The simple answer is all of them. However as a former LEO and tactical enthusiast since 1994 I have lived through and vividly remember the last Assault Weapons Ban. The only thing good about it was that I could own an AR15 and 30 Round mags because I was a cop but nobody else could. As a matter of fact, in 2003 when I gave up my badge I was forced to sell my AR15 which had Military and LEO Only stamped on the receiver. It was not until a year later in 2004 when I was finally able to exercise my rights again. So don’t say it cannot or will not happen. it did and it was only 15 years ago.
I digress, the purpose of this article is to answer a question many AR15 owners have with looming “high capacity” magazine bans.
How many AR15 Mags Should I own?
Most people have an AR15 for 3 reasons
1. Personal Defense/Home Defense
2. Defense against Tyranny
3. Sporting
4. Hunting.
For the purpose of this article I am going to assume you are good with all 4.
Lets look at each one individually as to mag requirements.
Personal Defense/Home Defense
It is no secret that the AR15 is not the best home defense weapon. It has way to much power, it is way too loud unless suppressed to use inside without loosing one of your most important senses and it has excessive penetration (that’s what she said} that will kill your neighbor even if they are hiding behind their refrigerator three houses down. However, many of you will still choose the AR as your go too when your living room becomes Mogadishu in the middle of the night and you start slicing pies like an operator.
For this reason, we recommend having 2x 30 round magazines stacked with Nexus Heavy Metal Powder Core ammunition. This shit will penetrate a sheet of drywall or a vehicle windshield with absolute devastation to whatever or whoever is behind it, but it will not travel through multiple structures and will leave your neighbors alive to loan you milk tomorrow.
Defense against tyranny.
Ok, now we are down the wormhole of what ifs. Just indulge me for a minute. it could be revolution, it could be genocide, it could me a natural disaster that plunges society into The Walking Dead. Either way, you are going to need Full Battle Rattle.
Full Battle Rattle is loosely defined as a plate carrier, helmet, sling, mag pouches, Tourniquet and 9 30 Round AR15 magazines. 8 on you and 1 in your gun. These mags should be loaded with hot shit. Green tip m855 556 would be the standard available to most civilians in bulk at any gun show.
Sporting Rifle Competitions
If you want to improve your shooting abilities greatly and find comradery then look no further than your local 2 gun or 3 gun competitions. In these matches every bullet counts, so the more mags you have the better and if you are in some classes, the higher the capacity the better. For me personally, I shoot Open Class so there are no restrictions. I believe the most tactical thing you can do on the battlefield is NOT reload. So I recommend keeping 1x 50 or 60 round drum, 2x 40 round magpul p mags and 6 30 round mags with windows or see through for instant round count verification on the move. Then I put TTI basepads on all of them to add 5+1 rounds on a 30 and 6+1 round on a 40.
Hunting
Today many people are hunting with the AR15. If you are hunting Hogs, I would recommend Full Battle Rattle. But for most other species, we are limited to 10 round mags. So I would recommend having a few of these things laying around as well. Several companies make 10 round mags that look like 30 round mags so you look cool when the game warden is cuffing you for his safety. Another company called Got Your 6 has created a 10 round magazine that looks like a 30 and the bottom half is removable containing survival supplies. I digress, for hunting lets have 2 or 3 10 rounders.
Summary
Personal Defense/Home Defense 2x 30 round mags
Defense against Tyranny 9x 30 round mags
Sporting 1x 50 or 60 round drum, 2x 40 round mags & 6x 30 round mags
Hunting. 3x 10 round mags
So in conclusion, if you want to have enough mags to weather any Assault Weapons Ban for a decade or more,
We recommend having 17 30x round mags, 1x 60 round drum & 2x 40 round p mags
But seriously though, mags break. so double that.
