Are all of your carry magazines loaded the same?

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hdwhit

New member
Brit asked:
Did I not read somewhere that JHP ammo was going to be issued to our Service Members?
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The United States is not a signatory to all protocols of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, but voluntarily follows them most of the time; particularly when dealing with countries that are signatories.

Various ammunition that does not conform to the Hague protocols is issued, principally to Special Operations troops, from time to time based on mission requirements.
 
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Satchmoeddie

New member
Too much to think about. BEEN THERE! Trust ME. Pick some ammo & use it.

I have a nice picture of me in the back of a police car. I am being basically released to go obtain emergency medical care. I fired 3 shots. I had 11 rounds left. 1970s Browning Hi Power MKiii, loaded with Golden Saber 124 Grain +P, no one died, and I put an abrupt stop to a raving meth addict's rampage with a Chevy S10 4x4 pickup truck. He was arrested for the same thing 5 years later. The police found a stairwell in the parking garage with no security cameras, and gave him free lessons in falling down stairs, and an advanced class in falling up stairs. Then they put the boots to him. I lived it, and can say this: "I don't have time to think about what ammo is loaded in which magazine." I have things like, "Am I going to die tonight." "How badly am I hurt, and what do I do next?" "I don't have a clean shot, unless I move to another location, and what is a good location?" "Don't shoot the tread of the tires, get the sidewalls." "Is this a-hole's family going to sue me, for killing him." "When will one of those drunks down range realize he need to get behind cover or move?" "Will I go to jail" (That one was a fleeting thought. There was no way in hell any AG was going to prosecute that case). "Do I want a crazy person in control of 6000 pounds of metal on wheels, or a dead guy?" I am not breaching a door while some dope dealer sleeps off a 3 day meth run . I am trying really hard not to die, and not to kill anyone in the process of not dying. It will cost you about $50 but case number: 2003-32070832 from the Phoenix Arizona Police Department. (Note: They will not collate anything, and it's long report from 5 or 6 officers, including a detective) If I never have to do it again, it will still be way too soon. I bought another Hi Power, but I usually carry a German Sig Sauer P228R now. LEO HST or LEO Golden Sabers, usually 124 grain. .40 S&W is Winchester Defender 180 Grain, or LEO HST. I stayed with 9mm during the .40 craze. Now that people are dumping the .40.......... Why not? It's an excellent compromise round. OH, AND UNLESS I AM ON A ROAD TRIP, I ONLY HAVE ONE MAGAZINE WITH ME, AND SOMETIMES A SMALL BACKUP GUN. IF I JUST HAVE THE BACKUP GUN, I HAVE 2 MAGS, (7+6). IF 13 OR 16 ROUNDS WON'T DO IT, I REALLY NEED AN AR 15, A MINI 14, OR AN AK 47. 46 ROUNDS? I DON'T LIVE IN 1980s EL SALVADOR! (YET) A little German solo shoulder holster and the P228, with 16 rounds, and or (usually or) a baby Glock 43 in a belly band, with 1 spare 6 round magazine. I probably won't ever need more than 6 rounds. 0 rounds sounds much nicer.
 
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2damnold4this

New member
Here is a link to Harrell's video: link

Harrell gives the reasons some people mix ammunition then gives the reasons he doesn't recommend mixing ammunition.
 
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nanney1

New member
One reason Harrell mentions that could be a good reason to mix is in the unlikely case you have a bad batch of ammo. By mixing different ammo, it is extremely unlikely to get a bad batch from two different manufacturers at the same time.

The main reason he recommends not to mix is because mixing ammo is something that criminals do.
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Thanks so much. That was very useful. The major points were the possibility of different impact points for rounds and that mixed loads may produce a negative appearance for you by the authorities. The need for increasing penetration in a back up mag didn't come up if you use modern quality defensive rounds.

He also mentioned that having a bad batch was extremely unlikely as it happened to him maybe once or twice in his career. It does argue for practicing malfunction drills. We do that every once in awhile by taking someone's mag and putting in a dummy round somewhere in the load. One way to get more practice on this is to be a handloader - if I see a gun go bad, it's usually handloads. Now, this is somewhat in gest. I'm sure your handloads always work. This past weekend, I saw malfunctions with someone's 1911 and an AR. Sent the former guy to go buy some factory ammo.

I think that pretty much settles it.
 
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Sequins

New member
I carry different lots of identical ammunition in my magazines, specifically to minimize the likelihood of a bad lot. I vastly prefer Speer GDHP ammunition so when I buy the boxes of 50 I shoot a magazine to keep up my familiarity and ensure it's "good" ammo, then put it into the inventory. At this point I have maybe 5-6 half shot boxes and I have my carry mags loaded with a few rounds from each.
 
