Page 155 - FAT 105 4.17 MOODLE

Figure 4: Various detachable magazines.

and fairly high capacity (6 – 20 rounds, depend- detachable magazine is locked in place in the
ing on caliber). One major drawback of the de- firearm by the magazine catch and removed
sign is that it can be extremely dangerous, de- with the magazine release. The detachable
pending on the type of ammunition used. Using magazine can range in capacity from 3 to 150+
spitzer (spire or pointed) bullets can lead to an rounds, depending on caliber and design.
accidental discharge inside of the magazine tube
The detachable magazine is typically composed
that will create a domino effect of accidental dis-
of a body, follower, spring, and base plate. The
charges down the entire length of the magazine.
body is used to contain the follower, spring, and
This occurs when spitzer bullets contact the
cartridges, while the base plate closes the body
primer of the round in front of it during recoil
and traps the other components. The body will
and the round ignites, driving the bullet into the
feature feed lips, which support and align the
round in front of it and so on. This catastrophic
rounds in preparation for feeding. The body will
failure is extremely dangerous and will cause in-
also feature a recess, cutout, or tab that locks
jury or worse.
the magazine into the firearm via the maga-
DETACHABLE MAGAZINE zine catch. The follow may feature some type of
tab or protrusion used to activate the bolt/slide
The detachable magazine is a feeding device catch when the magazine is empty.
that is removable from the firearm and can be While most detachable magazines must be
replaced by another magazine of the same de- loaded manually one at a time, some designs
sign. Unlike the blind box magazine, which is employ clips or stripper clips. The clip or strip-
fixed, the detachable magazine can be removed per clip holds multiple rounds (usually 5 – 10)
from the firearm, loaded, and replaced. The in a thin metal strip and fits into a recess in the

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