Rifleman Q&A: Clips, Chargers & Magazines

by
posted on August 15, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
clips.jpg
Detachable magazines
Detachable magazines

Q: What is the difference between a clip, a stripper clip and a magazine? These terms seem to often be used to describe the same thing.

A: In order to properly answer your question, a bit of background is necessary. A magazine holds the cartridges for the firearm. Basically, there are two types of magazines: fixed (internal) and detachable.

Internal/fixed magazines are commonly found in most bolt-action military rifles, as well as in a few semi-automatics, such as the M1 Garand rifle. Detachable box magazines are generally used in semi-automatic pistols and rifles, automatic rifles and most submachine guns and selective-fire rifles.

Stripper clips/chargers
Stripper clips/chargers

The cartridges can be loaded into the magazine individually or, to speed up reloading, by means of a clip. Again, there are two types of clips.

One is a “stripper clip,” which is technically a “charger” or “magazine charger.” One end of the stripper clip/charger is typically inserted into a slot in the top of the receiver or attached to the top of the detachable magazine, and the cartridges are pushed down by hand
into the magazine and the empty clip discarded.

The other type of clip, generally referred to as an “en bloc,” is designed for the cartridges and the clip to be inserted into the magazine, and the empty clip ejected after the rounds are fired. The most common example of this type of clip is the eight-round one used with the M1 Garand rifle, but there are others, including the five-round clip used with the M1895 6 mm Lee Navy rifle.

The empty M1 rifle clip is ejected from the top of the receiver when the last round is fired, while the empty M1895 Lee Navy clip drops from a slot in the bottom of the receiver.

“En bloc” clips
“En bloc” clips

Today, the terms “clip” and “magazine” are often incorrectly used interchangeably, but, as can be seen, there are distinct differences between the two.

Latest

Taurus GX2
Taurus GX2

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Trijicon Releases Green-Dot RMR

For the first time, the Trijicon RMR will now be available with a green aiming dot, providing some benefits to shooters with astigmatism and red-green color blindness.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 15, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.