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armoredman

New member
Same ammo in all mags, regardless.
"...loading the last magazine with..." If you can't fix whatever mess you got into with one mag, you're in waaaay over your head. A second or third mag is not going to make any difference.
You are not going into combat. Nor are you fighting crime.
"...quality ammunition that Law Enforcement carries..." Ammo is sold to 'em by the highest bidder. Isn't necessarily "quality". Most cops never practice with or even fire their issue firearm
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Maybe in Canada, amigo, but down here in the States some LEOs actually enjoy shooting and do practice. I also see local LE carrying pretty darn good ammo, not lowest bidder junk - if that was true we'd all be carrying Lester's Cheapest Ammo. I always carry a spare magazine, just in case of malfunctions. I hope I never have to fire a round, and so far, so good.
 
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BIGR

New member
Same ammo in all mags, regardless.
Quote:
"...loading the last magazine with..." If you can't fix whatever mess you got into with one mag, you're in waaaay over your head. A second or third mag is not going to make any difference.
You are not going into combat. Nor are you fighting crime.
"...quality ammunition that Law Enforcement carries..." Ammo is sold to 'em by the highest bidder. Isn't necessarily "quality". Most cops never practice with or even fire their issue firearm
Maybe in Canada, amigo, but down here in the States some LEOs actually enjoy shooting and do practice. I also see local LE carrying pretty darn good ammo, not lowest bidder junk - if that was true we'd all be carrying Lester's Cheapest Ammo. I always carry a spare magazine, just in case of malfunctions. I hope I never have to fire a round, and so far, so good.
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Not where I am from, Law Enforcement in my state has to do a yearly qualification to meet training and standards. Also through out the year they practice with their duty weapon and I know several of the them carry Speer Gold Dot which is nothing to laugh at. It has preformed very well in actual shootings and you can TAKE THAT TO THE BANK AS THEY SAY.
 
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BIGR

New member
Yes armoredman, I was responding to the information that the person was referring to, about no practice and cheapest ammo. Your quote just got caught up in it, sorry for any confusion, no jabs against you.

I don't know of any Law Enforcement department in my state that would even tolerate, no qualification and no practice. Yearly qualification is required by training and standards. An Officer must qualify with whatever gun they carry on duty, be it a pistol, rifle, shotgun and even your back up pistols.

And yes there could be some Departments that don't even require practice, but maybe just qualify, I am sure there are more lax departments through the US. Then on the other hand I'M sure some Officers practice on a regular basis, even on their own time because they want to stay proficient with their duty weapon.
 
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Bartholomew Roberts

Moderator
Yes, although once upon a time I used to carry two glasers in the top of the magazine. Since receiving more training and seeing some actual shooting investigations, my pistols are all loaded with JHP that meets the FBI standards. Given the role of the pistol, I think mix and match ammo is generally a mediocre idea. With a long gun, you have to give a little more thought to ammo selection and I might keep some mags of different ammo.
 
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briandg

New member
I can guarantee without any equivocation that if and when I wind up in a life and death situation and I have started to shoot, thinking about what bullet is in my pistol will be the very last thing that I have time and energy to do.

I have set a standard round. I practice with similar rounds. I will have myself tuned to using the same round that I practice with when I have to use it for real.

KISS. I have to remind myself that on an everyday basis.
 
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BIGR

New member
I've swapped over all the guns to Federal HST 124gr in 9mm and 230gr in 45ACP.
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Do you guys like the Federal HST? Mainly been a Speer Gold Dot person myself, always open to suggestions.
 
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Lohman446

New member
Do you guys like the Federal HST? Mainly been a Speer Gold Dot person myself, always open to suggestions.
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Despite starting this thread I'm a fan of high quality consistent ammunition. I happen to have chosen the HST but I don't think either of the choices is wrong.

My one exception is I keep a magazine of Underwood extreme penetrator for my P938 which I carry when I am out jogging because I am more concerned about meeting a woodland creature and needing the ability to penetrate than I am with meeting a two legged predator.
 
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RETG

New member
All magazines for all guns? NO, I do not load them the same.

My two around town weapons; H&K P30SK and a Beretta PX4 9mm have all their mags loaded with Winchester PDX1 JHP ammo. And I very seldom take a spare mag when carrying any of these guns. However, these are also the two guns I have loaded at all times when in the house. One on a table that goes into the bedroom with me at night; the other....well it's somewhere in the house believe me.


However, I have a Beretta PX4, .40 cal that I travel with when I go camping. I have five mags, two are loaded with Winchester PDX 1 JHP, the other three are loaded with 200 gr. Buffalo Bore HC-FN ammo.

I travel from home to the camp site with the Beretta loaded with JHP; however, when I get to the camp site, the JHP mag is removed and replaced with one of the Buffalo bore mags, and the other two Buffalo bore mags are in a double, horizontal mag pouch on my belt. This is what I normally hike with; although depending on different areas, I might also have a .44 mag strapped to my chest.

I will switch back to the JHP mag when I go into town, to visit someone or heading home, and when returning to the campsite, swap back to the Buffalo Bore mag. (At all times, there is a JHP in the chamber that I just leave in there rather than swap out rounds from the chamber.)

The Buffalo Bore is a better defensive round against four-legged critters.
 
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