Hellcat high capacity mags, worth it, or range toys?

[sawinredneck]

Nutshell: I'm back to EDCing my Hellcat due to recent events, when I do venture out I carry a sling pack with a few extra magazines. In the past I've put the 50rd drum on my Christmas wish list "Just because" but now I'm seriously looking into throwing a couple of the 33rd sticks, or a single 50rd drum into my sling pack, any advice either way?

[elmacgyver0]

I thought I was bad when I recently started carrying something that holds 14 rounds.

[sawinredneck]

Well, I seem to be getting more paranoid in my older age. It's pretty strange that all the things I heard about in the 90's, but didn't really talk about, are being done in the open now.

[sawinredneck]

Colion Noir pretty much sums it up, oddly just came across this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpS7TrULtFA

[Jeff Michel]

Any of the drum magazines for handguns I've messed with are pretty much hit and miss as far as reliability. Opinions vary a great deal on the necessity of additional magazines. According to several friends in the law enforcement line of work told me the majority of altercations are limited to three rounds at three feet in three seconds. Thankfully I have no first hand experience. FWIW I usually carry a Glock 22 or a Hellcat Pro. Since I really dislike carrying, the extra weight would a hassle and I always felt 15 rounds would be plenty to get me in or out of trouble. If carrying a sidearm becomes bothersome, you will be less likely to carry one. Other's opinion will likely differ, just keep carrying.

[FergusonTO35]

I've known more than a few people seriously considering an SBR, AR pistol, or Shockwave type shotgun as their EDC but this is the first time I've heard of someone thinking about carrying a drum mag for a small pistol.

[sawinredneck]

Any of the drum magazines for handguns I've messed with are pretty much hit and miss as far as reliability. Opinions vary a great deal on the necessity of additional magazines. According to several friends in the law enforcement line of work told me the majority of altercations are limited to three rounds at three feet in three seconds. Thankfully I have no first hand experience. FWIW I usually carry a Glock 22 or a Hellcat Pro. Since I really dislike carrying, the extra weight would a hassle and I always felt 15 rounds would be plenty to get me in or out of trouble. If carrying a sidearm becomes bothersome, you will be less likely to carry one. Other's opinion will likely differ, just keep carrying.

I completely agree, but times are changing, quickly. Five years ago I was perfectly content carrying a Ruger LCR in .357, but the riots and political environment changed and I chose a lesser caliber over capacity. Just very recently I opted, for health reasons, to go with a much smaller caliber and capacity gun, Kahr CW380. Recent events have changed my opinion.

[rintinglen]

Capacity has become in the 21st century what the Magic Bullet was in the latter part of the 20th: A sine qua non without which the hapless CCW owner is trading his life away. That was bologna and this is bologna.

For years the FBI reported that the average officer involved shooting involved 3-4 rounds at 7 yards or less. Now folks are afraid to step outdoors unless carrying enough ammo to fight the Battle of Gettysburg. Carrying a reload for a 6 or 8 shot pistol makes sense, in a just-in-case fashion. Carrying 4 or 5 reloads worth of ammo is merely exercise. Go to the gym instead.

[Hannibal]

Well, I seem to be getting more paranoid in my older age. It's pretty strange that all the things I heard about in the 90's, but didn't really talk about, are being done in the open now.

You ain't kiddin'.

Need a 'LIKE' button.

[sawinredneck]

I've known more than a few people seriously considering an SBR, AR pistol, or Shockwave type shotgun as their EDC but this is the first time I've heard of someone thinking about carrying a drum mag for a small pistol.

Funny, but not, I was seriously considering purchasing a Drako for a "backpack gun" as I have a surplus of 7.62x39, but as I was looking they proceeded with the "assault weapons ban push" and prices tripled overnight. I ended up with a Springfield XD tactical 5" for that duty. But it's too large to fit in my sling pack, which I feel mor comfortable carrying than a messenger bag or a full backpack.
Please keep in mind I'm half crippled up, broken back, limited mobility and range of motion. The messenger bag works really well, but I feel like a freak of nature carrying it, the sling bag I don't mind, but it's considerably smaller.
If you think I'm a paranoid freak, please, just come out and tell me! I get it, things right now have me wound up!

