Single or double stack? It seems like the conversation always leads to that question when talking handguns. All pistols will use one or the other, and you'd be surprised how adamant some guys are when it comes to choosing one or the other. But how do you know which type you have? And is one better than the other? It's a good thing you're here, as we're going to dive deep into the pros and cons of single stack vs double stack, as well as how to tell which one you have. Let's go!  

What is a Single Stack Magazine?

Let's start off with the single stack magazine. Luckily it is exactly what it sounds like. A single stack is one single row of bullets held in the magazine with a spring that pushes them upwards and into the firearm. Single stack magazines were among the first types of detachable firearm magazines ever designed and made, with historic firearms like the German Luger and the M1911 pistols helping to popularize the system. 

Single stack magazines were instantly popular upon their introduction because, well, they flat out work. Not only were they reliable, but they allowed an operator to greatly increase their firepower and drastically reduce their reload times. Think about how long it takes to reload a revolver and you'll quickly understand why everyone gravitated towards magazines! More bullets, less time reloading, more shooting. What's not to love? 

What is a Double Stack Magazine?

While single stack magazines were first on the scene, double stack magazines were the natural next step in firearm design. Instead of just putting just one row of bullets into a magazine, a double stack mag alternates bullets and is able to fit two rows in there. This offset greatly increases magazine capacity while still only allowing a single bullet to feed into the gun at a time.

Although double stack magazines have been around nearly as long as single stacks, they didn't quite rise to the popularity that you'll see today until one company came forward and near perfected it. I'm sure you've probably heard of them, as that company was Glock. When the Glock 17 made its debut in the 1980s, it changed pistol magazines forever. These days, double stack magazines nearly dominate the market with almost every design utilizing it. 

Single Stack vs Double Stack: What’s the Difference?

Now that we've covered both designs, you're probably asking yourself: so, what's the difference? The most obvious difference between them (besides overall design) is ammo capacity. With a double stack magazine, you can fit more bullets into your gun. A single stack, unfortunately, just can't stack up (sorry, had to say it). 

There is a trade-off, though. Double stack magazines, because of their design, are much thicker than their single-stack cousins. That, in turn, leads the pistols they are used with to have much thicker grips and be a lot heavier. This is why single stacks are still used today, particularly in the concealed carry world. The slimmer design makes them much easier to hide. 

How to Tell if You Have a Single or Double Stack Magazine

Thankfully it's super easy to tell if your favorite pistol is single or double stack. While it's something you can refer to in your gun's instruction manual or even a quick Google search (thank you internet), you can also check the magazines yourself and compare them to the images above. Look at how the bullets stack up. If they stay in one straight line as you load them, then you have yourself a single-stack mag. If they load in staggered manner, then your pistol uses a double stack magazine.

So why does this even matter? Well one big difference between single and double stack guns is the holster that they require. Regardless of which kind you need, we can help build you a custom holster to fit either single or double stack pistols. Learn more here.

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