Posted: 5/21/2026 12:58:19 PM EDT
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I got a top shelf loaded full of mags. They are all black, which makes it hard to identify ; Hk Sig Ruger, Beretta. You get my point Handguns are in the safe on the door. So I can’t keep all the mags with them Give me some good ideas, if shtf and I gotta grab one out of the safe I can identify it quickly |
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Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. This was what I was thinking Just don’t know how fast will rub off with mag swapping etc Just have to reapply before that time it sounds like |
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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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I bought a couple small bins from Harbor Freight and then used a paint pen to label them. The bins can be joined together, due to the grooves on them and am able to stand the magazines up on their bases. I just removed the clear plastic piece and am able to fit 9 magazines per bin. Attached File |
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| When I had a bunch of the 6.5 Grendel magazines mixed in with the 5.56x45 magazines, my solution was to use some tan sand colored metal primer spray paint on the Bottom inch or two of all the Grendel magazines. It worked great and I only had to apply it one time. |
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Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. Originally Posted By cruze5: Just don’t know how fast will rub off with mag swapping etc I number my mags on the bottom of the mag bases using a silver sharpie (black sharpie on FDE base pads). On the plastic base pads it's very durable. I have tried to remove it using isopropyl alcohol and it leaves a visible remnant. I've never had it just wipe off from use. On metal base pads it's still fairly durable but can wear off, and will easily wipe off with alcohol. I do occasionally have to reapply it but can still tell what it said. I do wipe the pads clean with alcohol before I write on them. That probably helps. |
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Originally Posted By dogtired: The easy answer is only have Glock magazine compatible pistols! Lol, beat. For all your 9mm needs. 10 - 100 rounds on tap. |
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I have several different color paint pens, and I choose a color for a caliber and number each mag in a series sequentially, on the baseplate. If the mag is ambiguous in appearance, I mark the gun model on there too. The paint pens are intended for metal so the paint isn’t coming off without some scrubbing with acetone. I store my mags with the baseplate up, so I can see at a glance what I have. Also tend to keep similar guns’ mags clustered together in their own neighborhood, so they aren’t randomly scattered across the collection. |
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Originally Posted By cruze5: This was what I was thinking Just don’t know how fast will rub off with mag swapping etc Just have to reapply before that time it sounds like Originally Posted By cruze5: Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. This was what I was thinking Just don’t know how fast will rub off with mag swapping etc Just have to reapply before that time it sounds like Well I number all mags, and in the case of pistol mags that're black, silver sharpie, on the base AND lower back side. It does wear over time, but once you see that fade, just reapply, no big deal. |
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Originally Posted By dogtired: The easy answer is only have Glock magazine compatible pistols! That works if you have guns chambered in one caliber. One Glock mag looks much like another when sitting inside the safe. I paint the base pads to differentiate by caliber/cartridge. For Glocks I use blue for 9mm and red for .40.  Similarly, use blue for .357, red for .44, and I leave .50 black. I ended up using some type of yellow-gold for .41, because the used factory mags I found online were already marked with a paint stripe of that hue. 
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Originally Posted By cruze5: I got a top shelf loaded full of mags. They are all black, which makes it hard to identify ; Hk Sig Ruger, Beretta. You get my point Handguns are in the safe on the door. So I can’t keep all the mags with them Give me some good ideas, if shtf and I gotta grab one out of the safe I can identify it quickly White paint marker for black mags. Black sharpie for stainless. Mine are just numbered but you could write abbreviations or initials on them as well. Mine are just cheap ones off of Amazon. I also have a mag case that I stack loaded pistol mags in and arrange them by firearm. It's easy to just grab and go when I'm off to the range. |
The 2nd is not about hunting, it never was. It was put in place for one reason and one reason only. You can't have them, we won't give them up, so get over it.
