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Magazines are like fish in the sea for many firearms – there are many different shapes, sizes, and capabilities. In this guide, we’ll discuss magazine capacity for various types of weapons. We’ll also discuss some history and provide an overview of the most common magazine types, their functions, and their capacities.

All of us would agree that firearms technology has come a long way since the days of the muzzleloaders and the single-shot cannon. The modern magazine has become an integral part of nearly any firearm. Most guns use some type of magazine, and all feature different capabilities regarding capacity. 

Let’s talk about where magazines came from and where they are today. 

A Brief History of Gun Magazines

There were early iterations of the magazine as far back as the 1650s, such as the Kalthoff repeater and the Wilson Lorenzoni. These flintlock muskets used a clever design that allowed the firearm user to reload powder and ball with a single lever twist. Some of these early models, such as the Girardoni Air Rifle of 1780 (known as the first tubular magazine system), had a magazine capacity of 20 rounds. 

As the world moved forward, these magazine styles became more advanced. Eventually, we came to the more popular tube magazines, such as those on the early Henry repeating rifle around 1860. Then, we began to get the iterations of the detachable magazine, as seen in the Lee Metford rifle, which was designed around 1888. 

From there, it’s been a stepwise and natural progression to get to where we are today, with many types of detachable, tubular, and internal magazines. Now, let’s get into some of the common questions about magazines.  

What Is a Standard Capacity Magazine? 

A standard capacity magazine means that the magazine is the “stock” or shipped capacity. For many guns, like the Glock 19, the standard capacity is 15 rounds. For a shotgun, the standard capacity is usually around six shells. 

So, if you ever hear the term “standard” capacity, it means that this is the “factory settings,” so to speak. There is no single number that is the standard. As you’ll see, the same thing is true when discussing “high-capacity” magazines. 

What Is a High-Capacity Magazine?

The term “high-capacity” is an often misused term meaning the magazine holds more ammunition than the standard issue. The term “high capacity” gets thrown around frequently and is often inaccurate. For example, if your firearm has seven rounds, then a magazine that extends this capacity to nine rounds might be labeled “high capacity.” 

Likewise, a rifle made to hold ten rounds might be called high-capacity if it has fifteen rounds. Again, it’s essential that this term is considered within the context of the firearm and the application – otherwise, it’s easy for people to throw these terms around and create confusion. 

Now, let’s chat about rounds. 

How Many Rounds Do You Need?

How many rounds do you need? The age-old question sparks many a debate in government hearings and online forums alike. While it’s difficult to say how many rounds a given magazine needs, we can take a nod from the soldiers and police officers defending this country against foreign and domestic threats for hundreds of years. 

We’ll look at three professional scenarios and use them as guides. 

The number of rounds you should carry varies depending on the circumstances.

• In a situation where a person anticipates active combat with trained enemies, such as those deployed in the military, there is a standard of around a 30-round magazine with many extra mags.
• When discussing a situation where a person anticipates a high risk of threat to life, such as a police officer on duty, many carry a handgun (such as the Glock 19) with a 15-round capacity and perhaps two or three extra magazines. 
• For a situation where a person anticipates a possible threat, such as an off-duty officer, there is often a 15-round magazine or less, with a single extra magazine in some scenarios. 
• When someone is going hunting, it can vary widely based on the situation. 

While this is only a rough guideline, it seems intuitive to look at the professionals and then mirror what they do when appropriate. 

How Many Magazines Should You Carry? 

The question about the number of magazines you should carry is in the same lane as the number of rounds you should carry. As we said in the last section, the number of magazines will change widely based on the situation. 

Most trained off-duty handgun carriers keep two magazines on their person – one in the firearm and one on their person. However, in an active war zone, soldiers will often carry as many magazines as possible while trying to maintain safe and healthy mobility for their mission – the exact number of magazines will change from person to person. 

In the following sections, we’ll discuss some common firearms and their magazines. After you see the capacity and capability of some of these mags, you’ll have a better idea about what’s practical to carry. 

Magazine Capacities of Common Firearms 

Alright, to ground everything we’re discussing, let’s chat about some common firearm categories and outline their magazine capacity and features. Then, we’ll take a sample from several of the most common types of firearms out there. 

Here are several gun types and their capacities: 

• 1911-style handguns (and single-stack handguns) 
• Glock-style handguns (double stack) 
• Semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15/10 and the Ruger 10/22 Carbine 
• Semi-automatic shotguns 

Now for some details on each. 

1911-Style Handgun Magazine Capacity 

1911, a legend of the handgun world, utilizes a single-stack magazine. If you’re familiar with firearms, you’ll know that single-stack magazines are slimmer and hold fewer rounds. For the 1911-style magazines, the magazines usually have a capacity of 7. 

While they make some double-stack 1911s, these are more modern. However, single-stack firearms, such as the Glock 43, Kimber Micro 9, and the Beretta APX A1 Carry, are still fairly popular. This is because they’re easier to conceal, and many people would rather have 6-rounds in a single stack magazine than no rounds at all. 

Glock Style Handgun Magazine Capacity 

Then we have the double-stack magazines, such as those found in Glock, Beretta, or Sigs. The double-stack magazine is probably the more popular option these days, with the only tradeoff being a slightly wider firearm (and, in many scenarios, that’s not even an issue). 

When considering a double-stack mag, think about combining two single stacks. With a double-stack magazine, there are two rows within the magazine, allowing the gun to hold more rounds. Some firearms, such as the Glock 19x, hold 17 rounds in their standard double-stack magazine. 

Popular handguns, such as the SIG P226, have a capacity of about 15 rounds. However, due to regulations in some states or personal preference, there are “standard” magazine capacities of 10, 12, and 13. Anything above 15 for a SIG P226 will require the magazine to extend. 

Semi-Auto Rifle Magazine Capacity: AR-15/10 & Ruger 10-22

When you get into rifles and carbines, it’s common to see greater magazine capacities. Why? In part because these firearms are more likely to be deployed in active combat situations – in the military, SWAT, or police operations. 

Also, there is little attempt to conceal most rifles when they are in use, be it for hunting or police, so there’s no need to sacrifice capacity to make the firearm smaller. 

Guns like the AR-15 and AR-10 often have a standard 30-round magazine. For a gun like the Ruger 10-22, a pistol caliber carbine (PCC), the detachable magazine has a standard capacity of 10. 

Magazine Capacity of Semi-Auto Shotguns  

Shotguns have historically used tubular magazine systems, such as in the infamous 870 Remington pump action shotgun. For the 870, the tubular magazine has a capacity of 6 shells. Some tubular magazines are plugged to reduce capacity or extended to give the shotgun a few more rounds.

Many break-action shotguns still don’t use a magazine at all. 

Finally, there are now many more modern shotguns, such as the Iron Horse Sentry 12, which uses a detachable box magazine much like any other firearm. You can purchase the magazines on the Iron Horse Sentry 12 with a 5-round or 8-round magazine. 

Now that we’ve talked about several magazines, let’s go over a few final thoughts. 

Conclusion: What Is Magazine Capacity?

Gun magazines have been around for going on 500 years. There are many types of magazines: 

• Tube magazines like we see on shotguns
• Box magazines on modern rifles and handguns
• Internal magazines like those on the M1 Garand

Magazine capacity varies based on the firearm’s platform. For example, semi-automatic double-stack handguns tend to have a capacity of around 15 rounds. Shotguns with tube magazines often have a 6-shell capacity. And rifles such as the AR-15 will have a standard 30-round magazine. 

Looking for more articles about gun magazines? Check out our helpful guide on how many magazines you should have!

Guest writer Gideon Zielinski is a nationally registered paramedic.