Different Magazines , What to do ?

[Mikeg175]

Ok I am sure that like most people here , I am way over stocked on weapons , ammo , mags , parts and cleaning supplies . I have a few basic types of ammos though . I have 9mm , 40 S&W , and 45ACP for my pistol sizes . Then on rifles I have .308 , .556 . 7.62 x 39 and of course the universal 12 gauge .
I keep way more ammo then I would ever hope to need , but better safe then sorry . In doing this with the variety of weapons , I have acquired many many different type mags and have started working on a way to keep them identifiable .
I have a small label printer and I have started by labeling the mags with the model and the ammo it takes . So on my H&K p30 I have it say p30 9mm , and so forth . I have them on the bottom of some and then on the sides of some . I have checked the actions , run them through the range and tried to make them act up , they all work fine .
I have a Saiga 12 gauge and it takes mags as well , I haven't labeled them with anything other then 00 , bird and Slug . This way , when I load them , I know what to load them with and then when loaded and stacked , I can just grab the appropriate mags and slam it home .
On my AR's I have them as green nail polish stripes for penetrator and then red for JHP's and then blank for cheap range ammo .
Am I missing any other ways to mark and keep them clear ?
I keep all my ammo in ammo boxes that are marked on all sides and the top to keep them straight , I also have them on different shelves .
I did the same for my food stuffs , I like labels , KISS , keeps it simple . I have breakfast shelves , lunch , dinner and so forth .
I am always looking for better ways to organize and make sure there is no confusion . I don't want to send a friend down to grab Sig 220 mags and have him come back with the kimber ultra mags since they look darn close .

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I am never way overstocked on weapons and ammo :)

I use tape and marker for the AR mags, On the Glock I have different style basepads and some with no extensions on the base pads so that is how i tell and can use feel too at night. It's not a huge issue because in the fight it's just load and go doesnt matter so much unless you are slinging hp at steel barricades. I dont get to fancy with fightin stuff, use a gp round.

[Currahee]

IMO all your defensive guns should use the same stuff and your hobby guns should have stuff put away. And kind of visual mark would be useless at night. The only issue I have is with Glock 19s and Glock 17 mags. All my Glock 19 mags have a pierce pinky guard on them so I would know at night.

[Mikeg175]

I have my defensive guns put in defensive locations and the only mags near them are the ones that go in them . I try to keep at least 15 mags for each handgun , 20-30 for each rifle , and I have over 100 for my Ar's . I keep them all separated , but when I go to the range and I toss a few weapons into the range bag and a few mags , then I set up on the table , I have mags and weapons spread out , its nice to not to have do all the work , I can just say hey load up the USP .40 mags , lets toss some .40 cal down range . Most people cant tell the difference between my M14 mag and my Scar 17 mags , very similar and both shoot .308 , so I am trying to find other methods on identifying them . So far the labels are the only easy thing hehe . I can tell by look , feel , and some even the weight difference , and my wife has the basics down and doesn't want anything more then that , but would be nice to know if in a pinch I can say go grab me 3 more Fn .45 mags and she goes to the .45 shelf , sees the labels and grabs me 3 and Im gtg . I know some people swear by one gun and one gun only , but sometimes is nice to shoot other weapons . My go to guns are my USP and my Kimber ultra and then would be my SBR Noveske and Scar 17 . Those are my main go to weapons and I love them , but since I can't have multiple wives , I'll take multiple weapons .

[Lowdown3]

This was one of the (many) reasons I decided to par down years ago. My wife is no dummy and she has come a long way in the almost 13 years we have been together, but that being said, I was concerned early on that crucial time might be wasted with a 1911 mag in one hand and a Glock in the other, or an AR mag in one hand and AK in the other. Now that's obviously not a problem but it's something for folks with non shooting or non training spouses to think about.

We have one caliber of AK- so that takes away the possibility of a 5.45 magazine getting mixed in with x39 mags and causing constranation. We have one caliber and type of Glock- that happens to accept ALL of the 9mm glock mags :) We have two other types of pistols but the wife is familiar with one of them pretty well. The only other major rifle system we have operates pretty similar to the AK, so that takes away some issues there also.

I think it's completely unrealistic to expect or think that spouses that have no or little training and rarely practice will remember manipulations for 3-4 different platforms. While many of us might romanticize the idea of being the hero with the big gun and the little wife just sitting there covering her ears while you deal out death singlehandedly to the BG's, I prefer not to fantasize.

Your wife and family members need to be able to help you in this regard. In my mind, that starts with similar weapons, weapons with easy manipulations, good training, etc.

