Clip vs magazine: what is the difference?
Quick answer: a magazine holds cartridges under spring pressure, ready to feed them into the chamber, and it may be fixed or removable. A clip is a separate carrier that holds cartridges in the proper sequence for feeding into a specific firearm. The standards body SAAMI calls a cartridge clip a magazine charger and notes that it does not contain a feeding spring. In short: the magazine feeds the chamber, and the clip holds rounds together to load a magazine or the gun.
The two words get swapped, and the swap is old. American Rifleman, an NRA publication, reports that 1909 and 1910 US Army Ordnance documents called the detachable box magazine of the pistol that became the M1911 a clip. Some rifles also use both parts at once: the M1 Garand pairs a fixed magazine with an eight round en bloc clip, and the SKS carbine, as American Rifleman describes it, has a fixed box magazine loaded via a 10-round stripper clip.
What is a magazine?
A magazine is the part that feeds. SAAMI's glossary defines it as holding cartridges or shells under spring pressure, preparatory for feeding into the chamber. The same entry says a magazine may be fixed or removable, so a magazine does not have to be a box you pull out of the gun. Inside it, the magazine follower is, in SAAMI's words, a spring-actuated device that moves the cartridges into position for feeding.
A detachable box is one kind. Magpul's technical document, for example, describes its PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 as a magazine for AR15/M4 compatible weapons; if that is the part you came for, see our AR-15 magazine roundup. Fixed magazines are magazines too: American Rifleman gives the M1 Garand as an example of a rifle with a fixed magazine.
What is a clip?
A clip holds cartridges together for loading. SAAMI defines a cartridge clip as a separate carrier that holds cartridges in the proper sequence for feeding into a specific firearm, calls it a magazine charger, and notes that it does not contain a feeding spring. This guide covers three forms.
Stripper clips
SIG Sauer's glossary describes a stripper clip as holding rounds in a stacked row by attaching to each cartridge's rim. NRA Women describes stripper clips as speed loaders for magazines. American Rifleman adds that they are not essential to feeding from the magazine: the clip helps fill it, and the magazine does the feeding.
En bloc clips
An en bloc clip goes into the magazine with the rounds. NRA Women puts it this way: en bloc clips stay with the ammunition in the magazine. The M1 Garand uses an eight round en bloc clip, according to the CMP, and American Rifleman notes that the Garand's empty clip is ejected when the last round is fired.
Moon and half-moon clips
These clips are used with revolvers. SIG Sauer's glossary describes a half-moon clip as holding pistol cartridges for loading into the cylinder of a revolver. Ruger's LCR manual says its 9 mm revolvers need special moon clips for the ejector to extract the cartridges. It adds that individual cartridges may be fired without the moon clip, but each cartridge or fired case then has to be removed individually. Those points come from one manual, so read them as that model's design, not a rule for every revolver.
Clip vs magazine at a glance
| Part | Holds rounds | Feeding spring | Feeds the gun or loads it | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine | Yes, under spring pressure, ready to feed the chamber (SAAMI) | Yes: the follower is a spring-actuated device (SAAMI) | It is the part that feeds the chamber; fixed or removable (SAAMI) | M1 Garand and SKS carbine (fixed, American Rifleman); Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 (AR15/M4) |
| Stripper clip | Yes, in a stacked row by the rims (SIG Sauer) | No feeding spring (SAAMI, cartridge clip) | Loads a magazine; not essential to feeding from it (NRA Women, American Rifleman) | SKS carbine, 10-round stripper clip (American Rifleman) |
| En bloc clip | Yes (M1 Garand: eight rounds, CMP) | Not stated by our sources for this type | Goes into the magazine and stays with the ammunition (NRA Women) | M1 Garand |
| Moon or half-moon clip | Half-moon: pistol cartridges for a revolver cylinder (SIG Sauer) | Not stated by our sources for this type | Half-moon: loads the revolver cylinder (SIG Sauer); moon: lets the ejector extract (Ruger LCR manual, 9 mm) | Ruger LCR in 9 mm (moon clips) |
Why the words get mixed up
The word clip was used for a magazine more than a century ago. American Rifleman, an NRA publication, reports that 1909 and 1910 US Army Ordnance documents referred to the detachable box magazine of the pistol that became the M1911 as a clip. Treat that as one recorded early use of the word, not as the origin of the habit: the sources behind this guide do not establish a single cause. Rifles that use a clip and a magazine together are covered next.
Rifles that use both
A clip and a magazine are not rivals. On these rifles, one loads the other.
- M1 Garand: a fixed magazine (American Rifleman) loaded with an eight round en bloc clip (CMP). The National Park Service records that the Army officially adopted the M1 in 1936.
- SKS carbine: a fixed box magazine loaded via a 10-round stripper clip, as American Rifleman describes it.
- Mosin Nagant Model 1891: the NRA Museum says this bolt action held five cartridges and used Nagant's clip-loaded magazine. The museum text does not name the clip type, so we do not either.
How we wrote this: every definition and example on this page comes from SAAMI's glossary, NRA sources (American Rifleman, the NRA's magazine; NRA Women; and the NRA Museum), maker documents (SIG Sauer's glossary, Ruger's LCR manual and Magpul's technical sheet), the CMP and the National Park Service. Sources are named in the text, not linked. This guide explains terms only; it is not buying or legal advice. See our methodology.
FAQ
Is a clip the same as a magazine?
No. In SAAMI's glossary, a magazine holds cartridges or shells under spring pressure, ready to feed them into the chamber, and it may be fixed or removable. A cartridge clip is a separate carrier that holds cartridges in the proper sequence for feeding into a specific firearm. SAAMI calls it a magazine charger and says it does not contain a feeding spring. The magazine feeds the chamber; the clip holds rounds together for loading.
What is a stripper clip?
A stripper clip holds rounds in a stacked row by attaching to the cartridge rims, according to SIG Sauer's glossary. NRA Women describes stripper clips as speed loaders for magazines, and American Rifleman notes they are not essential to feeding from the magazine. The SKS carbine is one example: American Rifleman describes its fixed box magazine as loaded via a 10-round stripper clip.
What is an en bloc clip?
An en bloc clip goes into the magazine with the cartridges. NRA Women puts it simply: en bloc clips stay with the ammunition in the magazine. One example is the M1 Garand, which the CMP describes as an eight round en bloc clip fed rifle. American Rifleman notes that the Garand's empty clip is ejected when the last round is fired.
What is a moon clip?
Moon and half-moon clips are used with revolvers. SIG Sauer's glossary describes a half-moon clip as holding pistol cartridges for loading into the cylinder of a revolver. Ruger's LCR manual says its 9 mm revolvers need special moon clips for the ejector to extract the cartridges, and that cartridges may be fired without the moon clip, but each one then has to be removed individually. Those details come from that one manual.
Does an AR-15 use a clip or a magazine?
A magazine. Magpul's technical document describes its PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 as a magazine for AR15/M4 compatible weapons. For reference, SAAMI defines a magazine as holding cartridges under spring pressure, ready to feed them into the chamber, and defines a cartridge clip as a separate carrier that does not contain a feeding spring.
Why do people call magazines clips?
The habit is old. American Rifleman, an NRA publication, reports that 1909 and 1910 US Army Ordnance documents called the detachable box magazine of the pistol that became the M1911 a clip. That is one recorded early use of the word, not proof of where the mix-up began; the sources we used do not establish a single origin.
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