Clip vs. Magazine

There still seems to be some confusion over the nomenclature of “CLIP” vs. “MAGAZINE”, and current dictionaries don’t seem to help the matter much. Consulting: Merriam-Webster, 2002 online edition Clip (noun) 2: a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles; also: a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm.

I personally feel only the first part of the definition sentence is correct, and the 2nd part refers to “slang” usage. Correct nomenclature usage could save your keister. If you were out of ammo during a firefight while equipped with an M-16, and yelled “Toss me an ammo clip!” you might get exactly what you asked for; a 10-round clip of 5.56mm ammo from a buddy’s bandoleer without the magazine charging adapter, instead of what you *really* needed; an already loaded magazine! The extra time required to
load the magazine from the clip just might cost you and your fellow Marines dearly.

Older service rifles, such as the 03-A3 and M-1 Garand, have magazines that are a permanent part of the rifle’s receiver, and are loaded using a “clip”. The current M-16 service rifles are loaded using a detachable magazine, which may be loaded either by inserting a single cartridge at a time, or by using a “clip” and a magazine charging adapter.

Perhaps the following definitions would be more clearly understandable and useful when applied to service rifles:
“CLIPS” – hold cartridges together in a compact unit, and are used for rapid loading of magazines. “MAGAZINES” – hold cartridges together in a compact unit, are nearly fully enclosed, and have a spring-loaded cartridge follower that positions the cartridges for loading into the chamber of the rifle.

But I’ve only been shooting for around 40 years, so some of the real “Old Corps” readers might have some better definitions.

It’s only the rounds that hit the targets which count.
The rounds that hit the targets quickly save lives.

Great newsletters, keep ’em coming!

Semper Fi,

Steve “Wookie” Wilke, SGT, USMCIR (29MAR74-30MAR80) MOS 6657 (Airborne
Weapons System Specialist, F-4J/S)