First things first. Clips and magazines are not the same thing, and the terms are not interchangeable. Confusing the two is very annoying.
Here’s a simple rule to remember the difference: if it has a spring in it, it is a magazine, not a clip.
A magazine is a spring-loaded mechanism used to load ammunition. With the exception of revolvers and top-break shotguns, most modern firearms load cartridges from a magazine of some sort. Bolt-action rifles and some older military ordnance utilize internal magazines, while most other modern firearms use external magazines.
So, what are clips? They’re simple devices used to quickly load weapons with a pre-existing magazine. The SKS and M1 Garand are two examples. Since the weapon already has an internal magazine, the clip is simply a chunk of metal that guides bullets into the magazine in bulk. Here’s an example:
On the other hand, most other guns have removable magazines. If it’s a modern “assault” rifle or a pistol, it does not, and will not, take clips. It uses magazines. Calling them “clips” is really annoying, and no, it is not acceptable, no matter what your friends, the media, or anyone else tells you.
Unless you’ve got one of these, your pistol doesn’t take clips:
Repeat after me: “My ‘Glock Forty’ doesn’t take clips, it takes magazines. I look like an idiot when I ask for clips for a gun that doesn’t use them. I don’t look cool with my pants hanging down to my crotch, either.”
Same goes for the M4. Oh wait, that’s not even an M4 you’ve got. You know this, right? Unless it’s got a 14.5″ barrel, does burst-fire and says Colt on it, it’s not an M4. You’ve got an AR-15 with a chopped gas system and unnecessarily short sight radius. Now go mount silly things on it.
Now, let’s talk ammunition. Sure, you can load “bullets” or “shells” into your gun, but they won’t fire. Bullets and shells are part of a package called a cartridge. Let’s have a look.
- This is the bullet. It’s the actual projectile that comes out the loud end of the gun.
- This is the casing, or shell. It encloses the whole shebang.
- This is the powder. This is the stuff that combusts and propels the bullet out of the loud end of the gun.
- This is the rim. This is what the extractor grabs to eject spent casings.
- This is the primer. This is what the firing pin hits, which then ignites the gunpowder, which then propels the bullet out of the loud end of the gun.
The whole package is best referred to as a cartridge, or simply as “ammunition.” “Ammo” is also okay.
You can buy bullets and shells separately for reloading purposes, and I have seen people load them into their guns. They simply won’t do anything (besides jam up the works).
Hope I’ve helped clear a few things up.