EDC Spare Mag Ammo?

[philadelphia patriot]

Just curious for those of you who carry a spare mag (includes me). Do you carry the same ammo in your carry gun or do you carry a different bullet type, grain, pressure (regular, +p, +p+) in your spare mag?

For me...

S&W Shield 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Winchester 147 Grain JHP
Ammo in spare mag: Winchester 147 Grain JHP

Sig P320 Carry 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)
Ammo in spare mag: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)


I'm considering switching the ammo in my Sig P320 Carry 9mm spare mag to something like Underwood 115 Grain +P Xtreme Penetrator or Underwood 90 Grain +P Xtreme Defender. If the 17+1 rounds of 124 Grain +P Bonded JHPs can't bring down a "bad guy", maybe I'll have a better chance with something that penetrates better? (assume there is no rifle near me/you).

I'm probably overthinking this.

[R L Suehr]

Just curious for those of you who carry a spare mag (includes me). Do you carry the same ammo in your carry gun or do you carry a different bullet type, grain, pressure (regular, +p, +p+) in your spare mag?

For me...

S&W Shield 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Winchester 147 Grain JHP
Ammo in spare mag: Winchester 147 Grain JHP

Sig P320 Carry 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)
Ammo in spare mag: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)


I'm considering switching the ammo in my Sig P320 Carry 9mm spare mag to something like Underwood 115 Grain +P Xtreme Penetrator or Underwood 90 Grain +P Xtreme Defender. If the 17+1 rounds of 124 Grain +P Bonded JHPs can't bring down a "bad guy", maybe I'll have a better chance with something that penetrates better? (assume there is no rifle near me/you).

I'm probably overthinking this.

I carry the same ammo in both. Currently in 9mm I carry 147gr golden sabers for my star. Hornady critical defense in the others. My CZ 82 is Hornady 95gr xtp custom loaded in both.

For me once I find a good reliable jhp round I like to stick with it as much as possible.

[jthrelf]

Usually 124+P gold dots in gun and the same in the spare. Or a very similar 124+P HST in the spare.

I see your train of thought but I think if one good pistol ammo can't do the job, another good pistol ammo might not either. Plus the chances of a mag change are even less than the chances of having to use your firearm in the first place.

[Tiger]

In general.... you want the same ammo so the gun has the same accuracy. Different loads shoot differently. You might mix it up with say a tracer round to remind you your on last round. Others have something like a magsafe in chamber and other defense rounds in the mag. Best bet is to load the best performing round Your gun shoots well & feeds well.

[PAcarrier]

Just curious for those of you who carry a spare mag (includes me). Do you carry the same ammo in your carry gun or do you carry a different bullet type, grain, pressure (regular, +p, +p+) in your spare mag?

For me...

S&W Shield 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Winchester 147 Grain JHP
Ammo in spare mag: Winchester 147 Grain JHP

Sig P320 Carry 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)
Ammo in spare mag: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)


I'm considering switching the ammo in my Sig P320 Carry 9mm spare mag to something like Underwood 115 Grain +P Xtreme Penetrator or Underwood 90 Grain +P Xtreme Defender. If the 17+1 rounds of 124 Grain +P Bonded JHPs can't bring down a "bad guy", maybe I'll have a better chance with something that penetrates better? (assume there is no rifle near me/you).

I'm probably overthinking this.

I carry one of two guns depending on how I'm dressed - both are 357 Sig:
Glock 32 in standard config
Glock 31 with grip shortened to G32 size

Previously, I only carried Underwood 125gr Gold Dots in both, and in the spare mag. My spare mag fits both, so it works on matter what I'm carrying.

Recently, I migrated to Underwood 90 gr Xtreme Defender. It's barrier blind, can never fail to expand, yet do its job better than JHP, and cycles extremely well in both pistols.

Patriot, much like you, I had thought about using one or the other as spare mag material. Right now, I'm so confident with this that the Underwood Xtreme Defender is all I need. After seeing tnoutdoors9 review of the 9mm Penetrator, I didn't think it was right for me, and especially in 357 Sig.

[TXDMERC73]

Right now im carrying my Ruger LCR .357 magnum with 110gr SJHP for summer along with a plastic stripper clip with 5 extra 110 gr SJHP. in Winter ill go back to carrying my G19.

[rwilson452]

Just curious for those of you who carry a spare mag (includes me). Do you carry the same ammo in your carry gun or do you carry a different bullet type, grain, pressure (regular, +p, +p+) in your spare mag?

For me...

S&W Shield 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Winchester 147 Grain JHP
Ammo in spare mag: Winchester 147 Grain JHP

Sig P320 Carry 9mm
Ammo in pistol: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)
Ammo in spare mag: Underwood 124 Grain +P Bonded JHP (Gold Dot)


I'm considering switching the ammo in my Sig P320 Carry 9mm spare mag to something like Underwood 115 Grain +P Xtreme Penetrator or Underwood 90 Grain +P Xtreme Defender. If the 17+1 rounds of 124 Grain +P Bonded JHPs can't bring down a "bad guy", maybe I'll have a better chance with something that penetrates better? (assume there is no rifle near me/you).

I'm probably overthinking this.

Different ammo will have different ballistic properties. Recoil and blast could be couple.

Nope same ammo for either gun I might carry. 230Gr GDHP. Yes, that is a .45ACP round. That round works well in any of my .45 pistols.

[ungawa]

Same ammo.

The people that carry two different kinds tend to carry higher penetrating ammo in the 2nd mag, under the assumptions that the first mag failed to stop because of lack of penetration and they are not completely filled with holes when the time comes to swap mags. OK, maybe that will come up. If that is your reason, figure out what material you expect your first mag to insufficiently penetrate and determine if the wonder ammo in your second mag will actually make enough of a difference to make this worthwhile. And if the answer is YES, then figure out if the ammo in your first mag makes enough of a difference to be carried at all vs. your wonder ammo.

Don't let the ammo manufacturers lead you by the nose with their testing. When cops shoot someone, how often is it through a front winshield or a car door? Probably almost never (yes I know about the Florida Shootout). How about whe n a civilian shoots someone? I think those bullets have accomplished little except taking bullets that had finally been perfected and using marketing to start a new 20-year arms race between the manufacturers.

Do I look at the windshield and car door testing? Yes, I'm a pushover. But at least I know it

[PA86]

Pick a good personal defense ammo and stick with it.

Carrying a second mag of higher penetration ammo is pure fantasy nonsense.

[alpacaheat]

I am weird about it, I carry HPs in the mag that's in the pistol but load the spares with FMJs that I'd use at the range.

I just hate the thought of unloading all of my more expensive HP in multiple mags to practice with the cheaper rounds every time I go to the range.

If I'm in a situation where I'm on my second mag, it won't make a difference anyway, I just need to get out of there. I would hope I can stop a threat in the first 8 shots (or 12 with my 40).