M1

Taking the old Lee Enfields (SMLE) as an example, IIRC you can reload the gun's magazine from a clip, whilst the magazine is still attached to the gun...

A 'clip' seems to generally be a method of storing ammo, while a magazine is a method of attaching a small store of usable ammunition (ie: it will be automatically fed into the firing mechanism) to the gun.

Is my masterly-yet-totally-uninformed summation correc? I'm sure you'll let me know!

 

Even modern rifles like the SA80 can have the magazine refilled from a stripper clip.

Magazine (With regard to smallarms) refers usually to a detachable or integral storage of ammunition for a firearm which is fed directly to the breach. To confuse matters slightly a detachable box magazine is also often referred to as a Clip.

In the case of the Garand and the 10 round clips used to speadily refill the magazine on an SA80 these are stripper clips (Since they are stripped directly into the magazine) I believe they are also referred to as chargers. These are not called Magazines and do not directly feed rounds into the breach as a Magazine would.

In this instance the Clip isn't so much a method of storing ammunition more a means to quickly get the ammunition into the magazine.

 

That is true in Canada I am told by a friend in the reserves that they come in a clear plastic case and you simply put on of the sides on the magazines over the opening in the magazine and you simply push down until the last bullet is in the mgazine.

 

A magazine encloses the ammunition: it may be built into the gun (M1 Garand), or a detachable box (as with modern pistols and military rifles) or in the form of a detachable drum or a pan. The same term is used to refer to a building, or a part of a warship, designed to hold ammunition.

A charger is a strip of metal (or nowadays sometimes plastic) used to hold cartridges by their rims/extractor grooves, and is used to refill magazines. Note that the charger does not enter the magazine - the cartridges are stripped from it when the gun is loaded. This is a common way of refilling box magazines as it is easier than messing about with loose rounds.

A clip looks just the same as a charger, but the cartridges remain within it and the whole clip is inserted into the magazine. The clip is ejected only when the last round in it is fired. This system was used in the M1 Garand. It has the disadvantage that you can't 'top-up' a partly fired magazine with individual rounds.

A variation on the clip was the strip, as used in some old Hotchkiss MGs. Tthis looked like a clip but the fired cases were tidily slotted back into it and the whole strip - with fired cases - dropped out of the gun when used up.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

didn't some Jap MG's use strip based ammo?

FNG

 

Yes - they probably got the idea from Hotchkiss, as they made some of their guns under licence.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

I have some vague memories of something called the M5 ,
it's been a while but it was carabine looking with a bigger caliber ?

also the M1 carabine was suposed to lack " stopping power "
the troops loved it because it was light . true or a myth ??

.....

 

The M1 Carbine did not inflict such severe wounds as rifles, which was a complaint that some users made.

In civilian hands, it can be an effective weapon today with the use of expanding bullets, but these are of course banned from military use.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

Presumably not a complaint from the recipients though

FNG

 

The M-1 Carbine used a 110 grain rounded (pistol style) FMJ bullet. It achieved this reputation during the Korean War when the GIs were trying to shoot the Chinese who were wrapped up in very thick winter clothing. Thing about it is that they shooting the Chinese troops at distances over 200 yards and the M-1 carbine was never intended to be used in place of a battle rifle.

The M-1 Garand used a 150gr FMJ spitzer bullet.

 

Yes the M1 Carbine was intended for a light 2nd line troop weapon, hence it was under 10lbs.

 

It's Garand. I checked the encyclopedia.

 

Re: RE: M1

What is?

The Garand (the name of the designer) was officially known as the .30 M1 rifle, and was chambered for the full-power .30-06 cartridge (7.62x63)

Its smaller brother was the .30 M1 carbine (designed mainly by 'Carbine' Williams), and was chambered for the much smaller and less powerful 7.62x33 cartridge.

So if you see the term ".30 M1", you don't know whether they mean the rifle or the carbine...

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

Here's a link to pictures on my M-1 Carbine. It's a 1943 Winchester:
http://www.bigjoeduke.com/Jody/index.htm

There are also pics of my Savage target rifle and my No.4 Enfield.

 

In spanish, we call strips/chargers "peines" (comb), and clips "clips".
Of course, there's always people that messes the names...

Opps, sorry for the double post.