People commonly confuse “clip” and “magazine” outside the firearm community. You’ll generally fall into two categories when understanding the terms’ differences.

The first are those who think the terms share the same meaning. The second are those whose blood begins to boil when they hear the terms used interchangeably.

The truth is that a gun’s magazine and clip are different. Mixing them up will only cause you to lose credibility among others in the firearm community.

Still confused? Keep reading to learn about a clip vs. a magazine. It’s fair to warn you that, once completed, you may experience adverse reactions to hearing the terms misused by others.

What’s the Difference Between “Clip” and “Magazine?”

We’ve all heard the terms “clip” and “magazine” used interchangeably, but they’re entirely different. So, is it a clip or a magazine? What’s the difference?

Simply put, a magazine loads ammunition into a gun’s chamber. A clip loads ammunition into a magazine.

A clip is a metal device, usually shaped to hold cartridges in a row. They are loaded into a magazine by hand. On the other hand, a magazine is the spring-loaded holding area on a firearm. It feeds rounds into the chamber.

What is a Gun Magazine?

A magazine, or mag, is a device or chamber that holds and feeds ammunition into the firearm chamber. All guns, except for revolvers and single-shot firearms, have a magazine.

Magazines on guns like pistols and AR-15s tend to be removable. Magazines on many bolt action rifles and shotguns are internal, which means they load from within the weapon. We’ll discuss the types of magazines below.

Detachable Magazines

Most modern handguns and semi-automatic rifles have detachable magazines, which means you must remove them from the firearm to load. Spares can easily be stored or carried.

During the 20th century, detachable magazines grew increasingly popular as semi-automatic pistols and rifles became more common. They made reloading and transportation significantly faster and easier.

Many detachable magazines appear in fully automatic, semi-automatic, and manual-action firearms. Some types include:

• Box: Cartridges appear in a column or offset columns

• Casket or Quad Column: Wide at the bottom to hold four columns of cartridges, but then narrows to the standard size detachable box magazine. The narrow end offsets the cartridges so that the bolt picks up one round at a time.

• Drum: Cartridges in a circular configuration outside of a rotating follower

• Helical: Cartridges in a spiral configuration inside an elongated drum

• Pan: Cartridges configured in a flat radial arrangement

• Rotary: Cartridges inserted in a cylindrical sprocket that rotates after each shot

Internal Magazines

An internal magazine stores ammo and feeds rounds into the chamber like a detachable magazine. However, you cannot remove an internal magazine without disassembling the firearm.

Shooters access internal box magazines through the open breach. The action opens, and each singular round pushes through the breach into the magazine. Once the round fully enters the magazine, there is usually an audible click.

Most shotguns and bolt action rifles are built with internal magazines, requiring the user to load rounds, one at a time, directly into the gun. You can speed up the loading process by using a clip, which we’ll discuss later.

Tubular Magazines

A tubular magazine sits beneath the barrel of the firearm. With this magazine, rounds are fed, one at a time, into a cylinder shape. Then, the user loads the chamber with the gun’s charging handle, lever, or pump action.

As the ammunition is loaded, the tip of one bullet is in contact with the case head of the cartridge loaded before. Using ammo designed for tubular magazines is critical, especially in lever action rifles. The wrong ammunition can cause a chain fire, setting off one or more rounds in the magazine.

Tubular magazines are more common on a pump or semi-automatic shotgun and most lever-action rifles. However, you can sometimes see them on .22 rifles.

What Is a Firearm Clip?

A clip is a small metal device that stores multiple rounds of ammunition. Clips allow you to load a magazine faster by inserting numerous rounds at once instead of loading by hand one at a time.

Gun enthusiasts commonly use clips in older bolt action rifles with internal magazines, such as the M1 Garand, M1903 Springfield, and SKS. However, you can still use clips to load detachable magazines in modern guns like the AR-15. There are three types of clips, which we will discuss below.

En Bloc Clip

An en bloc clip inserts into a magazine to load multiple rounds. However, only internal magazines can employ the en bloc clip. The en bloc clip stays in the firearm after it’s loaded. A distinguishable ping occurs when it ejects from the rifle after firing its last shot.

During World War II, En bloc clips loaded the famous M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle. If you’ve watched WWII-related movies, you’ve probably heard the distinct ping associated with the clip. The en bloc clip is not common today, as modern rifles have shifted use.

Moon Clip

Revolvers don’t have magazines, but they can use moon clips. A moon clip is a circular device, somewhat resembling a gear. Rounds are snapped into the clip’s empty spaces and then slid into the chamber. Like the en bloc clip, the moon clip stays in the gun while in use. Gunsmiths must mill revolver cylinders to accept the devices.

Some revolvers cannot operate without the use of moon clips. Moon clips are necessary for firearms chambered for rimless cartridges such as .45 cal., .40 cal., and 9 mm semi-automatic calibers. Without moon clips, rimless ammunition would fall through the cylinder, preventing the completion of the firing sequence.

There are two kinds of moon clips. The full-moon clip holds six rounds, while the half-moon clip holds three. Moon clips make it easier to load a revolver, but empty cartridges can be difficult to remove. Because of this difficulty, speedloaders have largely replaced moon clips.

Like moon clips, speedloaders hold rounds in a circular device. However, instead of being inserted into the cylinder, a speedloader drops rounds by twisting a release knob.

Stripper Clip

Initially developed for soldiers needing to reload quickly, the stripper clip is the most common. Shooters use stripper clips to load both internal and detachable box magazines. As the name suggests, this clip works by holding ammunition to a strip of metal.

To insert a stripper clip into a magazine, push down with your thumb in one swift motion. If the firearm has a detachable magazine, the stripper clip inserts into the top of the magazine. If the weapon has an internal box magazine, insert the stripper clip in the top of the receiver in the breach.

Why do People Confuse Clips and Magazines?

It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when and why people started using “clip” and “magazine” interchangeably.

Media, movies, politicians, television, and video games commonly misuse the terms’ clip’ and ‘magazine.’ Because of this, it’s hard to pinpoint when and why the words’ use began interchangeably.

The most widely accepted cause for confusion stems from the M1 Garand, a bolt action rifle that soldiers heavily used during World War II. At the time, a clip was the fastest way to reload the gun. Because of this, most soldiers loaded internal magazines with an en bloc clip.

When WWII ended, veterans returned home and continued using the word ‘clip’ for any ammunition loader. From there, the misnomer became widely used. The term “clip” has mistakenly described a detachable magazine ever since.

How to Remember the Difference Between a Clip and a Magazine

Besides revolvers and single-shot firearms, all guns have magazines, but not all have clips. Most modern-day firearms don’t use clips. When in doubt, the term “magazine” is likely to be more accurate.

The simplest way to tell the difference is to remember that magazines have springs and clips don’t. But if you’re still trying to remember which is which, here’s a trick to help tell the two apart.

When unsure, consider these two terms outside their firearms context. A clip also refers to a newspaper or magazine snippet, whereas a magazine is an entire publication. What fills a magazine? Clips. The same is true for firearms.

Choose Ammo Planet for Your Firearm Needs

To summarize, a magazine feeds ammo into a gun’s chamber, and a clip feeds ammo into a magazine. It’s that simple.

Everyone should strive to avoid the awkward situation of asking for a clip when they need a magazine. If you want to avoid ridicule at the range, it’s vital to educate yourself and use terms correctly. Using the correct terminology also ensures that future generations are well on their way to doing the same.

Speaking of firearm education, Ammo Planet offers this and more for your shooting needs. Check us out for quality blogs, ammunition, accessories, and weekly deals.