Clip vs. Mag?

Question

Just curious if anyone knows the story of why Remington called their magazines "clips" for so long. Now they refer to them as "magazine clips" which is equally weird.

http://www.remington.com/products/accessories/gun-parts/magazine-clips/model-710-magazine-clip.aspx

I'm confident that Remington's use of the word "clip" for magazine is why so many hunters call them clips. Hunters aren't always gun enthusiasts so they just go by what the packaging says. Now we've got a generation of hunters who call magazines clips and while that ruffles the feathers of the gun enthusiast purists, it's not their fault... that' truly what Remington called them.

So.... why did Remington choose to use the word Clip for a Magazine? Anyone?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clip_(ammunition)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_(firearms)

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/24/dont-call-a-magazine-a-clip-we-spoke-with-an-ex-seal-about-the-difference-and-why-its-important/

http://www.minutemanreview.com/2008/09/clip-vs-magazine-lesson-in-firearm.html

http://www.gunsandammo.com/2012/03/07/whats-in-a-name-common-gun-term-mistakes/

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/31/bullshooters-clip-or-magazine/

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/02/21/clip-vs-magazine/



Look, here in the hunting section we do all know the difference between a "clip" and a "magazine," for the most part. And generally, if someone is obviously lacking knowledge, we will correct them. Not criticize them- correct them.



However, we sometimes encounter those people who insist on calling a magazine a "clip," a cartridge a "bullet," a semi-automatic sporting rifle an "assault weapon," etc. And some of these people do not care what is correct, especially those whose purpose is to ban firearms.



We get it. We really, really, get it. Some people are just ignorant. That's no insult- ignorance is simply the state of not knowing, and when it's obvious that someone is ignorant, we do attempt to correct their ignorance. But then there's willful ignorance. That's just stupid.



Is it okay to call a Ford Focus a truck? Is it okay to call a head of lettuce a fruit? Is it okay to call an internet troll an upstanding member of the community?



The point of Yahoo Answers, according to the many people who come here and tell us how to answer their questions, is to educate. So we attempt to educate. Sometimes it gets a little ridiculous, though. Sometimes it gets frustrating.



The amazing part is that we have so much information at our fingertips due to these incredible devices we carry on our hips and in our pockets, but people cannot take the time to spend a moment researching to make sure they actually have a basic knowledge of the subject matter about which they're inquiring.



If one of us were to approach a neurosurgeon to ask them something about their occupation, wouldn't it seem logical that we would know at least enough terminology to ask in a coherent manner? "Hey doc, I hear you do surgery on people's stomachs since you're a neurosurgeon, right?"



As for why Remington chose a technically incorrect term, I don't know. I'll never really knock someone who is ignorant for using the wrong term, but frankly, Remington should have used the correct term. In the end, it's pedantic to castigate someone for improper terminology, unless they should have known better. And Remington should have known better.



Yes, yes, slang often becomes accepted language... but given how much of an attack gun ownership is under around the globe, educating people as to WHY the gun grabbers are wrong- even in such minor things as terminology- is a good start in defeating their agenda.



I'll leave you with this thought: if a gun grabber doesn't even know what that thingy that holds too many "bullets" is, how could they be a reliable authority on whether or not it should be banned? Think about it...

Answer 2

A clip is used to feed or load a magazine. It doesn't matter what Remington says and just because they make guns does not excuse or legitimize it. If you were to use that flawed logic then the anti-gun nuts must be right to ban high cap-magazines because Bill Ruger supported it.



I am a bit surprised and disappointed with some of those who thinks using the correct terms is somehow being a purist or silly. Words represent meaning and thought. When you allow for the corruption of the use, you tacitly support the corruption. If making a distinction between clips and magazines is unimportant, then by what right do you have in arguing against the Leftist anti-gun crowd that a semi-auto AR-15 is not an "assault rifle" and that there is no such thing as an "assault weapon"?



You can't have it both ways. Either correct and proper use of a word is important or their misuse is okay.

Answer 3

Well, that "clip" is for a Remington 788. They probably were calling it a "clip" because virtually the entire thing goes into a gun, much like the clip of an M1 Garand: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Garand_clip.jpg



But a clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm.



However, the defining difference between clips and magazines is the presence of a feed mechanism in a magazine, typically a spring-loaded follower, which a clip lacks. (I don't know if the Remington 788 has a spring...)



A magazine is what is used to feed the weapon itself, whereas a clip is used to feed the magazine. Clips make loading of magazines much easier and faster, and in some cases, a clip is required in order for the magazine to work (e.g. M1 Garand).

Answer 4

People that want to act like they know more than they do call the things left in firearms to feed rounds into the chamber a magazine but not a clip. A clip feeds rounds into a firearm in general. A clip can be internal (magazine) or used externally to feed ammo into a fixed magazine (stripper clip). Magazine is a subset of clips, and a stripper clip is a certain type of clip.

Answer 5

Maybe because if they called it a magazine people would think it contained pictures and articles about Remington. On the other hand maybe a clip means that the packet contains a video?

Answer 6

Fine, it's a clip. It's perfectly okay to use the term incorrectly.



And people who use that term incorrectly are morons.



But I can use the incorrect phrase "wastes of sperm" and "oxygen thieves" interchangeably.



I see how this works, and I am ever so glad you pointed out that yes, even Corporations have people in them dumb as a box of rocks.

Answer 7

I have given up caring about it.



If people want to call a magazine a "suspension bridge" or a "floomholler", I really don't give a battant cul rat anymore.



If people want to sound like ignoramii, let go right ahead and do it.

Answer 8

Because of the massive number of young word nerds that have taken over the internet in the past 8 or 10 years.

Somehow it makes these morons feel superior to be constantly correcting people who call box magazines "clips".

Removable box magazines were commonly called clips for 60 years before these self important idiots recently discovered guns.



Next I suppose they'll start correcting people who call automobiles "cars"

Thats right word nerds , none of you have ever actually driven a car.

Cars roll on tracks & are pulled by train engines so expect some ignorant word nerd to correct you if you mistakenly call your automobile a car.

Answer 9

I suspect that it was to not miss out on the great unwashed who are/were unaware of the difference or correct terminology.



No sense missing out on some profit because you have ignorant customers.

Answer 10

Probably because the ad writers and marketing people don't know guns. Or maybe if they said magazine the idiots would not know what they were talking about.

Answer 11

One of the points on the ad is "Convenient means of carrying extra ammunition" so I believe they got the right term here.

Answer 12

Because Remington is kowtowing to ignoramuses.

Answer 13

It's probably related to why Hiram Maxim called one of his inventions a ''silencer'' instead of a ''suppressor.''

Answer 14

Remember most people get their gun knowledge from movies and media.

Answer 15

wheel gun/ revolver

autoloader/ semi automatic shotgun

boiler room/ vitals

drift pin/ alignment tool

skidsteer/ bobcat

sink/ lavatory

soda/ pop

crappie/ white perch

motor/ engine

rim/ wheel

the list goes on and on and on.



I don't think people correct others on the use of the word "clip" because its vital to the communication. I think they do it to feel smart, or just to belittle other people. its pretty anal retentive to actually be that concerned with the use of the proper terminology. clip is a slang word for magazine. im sure most of the people who correct the use of clip don't spend all their time agonizing over their own use of slang terms.