First, lets talk about magazines.
What Is a Magazine?
In modern firearms, a magazine is a rig that holds and feeds ammunition in a firearm.
What is the difference between a clip and a magazine? Quite a lot, actually. The author helps us navigate these terms and how they apply to firearms.
There is a second meaning that is somewhat archaic though it still has use in military and manufacturing contexts.
But, thats not what we are talking about here.
Types of Firearm Magazines
Magazines come in a few different forms.
Shown above are two magazines: one for a AR-style rifle (left) and one for a pistol. Both operate using the same principles.
They are made of steel or polymer and often a combination of both.
Another bang out of rifle magazine is called a fixed magazine or internal box magazine.
These are found in bolt-action rifles with a floorplate, and some without a floorplate.
Shown are an ammo clip (left) and a magazine. The clip can feed ammunition into the magazine, while the magazine feeds ammo into the gun.
Opening the floorplate dumps the cartridges on the ground.
Tube Magazines
Tube magazines are common on shotguns, lever-action rifles and some rimfire rifles.
Rounds sit inside the tube, nose to base.
All magazines are made up of parts that work to position and push cartridges by spring pressure up into a firearm’s action.
Many rimfire rifles are loaded this way.
A loading gate in the side of the receiver is how most lever-action rifles are loaded.
You already know a spring is involved.
A clip or stripper clip is used to insert cartridges into a magazine. In this example, the stripper clip is used to fit AR-15 magazines.
A detachable magazine is made up a few key parts that separate it from a clip.
All those components work with the firearm to fire the weapon.
There is a little more to magazines than just that, but you get the gist.
An en-bloc clip, like these for an M1 Garand, are designed to fit into the firearm along with the ammunition.
Whats a Clip?
In most cases, a clip is not.
A clip holds cartridges together so they can be inserted into the magazine of a firearm.
By the end of this article, you should understand the difference between a magazine and a clip. Shown is a Springfield Armory Hellion bullpup, its 30-round magazine and a stripper clip of rounds.
A clip is basically a strip of metal that holds cartridges.
The clip is then tossed.
I know, it can all be a bit confusing.
Clips or stripper clips have been used almost since bolt-action rifles were first invented.
The Lee-Enfield in fact used a stripper clip to load a detachable box magazine.
Types of Clips
There are a few other types of clips.
These types of clips also make reloading a revolver as fast as reloading a semi-auto pistol.
And now we come to the en-bloc clip, which is different that a clip or stripper clip.
Movies and television shows in the 1950s did not help the matter.
If youre using a gadget to load those rounds into a magazine, then youre using a clip.
In the world of firearms, precision in language reflects precision in practice.
Keep your terminology as accurate as your shooting, and youll be in good company.
Go to forum thread
HellionTMSeries
