Clip or Mag

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full metal

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I am in a law Enforcement Academy at this time. At our second day in fire arms training my instructer told us that a handgun has a magazine and a rifle a clip that we should not call a mag a clip, that would be wrong.:confused:
that's the first time that I have ever heard of that.
What's you'r two cent's?
 
Magazines are what feed rounds into the firearm to make it ready to shoot.

Clips feel rounds into a magazine.

So a Glock handgun uses a magazine because it is the device that feeds the rounds into the gun.

An SKS might use stripper clips to feed rounds into the gun's internal magazine.

An AR15 uses magazines much like your Glock does.

Clear as mud, right? :D
 
Another method of distinction is that magazines have springs and followers to feed ammunition. Clips (generally) have no built in way of actually feeding rounds. But saying pistols have magazines and rifles have clips is not true. Some pistols have clips (e.g. the old Steyr Hahn and the more recent Grendel M10), and about all repeating rifles have magazines, detachable or not. And not all rifle magazines can be fed from clips. The Mauser rifle, the M1 and the M14 can be; the FAL and M16 cannot be but the magazines can be loaded from clips when off the rifle.

Jim
 
*bump*

for people who don't really know the difference.

Glad to find that there was already a thread for this.
 
If you read the monthly gun rags, they often use the term 'clip' when they mean mag.

It's one more example of writers who don't know what they're talking about.
 
Writers also will often use both terms together:

"Police seized an arsenal of three assault weapons with hi-capacity magazine clips loaded with cop-killer bullets." :barf:
 
Magazines hold the ammo in the weapon. Some are fixed permanently in the weapon (Mauser, 03 Springfield, 96 Mauser, tube magazine in a 22 or shotgun) Some are detachable (1911, M14, M16 etc). All are reusable.

Clips hold rounds together and have varied function:

1. Clips can be used to load magazines (M16, M14, 03 Springfield, SKS, Mauser, Enfield).

2. Clips can be inserted into the magazine and are removed or ejected when the magazine is empty (M1 Garand, Carcano)

Clips can be reused but they were intended to be used once and discarded.
 
I don't know about that.

U.S. GI M-1 Garand clips are getting too dang expensive to throw away any more!

rcmodel
 
In fact common usage makes a " clip " any device that holds ammo and can be inserted into an action . To be well informed you need to understand the difference between a clip and a magazine. If it contains ammo, is inserted into an action , and has all the components to feed said ammo ( normally a spring driven device with a follower ) it is a magazine, If it contains ammo but does not have the ability to " self function " it is normally a clip. Clips simply hold ammo relying on extra parts to provide the force necessary to feed the ammo . You either fit the clip to the action and load the mag or in say the garrand case load the clip into the action . In a mag you will typically see a spring and follower where by you can actually just push rounds to the front and unload the mag that way as the bolt would as it cycles . Knowing the difference is important, however on a practical level it is important so you dont label the device your firearm uses wrongly and thusly appear as an idiot to folks who are all too ready to call you on it . My bet is that no matter it be pistol or rifle your gun uses a magazine . My $0.02 is that you should learn to shoot your sidearm well . It is what you will always have with you on duty , and hopefully off duty as well . Your Dept is not going to mandate you have a totally ineffective firearm . The fact that your fto ( firearms training officer ) not only brought this up but did it in the manner you posted speaks loudly to the idea that being on this forum is a really good idea , as is spending $$ out of pocket , as well as taking leave to do training for yourself is a good idea .
 
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Don't forget that clips can also feed revolvers "moon clips"
Click to expand...

Same with the Steyr 1912, in this case stripped clips.

Clip? Mag? I know what you're talking about. Just don't call it a "thingy" or "dohicky".
 

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Actually if you look up the definition you'll find that the gun world has them backwards. A magazine is anything that holds ammunition. Examples would be clips, ammo cans, or ammunition storage facilities. A clip is something that holds cartridges for the specific purpose of feeding them into a weapon. So a clip is always a magazine, but a magazine isn't always a clip.
 
Some are trying to be informative; Others are just playing semantics

Original poster made clear that his question dealt with a law enforcement handgun. It is superfluous to introduce comments on things like the magazine of a fort or a war ship, a place where ammunition is stored away from the guns.

I'm surprised that no one has brought up the (factually correct) point that a revolver's cylinder is a magazine, in that it holds the ammunition within the firearm, ready for firing. And revolver speedloaders are the same as a clip, in that it is used to load the revolver's "magazine."

While we're on revolvers, it can be mentioned that the 1917 Colt and S&W service revolvers utilized sheet metal "half moon clips" to hold three .45 ACP cartridges in the cylinders. Later developments/refinements went to "third moon" clips holding two rounds, and "full moon" clips, holding a full cylinder load.

Please note: Any post consisting entirely or largely of a "Plus" comment (+1, +2, etc.) will be edited or removed entirely. If you have a contribution to make, please do, by all means. Writing ,"I agree with him," or "ditto" is NOT contributory.

I believe this topic is exhausted, BUT, I don't want to appear to be having the "moderator's last word." I'll leave this one open for another day or so.

Johnny Guest
THR Staff
 
as coverd. a clip holds rounds to loads a magazine. a magazine is what holds ammunition and feeds it to the rifle.

normaly a clip does NOT go into a gun. (exception En Bloc rifles, such as the M1)
a magazine has springs.

your instructor doesn't know what hes talking about. just smile and nod, yes sir, no sir.
 
Definitions aside, if we are in a fox hole together taking fire and I ask you to give me loaded clip I better %#$#@! well get something that's got loaded ammo in it to feed my rifle or I'll club you to death with my empty gun!

:evil:
 
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