[MrWolf]

Funny, but not, I was seriously considering purchasing a Drako for a "backpack gun" as I have a surplus of 7.62x39, but as I was looking they proceeded with the "assault weapons ban push" and prices tripled overnight. I ended up with a Springfield XD tactical 5" for that duty. But it's too large to fit in my sling pack, which I feel mor comfortable carrying than a messenger bag or a full backpack.
Please keep in mind I'm half crippled up, broken back, limited mobility and range of motion. The messenger bag works really well, but I feel like a freak of nature carrying it, the sling bag I don't mind, but it's considerably smaller.
If you think I'm a paranoid freak, please, just come out and tell me! I get it, things right now have me wound up!

I'm all screwed up also with a bad back, neck, etc.. I wear an Overland concealed carry vest about nine months a year carrying my 357 Sig (may switch to my 10mm) plus a spare mag. The other three months or so I carry a S&W 380 Ez in the front bottom right pocket of my Duluth Firehouse Cargo pants. We do have some other options besides a messenger bag. Here is a pic of the vest - not of me.

[sawinredneck]

I've seen the vests and jackets, but I've always been afraid they would sag on the carry side and look funny? If you understand what I'm saying?

[txbirdman]

I've seen the vests and jackets, but I've always been afraid they would sag on the carry side and look funny? If you understand what I'm saying?

I’ve got a vest and it has both right and left hand holsters and mag holders. I wear the pistol on 1 side and 2 mags on the other which offsets the “sag” to 1 side anyway.

[shdwlkr]

If it were me I would have the 13 round mag in the hellcat and 15 round mag(s) as backup as if I were to get into trouble the extra mags would be nice to have. I have looked at a friend's hellcat pro and don't know if I like it or not. But yes with the way things are changing and speed at which things are changing then it is good to have options

[dverna]

IMO a drum is silly, but spare magazines are not difficult to carry.

I carry a spare magazine when carrying the Kahr but not when carrying the Glock.

When going to large urban areas, I put a spare magazine in the vehicle as well. On my last trip added a pump shotgun and box of 00 buckshot.

[sawinredneck]

IMO a drum is silly, but spare magazines are not difficult to carry.

I carry a spare magazine when carrying the Kahr but not when carrying the Glock.

When going to large urban areas, I put a spare magazine in the vehicle as well. On my last trip added a pump shotgun and box of 00 buckshot.

I've seen you say that before, and I get it, but I have a hard time leaving a firearm in a vehicle, hard lessons learned doing so!
A good example, my wife just informed me that we need to go to Kansas City this weekend for my sons computer, so how much is enoug and how much is too much to take along? We recently had to make a mad dash from Wichita to just outside of Detroit MI, 2k miles in four days. This was before the Israel mess, I took the Hellcat and several extra mags in the sling pack. As we weren't really staying anywhere long, I was fine with this. A couple years ago we spent a week in Corpus for vacation, still BLM going on, and I took the Hellcat and the XD SC with spare mags for both. My theory is if I had to use one, I'd still have one to protect my family. This is where the idea for the Drako came up.
I'm genuinely curios what the answers will be. Being partially disabled changed my perspective, I firmly believe it's the mans job to protect his family, being limited in movement really shows how fragile we can be, so I may be overcompensating in other ways?

[sawinredneck]

If it were me I would have the 13 round mag in the hellcat and 15 round mag(s) as backup as if I were to get into trouble the extra mags would be nice to have. I have looked at a friend's hellcat pro and don't know if I like it or not. But yes with the way things are changing and speed at which things are changing then it is good to have options

I'm not a big fan of the Pro, I don't see where it gives a great enough size difference vs my XD SC to justify one. Yes, it's slimmer, but the Hellcat as is, is just excellent IMO.
I have two of the 11rd mags, my point was to keep this gun as small, and comfortable as possible, but I also have four of the 13rds as well. I haven't bit on the 15rds yet, but maybe that's where I need to head next.

[sawinredneck]

I’ve got a vest and it has both right and left hand holsters and mag holders. I wear the pistol on 1 side and 2 mags on the other which offsets the “sag” to 1 side anyway.

Thank you.

[shdwlkr]

The pro my friend has only has 2 more rounds than what the plain hellcat has and I just don't see the advantage to the pro if I were to buy either

[M-Tecs]

Before the summer of love my carry gun was a S&W J frame or a Ruger LCP. Since the summer of love I switched to a Sig 365 XL with a 12 round in the gun and a spare 15 round mag. A 33 round stick makes the gun unwieldly and much easier to be taken away. 50 round drums are worse coupled with reliability issues.

The bigger issue for me is for SD suppressive fire is not a good idea. For military operations suppressive fire is widely used. For SD it's a legal rabbit hole.