How long can you store fully loaded mags and still feed or operate correctly?

I believe this type of scenario will be more like Viet Nam than the GWOT which means you are just as likely to run into a single sniper as a squad or a platoon. Based on that the basic load for guys in Viet Nam (based on books or actual interviews) is approximately 320 rounds - or 10 to 12 magazines. Less contractor, more MACV SOG.

merci

If there is a chance at all of contact I carry 17 + 1 in the gun

Well Said….

12+1 more ammo in my daypack

6 to 8 if 5.56 mm + 1 in the Rifle

14 because never enough ammo

My kit holds 4, with 1 in the firearm

Dont forget to aim. Spray n pray requires alot of ammo. 😂 Call of duty pullin a wagon down the street. Lol. DO THE THINGS! LEARN SOME SHIT! Stay frosty 😎

STUMP TALK 🗣️‼️‼️🔥🔥

12. Plus 1 in the gun. Then smaller travel one with 8 plus 1.

not including the one in the rifle, up to 8 on one chest rig, up to 13 on the other, plus 2 on the belt if I am wearing it as well, plus 4-8 in the ruck. Pushing 65 years old, still not much of a swami, so never fewer than 6+1 (unless I am naked and grabbing just my belt), cuz skimping just invites Murphy to screw with you (usually when naked in just a belt).

Thanks for the vid... FYI update the word "my" to "may" in your disclaimer

10 25 round .308. even that feels suboptimal

Wow

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what you say somebody will find a reason to comment some b*******. But the video was pretty good

AI SAYS WE NEED 1000 FOR WHAT "IT" thinks is coming.

What about d 60s

After watching your video, perhaps you should put more bullets in your magazine?

Six ,30 round mags.

Need? N+Infinity

Ya you carry 7 mags but from the reloading video you only have 2 to 3 rounds per....lol

9 is the right #

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

every +1

TLDW: N+1

Dont forget, if you carry 7 mags actually on your kit(including the one in your rifle) you need 7 more in a bag or gp pouch or something. You need to be able to sustain your own, complete load out. However many mags you carry on your Kit, have that many in a pouch or bag basically. Like this guy said, you don’t want to be loading mags while your buddies are taking fire. You’re no good to them then.

I'm in town I'm not in.the Ukraine war . Simple home defence . Three 40 cal mags as well.

Military M-16 full auto/semi auto Carry 210 rounds 5.56 eh? Civilian AR-15 semi-oto- Carry 120 rounds 5.56¿. Make cents more? Eh¿

Minimum 8

10

I have six USGI mags and 1 Pmag in My Property of US Govt. Colt M4 Carbine Am i okay or should i buy more mags? As i live here in Pakistan, we have many bastard taliban. Someday if i wanna fight with them. So recommend me something so that i become more stronger. I use RCO Acog having KAC foregrip. Should i buy an Aimpoint pro for close quarters or Acog is okay?

After clearly and concisely explaining that this is your individual logic based on your particular educated and evidence-based threat assessment, some genius poster will post a criticism!🤪

Here’s something to think about I like the idea no don’t totally disagree, but law enforcement don’t even carry that much ammunition. Police officers or even SWaT. I would even argue the Taliban in some cases didn’t carry that much.

Man... In my location doing nothing as well as doing something during shtf is suicide , my only option is to put my faith in my creator and do what I must.

What’s this guys real job in the Air Force ?

x + 10