“Getaway Ammunition”
How Much Should You Carry Anywhere?
If you carry a defensive sidearm, always have spare ammunition,
what Dave calls “getaway ammunition,” which is enough to
get you out of a tight spot.
Having been frequently entertained and sometimes stunned by online conversations which began with “How much spare ammunition do you carry when you go to the store,” it struck me the question really boils down to a poorly defined term: “getaway ammunition.”
Whassat?
Once a couple of years ago, when I traded some correspondence with a fellow in Alaska whose wife is a dogsled musher and had just bought her a shotgun for defense/emergencies on the trail, I suggested she only needed to have “getaway ammunition” rather than carting along a whole box or belt full of shells. Of course, he quickly inquired, “What’s getaway ammunition?”
That will teach me to maybe not use slang terms so loosely.
The quick definition is the amount of ammunition necessary to get oneself out of a jam, be it an emergency on the trail, or a sudden (they always are!) urban gun battle, mass shooting incident, riot or whatever. On the trail in winter, it could be an angry moose. It’s the number of rounds you think you may need to get clear away from the threat, and if things go really bad, enough to neutralize the threat. You can return when the cops show up, but remember, you’ve got to be alive and well to do this.
Spare ammunition can be carried in speed loaders, a magazine or on a belt slide. They all fulfill the task.
The late Jeff Cooper reminded us about the first rule of a gunfight: Have a gun. When I was actively teaching firearms and personal protection classes, I suggested to some students the best gunfight strategy is to be somewhere else! Don’t walk down dark alleys, stay away from night spots full of boozed-up 20-something twerps looking for trouble, and don’t stop for gas or groceries after dark in crummy neighborhoods. Just because you’re legally carrying a defensive sidearm doesn’t mean you need to constantly search for an excuse to use it.
Let’s examine this dilemma for a moment. People who carry two guns with three spare magazines for each just to buy bread, milk and eggs — and then talk about it on social media to the point of boredom — are folks I’ve managed to politely avoid most of the time over the years. They used to be called “mall ninjas.” They were folks who typically dressed like extras in a Schwarzenegger movie.
In fairness, they are correct so far as carrying spare ammunition. One should always have, say, a spare magazine or two, or a couple of speed loaders for a double-action revolver, or for single-action revolvers, spare rounds carried on a belt slide or even a cartridge belt. That’s just common sense.
On the other hand, one needn’t load up the pockets of your tactical vest with enough ammunition to require a back brace for walking stability. The idea is not to wage war but to avoid one.
To conceal spare ammunition, try carrying it in a knife case, which
is still a common sight in much of the country. Closed, it can fool anyone.
Open, one sees right away there’s enough ammunition to get away.
Practice, and Practice More
Before the pistol matches at my gun range became gatherings for people showing off their latest race gun purchases, I’d participate with my street carry sidearm for a reason. Such events are good for honing one’s skills for quick sight acquisition and magazine changes.
Nobody I know carries a “race gun” on the street. Practice with what you carry every day, not what you might use for competition one weekend a month. Drill swapping magazines, and get used to the notion of getting away from the threat.
Above all, wherever you might be, make sure of escape routes.
When Dave packs his Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt, he’s got
six spare rounds right there on the belt for any emergency.
In the unfortunate case one finds himself/herself in an unavoidable confrontation, do whatever necessary and possible to put some distance between yourself and the bad guy(s). It’s even better when you can put some sort of barrier between yourself and the threat. Cover can be a vehicle, a concrete pillar, brick wall, steel mailbox or something of equal resistance to bullets. A plaster wall, a bush or hedge is just concealment and it doesn’t normally stop bullets.
Seek competent training. Learn stuff.
Typical sporting rifle with an added feature Dave advocates:
a slip-on elastic carrier which holds nine or ten cartridges.
I’ve got a 12-gauge Mossberg 500 pump shotgun fitted with a synthetic Speed Feed stock which holds four additional rounds, and on the left side of the receiver is a slick accessory called a Side Saddle. It holds another six shells, a mix of 00 buck and slugs. In a social meltdown, it would be one of my go-to guns for home and family defense, but in such a case I’m not trying to get away but defend the castle, as it were.
Epidemic of Stupidity
Meanwhile, a recent report by Seattle’s KOMO News — the local ABC affiliate — revealed what appears to have been an outbreak of gross stupidity among travelers using Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this year, and it’s contagious.
As of late October, TSA screeners had confiscated 101 firearms from people who didn’t check their carry-on bags before heading to the airport. A lot of these guns were loaded. During the same period last year, the score was 97 confiscated guns. This is a big oops!
At the time of the report, national data said more than 5,600 firearms had been “detected” at U.S. airports, and a whopping 82% of them were loaded. This is literally criminal negligence, because getting stopped at a security checkpoint with a gun can land people in court, facing fines and criminal penalties.
When I used to travel regularly with a firearm, the first and last thing I checked was the whereabouts of my gun. It was always unloaded and in a locked case, inside of my checked luggage. To make sure of this, my carry-on bags were a small briefcase and camera case, and before leaving home, and again when arriving at the airport, I visually checked again to make certain the locked gun case was where it belonged.
After so many years, and lots of highly publicized reports about dumb people with guns in their bags, there is no good excuse for having a firearm in a carry-on bag. Bottom line: Taking five extra minutes to check can save yourself a world of grief.
THE MAILBAG
Struck a Chord
Dave’s column on the .41 Mag struck a chord with me (‘Almost Overlooked,’ Oct. 25). While I no longer hunt [health issues] I have always had a soft spot for the middle magnum.
However, at my current life stage I find the .41 Special a nice choice for self-defense. While the (Special) has very few commercial options I have been able to develop loads for it. The loads developed can mimic the commercial loads, so it makes practice fruitful. I have used AA#5 & VV350 for these loads.
The few commercial options I have found I hoard for (self-defense) purposes. As Massad and A. Branca say, using reloaded rounds for s.d. is asking for problems.
Tell Dave his articles are fun to read and appreciated.
— R J Nice
Dave replies: The .41 Magnum is far more versatile than many people realize, and I must admit you’re the first guy I’ve ever heard from who uses the .41 Special, which is a wildcat, for personal protection. If you are comfortable with it, you can hit what you’re aiming at and aren’t hampered by the lack of commercial ammunition, more power to you! Thanks so much for reading Insider Online and sharing your thoughts.