[Bull]

I guess it depends on your space. I'm thinking small BOB's for each type and other spare parts, cleaning kit, etc., for each weapon, with the bag labeled obviously, color coded, or something. You can fit a good bit into a small tool bag, and keep the bulk stored separately, because you will only need so many mags "immediately." Mine aren't diverse enough yet to be a problem, but now I have something the think about when stocking up.

[610Alpha]

well said LD3...I was thinking along those lines of just making standard caliber pitsol/rifle for everyone in the family.

[1Admin]

It really does keep it simple. We bought the boy a GSG .22 AK because he is learning the same manipulations he will use when he gets to the big boy version. He was "ping" ing away at the steels at 100 yards with it a few weekends back, just couldn't help but do a little fatherly bragging on him :) Although he's got a mean rear naked choke, he doesn't yet have the hand strength to use the baby Glocks, so right now he trains on a Ruger MKII .22 pistol. I've trained quite a few gals and young folks with that pistol including the Mrs.

[Mikeg175]

The main reason I resorted to several different types of weapons is because when SHTF , I don't want to have to rely on just one type of ammo . I keep a fairly large amount stocked , but if it lasts longer then I anticipated or is nastier then expected , I want to be able to barter/buy most types and know I can use them . I keep my main weapons setup and train the most with them , but if needed I know I have a variety of different weapons , with different ammo types and I can make do . I don't want to have just .556 and .45 , then get low and find a trader/seller and all he has is some .308 and some 9mm and Im short . I can go ok , its not what I need/want , but it will do and then Im back in business and I can try to resupply my main weapons later . I hope it never comes to that , but having a few extra weapons and few thousand extra rounds , is just added security to me :) ..

[Lowdown3]

I agree with your rationale. And I used the same rationale for years. And it might be a bad thing long term me thinning down the number of calibers I have/stock.

Hey wait a tick, I've seen a guy shoot a .223 through an (7.62x39mm) AK, I don't want to have to use that option!! LOL

The funny thing was people were handing him 12 gauge shells after that- "here try this" just to mess with him. A couple board members were present for that demonstration of retardation....

After I cleared the last of my .223 weapons (Mini 14's sold in 03) I sold about 5K of ammo to a friend. Later I "found" another 600 or so rounds. I've kept that for potential barter and/or pickups. Probably will never use it though...

If I run out of x39 and am still alive, I'm gonna have local health issues that are more pressing than the need for more ammo ;)

Great thread BTW

[Mikeg175]

Other then keeping myself familiar with my weapons , most will be safe queens unless the need arises that forces me to pull them out for anything other then pleasure . I have the space , I have the extra $$ to spend on them atm , so wth hehe , I need some kind of gratification . Thanks ..

[Patriot Prepper]

I think it has been covered here in the comments, and I agree. In a SHTF situation it is critical that everyone in your group has standardized weapons. We have multiple AR 15s, FN FALS, and also RR LAR8 in 7.62 - it is impossible to mix up the mags for those weapons. (The RR uses FAL mags both inch and metric.)

We also have Sig P220 in .45 and Sig P226 in 9mm - not too likely they will get mixed up. Our shotguns are 12 gauge. We also have some .338 LM and .50 BMG which are distinguishable.

We also have several .22LR guns which are not weapons but more for hunting - they include - bolt action rifles, Ruger 10/22, Henry survival rifles, and pistols. Because they are not weapons, we do not stock tons of magazines. No problems with confusing mags.

If you standardize all the weapons for your group, there should be no confusion regarding mags. Also keep in mind, that in a combat situation under fire, if your partner has different mags or calibers, and runs out of ammo, you cannot help him if there are compatibility issues.

[EX121]

While so far I only have 2 types of mags, one of the things I've done is use glow-in-the-dark paint and mark the mags so I can see them at night. I put 1 stripe midway on one caliber and 2 stripes on the other. I tried to paint them in a manner that would not be seen while in the gun or in my vest, but are visable on the bedside night stand.

[barfife]

A while back I narrowed down my calibers. Carry side arms are Glock 17s and carry rifles are Keltec sub2000 (also folds to 16" to fit my get home bags) that use glock 17 mags (up to 32 rd mags). With one mag there is never a problem with grabbing the wrong mag in the dark or in a hurry. WFM (works for me)

[Currahee]

A while back I narrowed down my calibers. Carry side arms are Glock 17s and carry rifles are Keltec sub2000 (also folds to 16" to fit my get home bags) that use glock 17 mags (up to 32 rd mags). With one mag there is never a problem with grabbing the wrong mag in the dark or in a hurry. WFM (works for me)

I've got a SUB2000 for the wife (not gonna give up the utility oif an AR for general purpose) but I need to cut down the grip to take 19 mags as well as 17 and the rest.