in reference to guns, what is the difference between a magazine and a clip?

Answer 1

Very simply, a magazine holds cartridges. Some are actually built into the rifle or handgun. A clip is really an improper term used for an EXTERNAL magazine that can be "clipped" into the firearm.
There are, however, "stripper clips" that hold a few rounds for easy insertion into the magazine. Got it?

Answer 2

Bound's hubby here:

A magazine is generally the compartment in a rifle or pistol where ammunition can be placed. Generally, this may also be called the "magazine well".

A clip holds ammunition together to be loaded into the rifle or pistol. Examples would include: the stripper clip, typically used to charge bolt action rifles (i.e. the '03 Springfield or Mauser '98 K) or to charge magazines/clips such as on the M14 or M16 rifles, the en bloc clip (i.e. the 8 round clip used to load the M1 Garand).

A good rule of thumb a clip loads the firearm and the ammunition is stored in a firearm's magazine in the process of firing. In today's vernacular the term "clip" and "magazine" have become interchangable. Today only purists will differentiate between the two terms.

Answer 3

Any device that holds rounds and stages them to be brought into the chamber for firing is a MAGAZINE.
They can be removable or fixed, box or tube type. When you load any multi-shot weapon, bolt action, semi-auto, full auto, etc. you are loading a magazine.

A CLIP is a simple device that holds rounds together for the easy loading of a magazine. Some weapons, like the M1 Garand (1936 by the way, not WWII) and the Italian Carcano rifles required that the clip actually go into the magazine to function. Others, you tossed away the clip after loading the magazine.

When you load a semi-auto pistol or submachine pistol of M16, etc. what you have in your hand separate from the weapon is a MAGAZINE.

HOLLYWOOD, who just never get anything right, is likely responsible for the general public being confused as to what a CLIP is. In movies, character often say CLIP when in fact it's a MAGAZINE they are talking about.

Answer 4

A magazine is a self-contained holder, i.e., the ammunition is contained in the magazine. A clip is (generally) a metal strip that holds the ammunition by the back. It is then inserted into the weapon and the strip is pulled out, thus loading the weapon. A magazine can be inside the weapon (such as a .45 semi-automatic like a Glock 21 or Colt Model 1911)

Answer 5

what most people call a clip is actually a "box magazine"... a clip is a device for holding ammunition (cartidges) together for quick loading of a magazine. the most common that I know of was developed during world war II for the m1a Garrand riffle...in this case, the m1 had an internal magazine. the clip with 6 cartidges was fed into the magazine through the receiver... when the magazine was full, the clip is extracted, the bolt closed and the weapon ready to fire... contrary to what doctor cornbread is saying, depending upon the type of handgun... revolvers have a cylinder type magazine while automatics have a box magazine... either single or double stack depending upon cartridge size... machine guns can have box magazines or be belt fed... like the Browning 50 cal. rifles and shotguns fall into several catagories... internal magazine, tube magazine, box magazine or single shot (no magazine)

Answer 6

magazines are built into the gun, clips are magazines NOT built into the gun.( detachable)

Answer 7

a magazine is external, (like on a machine gun) while a clip slides all the way (or almost all the way) into the weapon (like a handgun.)