I was always taught to treat all firearms as loaded and if I was passing it to someone would open and empty if a shotgun and open the bolt on a rifle. If I’m climbing a high seat I detach the magazine remove the round from the chamber push it into the magazine and climb inserting the magazine and chambering a round once comfortable, simples.
Magazine or floorplate
- Thread starter panicoll
- Start date
As I said alway treat as loaded so you only point at what you want to shoot an old keeper instilled that in his sons and me at a young age.
Yes. It happens. Shotguns too, as we know all too well locally.
Double post. Sorry.
alberta boy
Well-Known Member
I own all three types , and a few tube mag lever guns . Out all of them , the tube mags on the levers are the least convenient , but not enough to bother me . They all have their advantages and disadvantages and it really isn't much of a consideration for most of my hunting needs . I have a few hunting rifles with detachable mags , my old Browning BLR is a favourite , but I do like the simplicity of a blind mag . My latest 358Win is built on a pre-war Brno made Model 98 Mauser , I could have used a hinged floorplate , but went with the issue one instead . Technically it's removable , but for realistic use , it's a blind mag . It's going to be used for hunting things that fight back and it's just one less thing to go wrong , but that's just me , any of the above would serve just as well if properly made/installed .
AB
Had both and not bothered either way as long as it works. If it's the make and chambering I want I'd buy the rifle regardless of mag type.
Plus and minuses to both. Main advantage of detachable is quick and easy unloading. Advantage of a floor plate is you can't drop it and lose it (though you can lose the rounds if you hit the button by mistake).
The only mag I have now which I'm not keen on is the three shot plastic thing on my .308 M595. It niggles because it's cheap and tacky. One day I'll replace it with a five shot steel. But I haven't done it so far because it works and it's a stalking rifle. How many rounds do you need?
Plus and minuses to both. Main advantage of detachable is quick and easy unloading. Advantage of a floor plate is you can't drop it and lose it (though you can lose the rounds if you hit the button by mistake).
The only mag I have now which I'm not keen on is the three shot plastic thing on my .308 M595. It niggles because it's cheap and tacky. One day I'll replace it with a five shot steel. But I haven't done it so far because it works and it's a stalking rifle. How many rounds do you need?
8x57
Distinguished Member
What ever system you opt for get proficient in loading and unloading safely. Don't be like a pig with a musket.
I've witnessed too many people who simply shouldn't be allowed near a nerf gun never mind a real firearm. They were clumsy and unsafe and it was painful to watch them fumble with a firearm.
I've watched others who were smooth and obviously proficient, they made it look so easy and it was a pleasure to watch them in action.
If you don't know the correct drills or methods for safely loading and unloading find out, and practise them using snap caps or dummy rounds. (The dummy or drill rounds should be visually apparent as such).
I've witnessed too many people who simply shouldn't be allowed near a nerf gun never mind a real firearm. They were clumsy and unsafe and it was painful to watch them fumble with a firearm.
I've watched others who were smooth and obviously proficient, they made it look so easy and it was a pleasure to watch them in action.
If you don't know the correct drills or methods for safely loading and unloading find out, and practise them using snap caps or dummy rounds. (The dummy or drill rounds should be visually apparent as such).
A mate whose a pro stalker says one of his tests when he has a client he's never taken out before is to push a rifle and box of ammo at him while he's getting stuff out of the car and say just load that mag for me will you.
If he's all fingers and thumbs, runs out of hands, drops things and waves the muzzle about he knows he's either got a novice with little gun handling experience on his hands or nervous case. A lemon either way.
If he's all fingers and thumbs, runs out of hands, drops things and waves the muzzle about he knows he's either got a novice with little gun handling experience on his hands or nervous case. A lemon either way.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
The best of all of course as it could be top loaded (with or without chargers....the Lee Metford didn't use chargers) or the magazine detached was the Lee-Enfield.
Although in actual fact soldiers were taught to reload by chargers and NOT by replacing the magazine as they did not carry nor were issued with a spare magazine. The reason it was detachable was to accomodate more rounds that if it had been a floor plate design. (The intended replacement the Pattern '13 that morphed into the Pattern '14) did use a floor plate and was five shots only). Therefore to give eight shots (in the Metford) and in the Enfield ten shots.
That the Lee Enfield rifle then could be loaded by changing magazines wasn't ever the intention but a coincidental benefit.
