Monday, June 09, 2014

Ordnung Muss Sigh.

When I moved to Indiana, I had the pistol magazine situation under control. All I needed were full-size magazines for .45 ACP 1911-pattern pistols, and I was golden. I'd sold the CCOs and Compacts, sold the .38 Supers and 10mm Autos, and long ago sold off all the Glocks and SIGs and HKs and whatnot; as long I remembered to throw an extra Wilson 47D in every order from Brownells, I was set on handgun mags for good.

I can't remember which came first, the Para LTC in 9mm or the Ruger 22/45, but suddenly there was another kind of magazine to keep in stock, to stuff in the range bag.

Then I switched from carrying the 1911 to the M&P 9 and all the 1911 mags, .45 and 9x19, moved to a plastic tub in the attic and the mag pocket on the range bag was stuffed with Ruger .22 and Smith 9 mags.

Then came the Glock 19, which meant Glock mags. Okay, don't need a bunch of those. Then, during the previous 9mm panic, I got that M&P 357, and I have to keep track of those mags too, but mark 'em differently and store 'em so they don't get mixed in with the 9 mags.

Then along came these various plastic guns that I'm trying out of curiosity and I find I've got a big Danner shoebox full of mags from FN and Walther and Glock and I don't know who all else... and, oh yeah, the extra mags for that little .32 double-stack Beretta... and I feel so... so... disorganized.
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25 comments:

Critter said...

I'm currently looking for Beretta 34 and CZ83 mags so I feel your pain.

The Raving Prophet said...

I'm still waiting on a good magazine organization system that improves on cardboard boxes and a sharpie.

Maybe this is one reason I've been more into wheelguns lately. But even with those you don't want to get the K and L frame speedloaders mixed up. You just can't win.

Anonymous said...

I kept my numerous mags separate from the guns with which they mated in my vault.
So, when the vault was stolen, I was left with many mags, and no guns to mate them with.
AH, to have such problems as yours!

gfa

Anonymous said...

I put the different magazines in plastic storage bags in my ammo locker. I also put the appropriate holster and mag pouches in the bag as well.

Old or demoted holsters and magazine carriers go in the locker next to it. This is also the home of broken magazines that I never get around to fixing as well as assorted gun parts and accessories that seem like a good idea in theory but did work out.

Gerry

RevGreg said...

I'm currently looking for a dozen CZ-75 mags. Mind you, I don't to buy any because I already OWN the damned things...they just managed to get mixed in with the other flotsam around here and have evaded detection for an extended period.

RevolverRob said...

Mags will fit fine in boxes of these type. Found locally t your favorite sporting goods store.

http://www.amazon.com/Plano-23730-05-Stowaway-Adjustable-Dividers/dp/B001447AW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1402327709&sr=1-1&keywords=Deep+Adjustable+Stow

And you can get those without dividers which hold medium sized handguns nicely. And if your range bag is sized properly, you can grab the boxes and drop them straight in.

-Rob

Ancient Woodsman said...

The embarrassing thing is having boxes & boxes of various mags for which you no longer have the guns.

Some day I'll buy another P95 or SR9...simply because I've got a boatload of mags for those still.

But the "o.k., don't need a bunch of mags for those..." didn't work on my end. I thought the same when I dived in to the P250 platform, supposedly then just for the fun of it. Having scads of 220, 226, & 229 mags and still considering those my "serious" guns and thinking that the 250 would be just for 'play'...didn't work out. And the organization didn't keep suit, either. Now there's Glock mags and 250 mags scattered among about four different shelves in two separate parts of the cellar. Woe is me. And the work gun is still a 229.

The 21 year old me would never believe such confusion. That guy had a beautiful Belgian Hi Power and a dozen mags and told himself he was set for life.

Jay Bee said...

It's ok, long ago my parents bought a Ruger P-series and a Marlin Camp Carbine....

Instead of, you know, a Ruger P-Series/PC combination or a Marlin/S&W 59-series combination....

Of course, this means I just get to track down the PC and a 59-series, right?

Keads said...

Don't feel bad, I have the same problem!

Anonymous said...

"Then I switched from carrying the 1911..."

You have strayed from the one true path as set down by the prophet John Moses Browning, PBUH. Confusion and disorganization shall be your lot until you mend your errant ways.

Just kidding.

Look on the bright side, you could have been reloading for all those calibers too and have reloading dies, case trimmers, case holders etc for all of them. I have a pile of miscellaneous reloading stuff in boxes somewhere. The time has come to simplify my gun safe.

Al_in_Ottawa

og said...

Uline makes what you're looking for

http://www.uline.com/Product/ProductDetailRootItem.Aspx?modelnumber=S-16976

These boxes can be divided into small square or rectangular compartments with interlocking dividers, and you can get clear lids for them. I use them to keep grips clean and organized.

roo_ster said...

Leaving the 1911 platform is its own punishment.

LCB said...

Wish I had your problem! :-)

Do you have a "review" of your M&P 9? I'm thinking of getting one to replace my S&W Sigma (which I like fine, thank you!).

I shoot fine with the Sigma. But I think the M&P is slightly slimmer and is more reliable over a broder range of ammo.

Pakkinpoppa said...

Working at a lumberyard, I found an excellent way to hold double stack magazines. When we get in utility knives, or other hardware items, some of them come in a stand up box where the bottom is foam. I kept a couple of them to use for my...um, two Block magazines. Prior to that, I used my earliest one for 226 Sig magazines.

B said...

How Many 1911 mags do you have????

If ya need to get rid of some, call or email me.

Might be I could take some off your hands.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Trade Goods! Oh Boy! Time to fire up some Free Market Capitalism! Okay, here's a Rainy Day Task for you, that's as Cheap as it gets. Get yourself a Big Box of GALLON Freezer Bags from the Buy-More. Break out all the Mags. Sort them into piles by type,i.e., the 1911s go into one or two or three bags, the Berettas into other, and so on. Mark each bag with a Sharpie as to the contents. Once you have them all bagged up and marked, then place them back in the Bins, but DO NOT put them back into the attic. Save them for the next Indy 1500. Haul them down there, and sell them off, including the Bins. Then with all that new-found wealth in your hand, go buy a Box of .22LR. And if you made enough, you MIGHT be able to afford a BRICK!

But you'd probably need a Semi full of Mags, though....

Kristophr said...

But do you have your own ICBM yet?

http://rt.com/news/164808-floating-missile-siberian-village/

Ted N said...

I was thinking of wine or liquor boxes too. They work well for my paintball pods.

Thornharp said...

If Sheldon Cooper was a shooter, he might have written this post. Except you write much more gracefully.

Anonymous said...

Kristophr:

Something more complete than that fuel tank:

from: http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/littlefield_auction.html

http://auctionsamerica.com/events/overview.cfm?SaleCode=LC14

Look for Lot #1067, which is a complete SS-1b SCUD-A mounted on the TEL (transporter/erector/launcher)

Parking THAT on your front yard would get the neighbors attention!

bedlamite said...

Sheldon Cooper wouldn't have misspelled "sein" either.

Tam said...

Not even to make a pun?

I've never watched the show. People magazine has long ago turned into Who Are These People? magazine for me.

bedlamite said...

It would have to be much more obscure.

Windy Wilson said...

I was thinking we should take a collection so Tam can keep all her pistol mags in Manolo Blahnik boxes. It would be a better punchline than Dannon boot boxes.

mikee said...

The aftermarket 20 to 30 round magazines for the Ruger 10/22 are made by enough companies with enough variations that a shoebox for them alone is necessary in my closet.

And most of them don't work very well, so they have that going for them, too.