NZGAC Hunter Education. Enabling better education and safer hunting practices.

Magazines are a storage device, detachable or integral, in a gun for holding and feeding ammunition. Magazines may be built in or detachable. 

In most firearms with magazines you need to load the magazine first and then feed the ammunition into the chamber by using the bolt or a lever on the action or the pump on the forend. 

Beware of the under barrel tubular magazines such as on pump action or semi automatic .22 rifles. The springs can weaken over time and the magazines can be easily damaged because of the soft steel - as a result the rounds can hang up in the magazine, giving the appearance of the firearm being empty of ammunition. You put the gun away thinking it is unloaded, but later a knock releases the round and you now unknowingly have a round released ready to loaded into the chamber - a potentially fatal combination. Always check these magazines by pulling out the magazine insert after you have used it and always check again when you remove the firearm from storage.

Likewise, doubly check all magazines to ensure they are unloaded.

Click on the image to begin slide show of magazines.