Although in actual fact soldiers were taught to reload by chargers and NOT by replacing the magazine as they did not carry nor were issued with a spare magazine. The reason it was detachable was to accomodate more rounds that if it had been a floor plate design. (The intended replacement the Pattern '13 that morphed into the Pattern '14) did use a floor plate and was five shots only). Therefore to give eight shots (in the Metford) and in the Enfield ten shots.
That the Lee Enfield rifle then could be loaded by changing magazines wasn't ever the intention but a coincidental benefit.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
He could be wicked and give him a five round clip and my Czechoslovakian .270 WCF and ask him to load it. It still has the "hump" as designed a loads all five down into the magazine straight from the clip.
At least others in the company can see that it is safe, as others have said quite a lot of people have been shot by supposedly empty guns.
However much worse than a bolt closed on a supposedly empty chamber is the practice of holding the trigger while
chambering a round this gives you an uncocked bolt but a round in the chamber you only need to lift the bolt to cock it.
unfortunately you only need to knock the stock to cause the rifle to fire.
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
Floor plates all the way imo. Cant drop or lose them.
Never in my life have I ever had a fp drop open and dump rounds,i`m not after lions or cape buff either.
I do have a Sako .300 with removable box mag and for me it isnt as good. Although it locks in well I am always conscious of making sure that it is still fitted when I am out hunting.
Never in my life have I ever had a fp drop open and dump rounds,i`m not after lions or cape buff either.
I do have a Sako .300 with removable box mag and for me it isnt as good. Although it locks in well I am always conscious of making sure that it is still fitted when I am out hunting.
Tomcottrell
Well-Known Member
I have both, only problem I’ve ever had is with a floorplate, while loading the bullet it hasn’t seemed to sit flat as it’s supposed to do and has been angled downwards, had to drop the floorplate and try again with more success, can’t say I’ve had any issues with a magazine though
There just an extra margin of safety in being able to keep the rifle inert while clambering in and out of the highseat or bouncing about in the landy. I found all that 'open the floor plate and catch the rounds in my hat' thing a bit of a drag. A trigger guard modification and a flush three round mag are on the list for my 527.
8x57
Distinguished Member
I had never heard of that practise until I read about it on this site a few years ago. I've seen some silly things done but I just couldn't believe that anyone would be silly enough to entertain the practise of chambering a round and then allowing the firing pin to rest on a live primer. That has to be absolutely the most dangerous way of carrying a loaded rifle, there again you should never underestimate the stupidity of some people.
8x57
Distinguished Member
Never found the need to use a hat or some other receptacle as I've never had a problem with using a hinged floorplate and catching the rounds in my cupped hand if I needed to fully unload a rifle myself.
When crossing a ditch/fence or climbing into a high seat I simply remove the chambered round and immediately push it back down into the magazine while ensuring that I don't rechamber it as I close the bolt on an empty chamber. I do something very similar with my Sako (85) which being double stacked has the benefit of being able to be top loaded.
8x57
Distinguished Member
Never had a problem with the "cheap and tacky" polymer magazine in my .222 rem model 595. I put something like 14,000 rounds through the rifle in the time I had it and never ever any issues with magazines whether polymer or metal. I tended to use the polymer magazine more than the steel one as it lay flush with the stock. The longer 6 round steel magazine would be used mainly on the range or to carry spare rounds when in the field.
The same goes for my CZ 452, both magazines (5rnd and 10rnd) are polymer and I've lost count of the many thousands of rounds that I have fired through that rifle over the last 16 or 17 years, never any issues with either. So while I know that many shooters prefer steel magazines and will opt for those, my personal experience is that single stack polymer magazines can and do work. Seen a couple of double stack polymer magazines on rifles that seemed problematic though and the odd one on a single stack Tikka T3 that had to be replaced.
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you can't lose a floorplate or leave it in a pocket/bag/cabinet etc......
very very few people will need a spare magazine in the heat of the moment
5 rounds will do just fine
and I am not a fan of those rifles with single stack mags with 5+ magazines sticking out the bottom.
you can empty the entire box mag of a floorplate design with one hand into you hand then pocket.
very very few people will need a spare magazine in the heat of the moment
5 rounds will do just fine
and I am not a fan of those rifles with single stack mags with 5+ magazines sticking out the bottom.
you can empty the entire box mag of a floorplate design with one hand into you hand then pocket.
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