I've noticed a lot of people using "Magazine" and "Clip" interchangeably even though there is a rather significant difference between the two.
I intend to clear up what makes a magazine and a clip different, for those who do not know.
Magazines:
Magazines usually encase the rounds, and feed them into the weapon using an internal mechanism.
A picture of a Glock magazine:
As you can see, magazines have a spring which pushes the follower, which in turn pushes a round into the pistol when it has no round in it.
Clips:
Clips usually do not encase the rounds, and the mechanism for loading the rounds is located within the weapon itself.
A picture of an M1 Garand clip:
Wikipedia article on the M1 wrote:
Once the clip is inserted, the bolt snaps forward on its own as soon as pressure is released from the clip, chambering a round and leaving it ready to fire.
Grif wrote:
Well, technically, the M1 Garand contains an internal magazine that is loaded with clips.
Pump action shotguns have internal tube magazines, yes. They can also be speedloaded (depending on the exact configuration) with a variety of devices, some of which might conceivably be called clips.
Pump action shotguns have internal tube magazines, yes. They can also be speedloaded (depending on the exact configuration) with a variety of devices, some of which might conceivably be called clips.
So basically; a clip is simply a holder for the rounds, and does not do anything to load the weapon except provide the rounds.
And that, is the difference between a Magazine and a Clip.
