CLIP VS. MAGAZINE: SHOOTER’S ULTIMATE PET PEEVE

What is the correct term for your ammunition holder?

Shooters agree to disagree many times on what is correct.

Here are the main differences between a clip vs. a magazine with images.

The Stripper Clip

A stripper clip allows the shooter to load ammunition quickly into a fixed or detachable rifle or pistol magazines. They are common for such rifles as the SKS and the Mosin Nagant rifles. Some military pistols like the old Mauser C96 broomhandle pistols also used this method to reload their internal magazines.

Moon Clips

Revolver shooters using .45 ACP cartridges are the main users of moon and half moon clips. They allow the use of rimless or semi-rimless cartridges to be held in place inside of a revolver’s cylinder. These handy items are used mostly in revolver shooting competitions.

M1 Garand Enbloc Clip

Another well known clip instead of being cast aside like the above stripper clip after loading a magazine actually stays inside of the internal magazine. The last shot fired ejects the empty Enbloc clip and locks open the action. Another Enbloc clip can be inserted for another 8 shots of .30 caliber firepower until the ping once again sounds off to let you know the rifle is empty.

Detachable Magazine

The detachable magazine on many occasions is wrongly called a clip. Whether is is like the above AR-15 style rifle magazines or pistol magazines many still call them simply as clips. Detachable magazines are not clips. Stripper clips with adapters or special attachments sometimes allow their use to charge detachable magazines and other styles of magazines. Once again, these are magazines and not clips.

Internal Magazine

Many hunting rifles, especially bolt action rifles, sport internal magazines. Some only load from the top and have solid bottoms and others have a hinged floor plate to allow quick unloading of the magazine. Some old school military rifles featuring internal magazines are capable of being loaded with stripper clips for speed and convenience.

Tubular Magazine

Tubular magazines are common place on many shotguns, lever action rifles and tube fed .22 caliber rifles. The spring loaded tube directs loaded ammunition to the awaiting chamber.

Next time you hear a fellow shooter call a clip a magazine or vice versa share this article with them.

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NEXT: Can you reload .22 rimfire ammo without a special kit?