Whether To Carry An Extra Magazine

 

VIDEO: "A Rebuttal To Mas Ayoob's Video On Carrying A Reload"--Active Self Protection Extra (20 min.)

    Earlier today, John Correia dropped a video on the issue of whether you need to carry an extra magazine for your carry weapon. His original video on the topic is here in which he explains why he doesn't carry a spare magazine, which essentially boils down to (i) the average citizen does not need to carry a spare magazine and (ii) there are other things (flashlight, pepper spray, a mini-IFAC) he would rather carry. Coincidently or not, Massad Ayoob released a video just days later on why you should carry an extra magazine (video here). Thus, Correaia's latest video is a rebuttal to Ayoob's video and probably better explains some of his ideas in the first video.

    As an initial note, Correia's video generated comment beyond just that from Ayoob. Greg Ellifritz, for instance, commented:

    At one point in my life, I never left home without a full sized gun and at least one spare magazine.  Now I’m less dogmatic about that.  As your skill levels and cognition about the combative arts improve, I truly believe one can do fine work with a gun that has limited capacity. 

    Shooting lots of bullets is a tactic.  If I’m carrying a small gun, that tactic is no longer available.  I’d best find an alternate tactic instead.  The true tactician is aware of his abilities and limitations.  He/she chooses tactics that compliment the weapon he is carrying.

Jon Low also had some comments on the video, questions Correia's statistics (Correia says he has viewed over 40,000 videos of gun uses and never seen one where a civilian used a reload) because the videos represent a subset of gun fights short enough to be interesting. But he also pointed out:

     Carrying an extra magazine is for clearing malfunctions.  Reloading is not significant, because running out of ammunition is not significant.  Just because John has not seen reloads in his videos, doesn't mean anything.  If you've taken classes or taught classes, you've seen lots of malfunctions that require another magazine.  And that was in the pristine conditions of training.  In combat, it is much worse.  

This was apparently a point raised by Ayoob as well. 

    My only comment concerning the original video actually was in response to issue of carrying an extra magazine in case of a damaged magazine was to not use training magazines for carry. Specifically, I wrote:

This is why I have recommended in the past that you don't practice with your carry magazines, especially any drills or practice which involves dumping the magazine into the dirt or onto the floor. Yes, function test those magazines, but otherwise treat them like babies because it is too easy to bend a magazine lip or get dirt or a pebble in the magazine.  Have a separate set of magazines for practice. 

Correia makes the exact same point in his most recent video.

    But in watching this latest video from Correia, I want to focus on another point he makes. We all know by now that the majority of civilian gun fights are three shots in three seconds at three yards or less. Ayoob asserts in his video that civilians should prepare not for the "average" but for the outlier events, citing to a couple civilian defensive gun fights (in the U.S.) where the defenders shot 11 and 17 rounds, respectively. Ayoob then notes that if you were in a similar situation and only carrying a handgun with 7-rounds and no extra magazine you could be in world of hurt. This, Ayoob argues, justifies carrying an extra magazine. 

    Correia's response is don't carry a pistol with only 7 rounds. That is, even accepting the possibility of a high round count of 11 or even 17 rounds, modern designs offer 15 or 17 round magazines obviating the need for an extra magazine even in the high round count situation. Moreover, new designs allow for 15 round magazines even in the small carry pistols. 

    I think it is a valid rebuttal to Ayoob's argument. Especially given Correia's point of wanting to carry other EDC items. I haven't had the opportunity (thank goodness) to offer first aid in the wake of an accident, but I frequently use a flashlight and my pocket knife (which uses a pocket clip). The knife gets used daily and the mini-flashlight that I carry in my pocket (which is actually better than the full sized lights of my youth) is probably used at least 3 or 4 times per week, even if for nothing more than lighting a darkened corner of a back shelf or such. While mine is attached to a key ring, a small tactical flashlight would probably be a better choice; and that would represent something more carried on a belt (in a pouch) or clipped inside a pocket--the same places you would carry an extra magazine. 

    Anyway, good points and counter-points all around and lot to chew on.