Vocab – “Magazine”

MAGAZINE

In firearms, a magazine is a spring loaded device which holds ammunition which will be feed into the gun. Generally, magazines are primarily seen with semi automatic pistols and rifles, but there are other types as well. Magazines can either be external or internal. An external magazine, like the one shown below, is inserted into the bottom of a firearm in the magazine well. Internal magazines are integrated parts of a firearm which cannot be removed. Ammunition is inserted into the magazine in a stack, so that as the gun fires, one round is ejected and another is fed into place in the chamber of the firearm.

The picture above illustrates an external magazine for a Glock handgun. Notice how this particular style of magazine allows for the cartridges to be “doubled stacked”. This mean that they are inserted into the magazine in a staggered pattern, in order to create a higher capacity magazine.

An AR-15 semi - auto, with a magazine highlighted

The photo above features an external magazine for an AR-15 rifle. This is the same style of rifle that US military personal carry. As mentioned, magazines can also be internal. The photo below features a pump-action shotgun with an internal magazine tube.

Loading shells into the magazine tube of a pump action shotgun

Internal magazines can also be found on many bolt action rifles and semi – automatic rifles. Regardless of the various types of magazines, the main purpose is always to provide the shooter extra ammunition close at hand after firing the first shot. Any firearm referred to as ‘single shot’ can be thought of as a firearm without any type of magazine.

Other terms for MAGAZINE:  “mag”

The term CLIP is very often incorrectly used when referring to a firearm magazine. A clip is metal device which holds ammunition in place so that the shooter can push the rounds down into an INTERNAL magazine of a firearm. Generally, a clip does not stay attached to the firearm, after the rounds are inserted.