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Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. I use a paint marker but same idea. Different color for Glock, HK, and SIG. Marks go on the base plates. |
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Originally Posted By oldgrappler: I use a silver sharpie and write the model # or initials on the back of the mags near the base. Same. I have a number of platform with similar magazines |
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I keep them separate in stackable plastic boxes with the name1911, cz75, Glock etc. boxes hold14-15 mags. Mags are numbered with paint pen. PCR mags are labeled PCR, to easy to mistake for cz75. Same for g19 |
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"But the new Admin. is a Master in IDPA"
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Depends on how many magazines you have. I have a good bit over a hundred for my ARs, which require no markings. For handguns, I have a number for each gun, but for most of my handguns it's easy to know which is which just by looking at them. Example is that mags for Beretta 92s and 1911s don't look much like anything else. Same for Glock with their polymer clad outers, which I don't like but it is what it is. And G19 mags don't look like G43 or G42 mags. Ruger 22/45 don't resemble anything nor do the kinda different shaped Shield Plus mags. What I do mark is Walther PPQ and PDP mags. The paddle release mags for my PPQs is not compatible with Gen 2 PPQs or PDPs with button release magazines so those Walther mags are marked with a white permanent Sharpie. Yes, it will eventually rub or clean off but Sharpies are cheap and remarking only takes a minute. Likewise with holsters. I don't have hundreds like another poster but I do mark them with a Sharpie if the gun model isn't molded into the Kydex and non of my leather holsters came marked with the gun they fit so they get branded as well. I have a reputation at work (before retirement) and in my personal life for being highly organized. But, I try not to overthink it. |
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Originally Posted By GarrettJ: That works if you have guns chambered in one caliber. One Glock mag looks much like another when sitting inside the safe. I paint the base pads to differentiate by caliber/cartridge. For Glocks I use blue for 9mm and red for .40. https://i.imgur.com/Xp0seZQ.jpeg Similarly, use blue for .357, red for .44, and I leave .50 black. I ended up using some type of yellow-gold for .41, because the used factory mags I found online were already marked with a paint stripe of that hue. https://i.imgur.com/Dv8bFGY.jpeg I do something similar, 40 cal gets blue basepads (Glock OEM and aftermarket), 45 get Orange (Glock OEM), 9mm is stock black. |
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| For my mags, 1911 single stack, I used a etcher and numbered each. Then I got a Dymo label machine with plastic labels and numbered my double stack and AP5 mags with ammo grain amount (115,124,147). They haven't come off and if I change grain I just relable. JMHO |
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Originally Posted By cmts58: I 3d printed a magazine organizer for the top of the safe Could you post a pic? I’ve got mags in 15 quart totes on a shelf, but now I want a little more protection for them (due to VA’s political decline) and was just thinking about storing them in the safe. |
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Originally Posted By dogtired: The easy answer is only have Glock magazine compatible pistols! That doesn't work so well when you try put a G19 mag in a G17... Have mag pouches good for up to 10 mages per pouch marked 17 and 19. Still need to mark the defensive ammo mags. |
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Originally Posted By ROCK6: Ah, the bliss of a simpleton's simple life   When I have anywhere between 8 and 12 magazines for each handgun, things are never that simple but it's an associated risk of the gun hobby. Add to the fact that most handguns can have 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 different magazine capacities, it can complicate things a little further. https://hosting.photobucket.com/3a5ba44e-72a5-4ded-b00a-39a4440c67c0/7df1c23e-104d-47f7-88c0-73ec732892ba.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds" target="_blank">https://hosting.photobucket.com/3a5ba44e-72a5-4ded-b00a-39a4440c67c0/7df1c23e-104d-47f7-88c0-73ec732892ba.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds ROCK6 Originally Posted By ROCK6: Originally Posted By dogtired: Then only have G17 mags! Ah, the bliss of a simpleton's simple life When I have anywhere between 8 and 12 magazines for each handgun, things are never that simple but it's an associated risk of the gun hobby. Add to the fact that most handguns can have 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 different magazine capacities, it can complicate things a little further. https://hosting.photobucket.com/3a5ba44e-72a5-4ded-b00a-39a4440c67c0/7df1c23e-104d-47f7-88c0-73ec732892ba.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds" target="_blank">https://hosting.photobucket.com/3a5ba44e-72a5-4ded-b00a-39a4440c67c0/7df1c23e-104d-47f7-88c0-73ec732892ba.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds ROCK6 At some point, I made the decision that some of my guns would just be range toys and I’m ok with 1-2 mags for those. |
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Originally Posted By dogtired: I keep my mags in Sterilite stackable containers for easy sorting. 140 mm mags fit sideways. https://i.postimg.cc/J7ZjJ6J7/IMG-1583.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wMXJpMHR/IMG-1582.jpg So much for the simpletons life. Same. |
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Originally Posted By ken_mays: At some point, I made the decision that some of my guns would just be range toys and I’m ok with 1-2 mags for those. i am completely incapable of thinking like that. Hell, I have half a dozen mags for my Beretta 21A .22LR. pistol Every gun is a defensive tool and its purpose is diminished if you can't have a few mags loaded and ready, a few mags used for training, and a few mags as backup/replacements.I do need to do a magazine inventory sometime in the near future and it kind of scares me ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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Originally Posted By dogtired: I keep my mags in Sterilite stackable containers for easy sorting. 140 mm mags fit sideways. https://i.postimg.cc/J7ZjJ6J7/IMG-1583.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/wMXJpMHR/IMG-1582.jpg So much for the simpletons life. It's all good, just busting your balls. There's about a dozen ways to skin this cat. My biggest problem is if I actually put magazines in one of a dozen or two kits, chest rigs, fighting kits, discreet carry kits, etc. That makes it hard to really track them down. I'm trying to keep that limited to "immediate need". The other issue I have is rotating through magazines. It helps if you number them and I try (and fail) to rotate magazines to the range just to ensure they function properly, but I'm probably in the "magazine hoarding" categorySome form of conslidation and organization is really needed to not just keep them separated, but easier to manage. ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
| I use different color tool bags for different types of mags. I label the bags with key tags on the zipper pulls (like these) |
stored in pouches like this with a velcro label that i can write on.  
(there are other colors as well. plus i also just write on the baseplate with silver sharpie for alot of them. |
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