Magazine (firearm)

A magazine is an ammunition storage device within or attached to a firearm. The magazine may be integral to the firearm (fixed) or removable (detachable).

Related Topics:
Ammunition - Firearm

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The cartridges in the magazine are loaded into the firearm either automatically or manually depending on the type of gun, but almost always by a spring. Some magazines can in turn be loaded by a clip; contrary to the common misconception, 'clip' and 'magazine' are not synonymous. An example of this misuse is the use of 'banana clips' to refer to curved box magazines, although this particular phrase is not as common as the more proper 'banana magazine'.

Related Topics:
Cartridge - Spring - Clip

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The most common type of magazine is the detachable "box" type (pictured at right.) However, other types are available, such as the "drum" magazine sometimes used with the Thompson submachine gun, the "pan" magazine of the Russian DP-28 machine gun, and the fixed "tube" magazine found on many lever-action rifles and pump-action shotguns.

Related Topics:
Thompson submachine gun - DP-28 - Machine gun - Lever-action - Pump-action shotgun

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Magazines for a particular firearm may come in different shapes and sizes. Certain magazines are unmistakable in their appearance, such as those of the AK-type assault rifles, while with others it can be more difficult to tell what gun they belong to, such as when comparing the Ruger Mini-14's magazines with AR-15/M16 magazines.

Related Topics:
AK - Assault rifle - Ruger Mini-14's - AR-15 - M16

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