What's the max amount of guns a character can carry without making it look too unrealistic?

Why would you need that many guns?

you just need 1... a knife

What you're suggesting would be realistic for a one time shoot out. Arming yourself to the teeth so you wouldn't have to reload. Even then it would make sense to instead take a single c-mag or some other large magazine automatic gun. Couple that with a sidearm and you're done. Way more efficient and light-weight. You simply don't need more.

A sidearm and a main weapon will always be the most realistic approach. Anything beyond that starts to go over to Michael Bay land. Don't forget every weapon you carry also needs ammo.

Utility and efficiency comes to play. A soldier carrying anti-tank equipment also has a sidearm and a main assault weapon. Some units have extra breaching shotguns etc. What's realistic for what situation?

2 handgun and one any other. More than that and you will have a hard time moving around, not to mention dodging the bullets :p

Max Payne 3 has the most realistic weapon carry system I've ever seen in a game. This means 2 little weapons (pistols, smg and so) and 1 big weapon. BUT, the big weapon goes onto the character's hand, so when you're using one little weapon the big weapon stays in the left hand, and if you want to dual wield the little weapons, say goodbye to the big one.

Unlimited

It depends - if you want to just carry them e.g. in a backpack, disassembled, not read for use, then quite a lot depending on how large they are (e.g. 5 pistols are pretty ok cause each one is not too big, and not too heavy)... but you want to use guns then only 1 or 2 is reasonable - 1 for short range and 1 for mid-long range. One gun is usually enough to hurt/kill somebody.

Infinite: 1 in their hand and the rest in hammerspace. Having only one visible is very realistic-looking.

Well...you can do it like him:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1538729_663388303721804_545019610_n.jpg

4

Two sidearms, two primaries.

I would say 4. Two sidearms on each side, one AR/SR on the back and hold one. I would say keep knives on the boot holsters.

So how much of the actual things that happen in the game, are realistic?

2 sidearms on a belt
6 sidearms on a chest holster
3 rifles on the back or 4 light autos/sidearms
2 light automatics(smg or another sidearm) per leg
forget boot holsters in this
now as for carrying ammo on top of the weapons.. you might have room somewhere for a couple clips total

This is a completely ridiculous question, but a fun one. Love it! Thanks, OP.

Want realistic enlist in the army. I prefer 1-9 all stocked, 2 on each.

Realism should only matter in a game thats trying to be realistic.

This many

Primary weapon + secondary weapon, this is how it's done. Might add a third one, it won't be too unrealistic. Four weapons... good luck carrying this stuff around IRL.

It depends on the setting and situation.

It isn't realistic for a modern soldier in a regular military setting to be bristling with weapons. Even if he physically could, he wouldn't want to. He'll want to be able to move both fast and conveniently, and isn't going to have a use for four types of rifles anyway. More ammo for the couple of weapons he has would be more useful, not that he's going to double as an ammo warehouse either. Of course he isn't going to be going out to shoot 25 enemies all by himself, the way a character in an FPS will behave.

In a post-apocalyptic world setting, you might decide it is better to carry more. If you have limited amounts of three or four types of ammo, don't know when you'll find a working gun again, and are always traveling through dangerous territory. Also if you can't trust your guns to keep working.

If you are going into a last stand situation, have a lot of available weapons, won't necessarily be moving that much, and want to look like a movie character, then maybe you might want to start bristling with weapons and shed them as you go. IF you have weapons that are slow or clumsy to reload, this might be more applicable. It still probably isn't that effective.

I think OP's idea is too theoretical in space instead of tactical or survival. You need weapon needing the ammo. Also you need armor and some small equipment.
Main weapon should be only one considering that you don't have too much weight that reduce your accuracy and slow your movement. In real world battlefield, if you move too slow, it is like saying, hey you fools, I am here, get me. Then you are in trouble. For secondary weapon, I think you can carry 2 or 3 pistols or 1 pistol + SMG.

Dozens of pistols.

Locations for sidearms to be mounted, all without losing the ability to access them for immediate use.

While it is possible, I don't recommend holding this all at once unless smuggling weapons.

(2) upper pectoral, left and right

(2) front torso below pecs, left and right

(2) front torso, abs, left and right

(2) shoulders, left and right

(2) outer forearm, both arms

(2) inner forearm, both arms

(2) upper arm, both arms

(2) under arm on torso, left and right side

(2) side of lower torso, left and right side

(2) next to / parallel to lower spine, left and right side

(2) hips, left and right side

(2) front thigh, left and right legs

(2) outer thigh, left and right legs

(2) calves/ankles, outer side, left and right legs

(2) calves/ankles, inner side, left and right legs

crotch, one small handgun, size depending on how roomy things are there.

Pick however many spots you think you can comfortably hide a weapon. This will depend on wardrobe.
Easily hidden with a floor-length winter coat. Also possible to keep all this hidden with a floor-length trench coat if you pad the shoulders, arms, and torso to hide sharp edges of firearms under coat when you walk.

For legs, very difficult to hide all of this with a floor-length trench coat. You would look really suspicious if all that upper body padding causes your head and hands to look comically small. Floor-length winter coat is easy.

Completely unrealistic unless you're doing this to smuggle weapons.

Also, this will weigh a fuckton.

Then, there are various weapon slings. Use holsters and straps with velcro to reduce surfaces that slings can catch on. Snap-button releases either don't lay flat enough or are too difficult to open in a firefight.

Slung weapons can also get tangled with each other. I would say one sling on each shoulder, maybe two, slung to the back. Plus one slung to the front. Then one naked rifle in your hands, safety off and such.

This amounts to 33 handguns/sidearms and between two to five two-handed rifles/launchers/etc.

If sling-catching won't be a problem, extra magazines for your favorite sidearm of the collection can be fitted between holsters while potentially reducing range of motion - bending, twisting, rotating and such.

For a realistic maximum sidearm carrying capacity, I'd go with the following.

Hips, and lower back. Four sidearms, at least one loaded with what you think could be useful. Standard, hollow, AP, buck, whatever. Then the torso would be strapped with spare magazines, possibly the legs and arms as well.

One rifle in my hands, attached to a sling. The sling has a few extra magazines attached to it with velcro.

If possible, choose firearms that share the same ammo so that none of your extra ammo becomes useless if something jams in an extended fight.

Maximum weight is the main concern, rather than how many holsters can be strapped to the body. Learn the weight of what you think can be carried, then find out if you can walk a mile with this weight in twenty minutes. I would consider 100-150% body weight to be reasonable. Twice one's body weight is what I consider a reasonable maximum for top strength.

Years ago, I carried a little over 400 pounds of gear when I moved from Oregon to New York. I had to walk through many of the cities to make transfers between bus and train lines owned by various companies. My bags were all on slings which caused the weight to be on my shoulders and neck. This weapon layout is easier than my luggage because weight is more evenly distributed across your body.

Shitload, remember walking dead, episode 1 at the end? Maybe the alien movies

2 pistols on belt holsters, an assault rifle, ammo for all weapons and grenades. You will also have binoculars, a radio and water, so no Adam Jensen or Serious Sam here