The main differences between a magazine and a clip

Is there a difference between a clip and a magazine? Sometimes it is difficult to answer this question even for experienced shooters. And in this case it is not about the meaning and sense: understanding the differences allows you to correctly operate with basic concepts in the field of firearms, as well as to handle them safely and effectively.

Clip or magazine - which is better? And what are the differences between these devices? Let's figure it out.

A gun magazine is a removable device whose main purpose is to store, hold and feed ammunition into a firearm.

The magazine, as an integral part of a weapon, appeared only in the 20th century. Today, this design is found in most types of firearms, in particular semi-automatic pistols and rifles. They can be:

• removable (most often used), which are easily replaced with spare ones;
• non-removable.

The magazines also have a mechanism that ensures the supply of ammunition into the chamber.

In addition to the method of fixation - removable and non-removable - weapon magazines are classified by the place of attachment (upper, lower, side) and by the mutual arrangement of charges (multi-row, single-row).

By the shape of the design, they are distinguished:

1. Box-type. Perhaps the most popular and reliable. They are used in various automatic weapons, in particular in automatic weapons, submachine guns, assault rifles. Box-type magazines of different capacities are available. In addition, materials such as steel, plastic, aluminum can be used in their production. Box-type models also differ in the method of feeding cartridges. In practice, they are easily removable and allow you to quickly install a new combat kit.
2. Drum In the design of the drum magazine, cartridges are arranged in one or more rows around the drum. They are distinguished by their large capacity. The scope of application is high-speed weapons such as machine guns, automatic rifles. They are made of various materials, in particular metal alloys, plastic. The disadvantage of drum devices is their rather large weight and size, as well as a more complex design.
3. Disc This type of magazine is already a rarity these days. It is fixed at the top, on the receiver. Ammunition is distributed perpendicular to the axis, or bullets to the center of the disk. When the disk rotates, cartridges are fed into the loading chamber. The reliability of such devices is low, and they are also difficult to maintain.
4. Tubular Simple and have several important advantages over other weapons magazines. They are a fixed tube installed under the barrel of the weapon. The cartridges in it are located one after another. The biggest advantage of tubular magazines is reliability. They break less often and malfunction less often, since they are very simple in design and have practically no moving parts in their design.
5. Screw magazines. They are distinguished by their cylindrical shape, inside the design there is a guide (screw) for ammunition in the form of a spiral. The main function of the guide is to move cartridges from the rear of the magazine to the exit window in the front of the weapon. These devices are very capacious, and thanks to the smooth feed, the accuracy of shooting increases and the risks of malfunctions are minimized.

Depending on the position relative to the receiver, upper, lower and side magazines are released.

A magazine is a device that combines several cartridges together, which facilitates and speeds up reloading a weapon with several cartridges at a time, and also increases its efficiency. It is used to load detachable and non-detachable magazines.

A magazine is used in various types and models of firearms for quick loading. This is a simple device - it looks like a strip with guide edges, in which cartridges are stored. It is attached to the grooves in the receiver. When pressed, the cartridges are inserted into the magazine and removed from the magazine. After that, the magazine is ejected.

There are several types of magazines. In particular, they differ in the following characteristics:

• Material. Various materials are used, such as metal and plastic.
• Capacity. Most magazines hold from 5 to 10 rounds, or more, depending on the type of weapon.
• Design features. In this case, the device can be divided into a classic magazine, cartridge packs and revolver magazines.

Cartridge clips are also used to speed up the loading of weapons and are essentially a type of clip, with only one difference: the device is completely inserted into the magazine. The disadvantage of cartridge clips is that until the clip is completely fired, it will not be possible to reload the weapon.

Revolver clips or Moon Clips are essentially a cross between a clip and a cartridge clip. They have the same function, but after inserting cartridges into the drum, the device remains in the same place. Moon Clips are used in revolvers, the cartridges for which do not have a rim.

The differences between a clip and a magazine are cardinal. These are different types of mechanisms for storing cartridges and loading weapons. They have no common characteristics, except that both mechanisms are designed to place ammunition in a special case and in a certain quantity.

As for the differences, they are completely different both in functionality and in design features, mounting on weapons, and the ability to visually monitor the remaining ammunition.

Yes, the magazine not only allows you to hold ammunition, but also to automatically feed it for firing. Such devices have a spring with a guide, which allows you to increase the rate of fire.

Unlike a magazine, a clip is used only when it is necessary to load a weapon.

Storage of magazines and clips is fully consistent with the rules for saving weapons, in accordance with current legislation. Owners are required to comply with these requirements immediately after purchase.

Namely:

• Weapons and cartridges for them must be stored at the place of residence or temporary stay in safe conditions, preventing access by unauthorized persons. That is, in safes, metal cabinets, boxes made of high-strength materials, etc.
• If it is temporarily impossible to place the weapon in a safe, the most important thing is to ensure that unauthorized persons do not have access to the weapon, cartridges, magazines and clips. In this case, a hard case or soft case with a built-in locking device will be suitable. To prevent a shot, it is recommended to use weapon locks. You can also pull out the bolt or take other measures that make it possible to prevent unauthorized use of weapons.
• As for ammunition, it can be stored in packaging, in detached magazines and clips that fit, for example, in a container with a lock.

The main thing is to remember that responsible storage of weapons and ammunition is the basis for your safety and the safety of the people around you.