liikeaboss
Member
So I'm in the market for a .22 carbine. I'm looking into the marlin line atm, my only question is what do you prefer? a clip magazine, or a tube fed system? Why?
Thanks guys!!
Thanks guys!!
Tubular vs. clip magazine!
- Thread starter liikeaboss
- Start date
- Status
icebones
Member
40 smacks with a wet noodle for calling it a clip
But seriously man, they both have their pros and cons.
Magazines are faster to reload and you can buy larger capacity aftermarket mags, but they cost money, and they can wear out/get lost.
Tubular slower to reload, permanently attached to the rifle somewhat (the spring tube has to be removed partially to reload and it can be lost or damaged)
Your best bet would be to find someone that owns both a magazine fed (Ruger 10/22) and a tube fed (Marlin model 60) or go to a gun store. see what you like best.
I own both a Ruger 10/22 and a marlin model 60. I like shooting both, but with a 50 round mag the 10/22 is hard to beat for plinking and fun, but I take my marlin out squirrel and rabbit hunting a lot more i just like the look and balance of the marlin.
But seriously man, they both have their pros and cons.
Magazines are faster to reload and you can buy larger capacity aftermarket mags, but they cost money, and they can wear out/get lost.
Tubular slower to reload, permanently attached to the rifle somewhat (the spring tube has to be removed partially to reload and it can be lost or damaged)
Your best bet would be to find someone that owns both a magazine fed (Ruger 10/22) and a tube fed (Marlin model 60) or go to a gun store. see what you like best.
I own both a Ruger 10/22 and a marlin model 60. I like shooting both, but with a 50 round mag the 10/22 is hard to beat for plinking and fun, but I take my marlin out squirrel and rabbit hunting a lot more i just like the look and balance of the marlin.
Last edited by a moderator:
liikeaboss
Member
Thanks icebones! The funny part is that I copy / pasted "clip magazine" off the Marlin website lol!
liikeaboss
Member
another question is, is there a markable difference in wear and tear / reliability from one system to the next?
For me I only want a tube on a lever gun....mostly for the look and the only clip fed lever guns just look weird to me. (Savage 99 excluded).
Also when loading a tube gun can be a bit tricky sometimes. Have to have the gun tilting muzzle up. Sometimes it can be tricky to get the rounds in just right with cold or gloved hands. They are faster to unload, but it is easier to lose rounds that way unless you have something to dump them into.
I am not a fan of the clips that stick way below the furniture though....I much prefer the flush fitting Ruger style clips.
Also when loading a tube gun can be a bit tricky sometimes. Have to have the gun tilting muzzle up. Sometimes it can be tricky to get the rounds in just right with cold or gloved hands. They are faster to unload, but it is easier to lose rounds that way unless you have something to dump them into.
I am not a fan of the clips that stick way below the furniture though....I much prefer the flush fitting Ruger style clips.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
I've used both. No great preference either way, I guess the main benefit of the tube mag is that when carrying at the balance point, your sweaty little hand isn't against any metal. A tad smoother and more comfortable...
From the FWIW bin: My grandfather referred to the "clip" for his .22 rifle. I first heard him say that back around 1940. The Lord only knows when he first heard that gizmo named "clip". I'm singularly under-whelmed by the emotion in the yip-yap about "clip" vs. "magazine".
I mean, really! Sumdood says "magazine" and you don't know if he's loading or reading.
From the FWIW bin: My grandfather referred to the "clip" for his .22 rifle. I first heard him say that back around 1940. The Lord only knows when he first heard that gizmo named "clip". I'm singularly under-whelmed by the emotion in the yip-yap about "clip" vs. "magazine".
I mean, really! Sumdood says "magazine" and you don't know if he's loading or reading.
fireman 9731
Member
Tube magazines all the way.
Much more reliable, slower, but not a pain to load. You can even get speed loaders for them if you really want.
The magazine is the weak link in almost any gun. Make one out of plastic or flimsy metal and it only multiplies the problem.
A tube mag minimizes magazine related malfunctions.
Much more reliable, slower, but not a pain to load. You can even get speed loaders for them if you really want.
The magazine is the weak link in almost any gun. Make one out of plastic or flimsy metal and it only multiplies the problem.
A tube mag minimizes magazine related malfunctions.
bigfatdave
Member
which is a good reason to have a few of them, rather than one that can't be swapped on the fly
oldfool
Member
I prefer 'clips', but own mostly 'tubes'
go figger
at the bench, a clip (box) magazine is handier
hunting afield, tube magazine is 'better' ("load once, shoot all day")
PS
I never could get real excited, either, about how labeled the 'thang' that holds them extra 'boolits"
1st gun I ever owned was a bolt action 20 gauge, with a two shell (you guessed it) "clip"
have since owned many handguns and rifles that use "mags", and I keep a few spares on hand.. but own no spare tubes
go figger
at the bench, a clip (box) magazine is handier
hunting afield, tube magazine is 'better' ("load once, shoot all day")
PS
I never could get real excited, either, about how labeled the 'thang' that holds them extra 'boolits"
1st gun I ever owned was a bolt action 20 gauge, with a two shell (you guessed it) "clip"
have since owned many handguns and rifles that use "mags", and I keep a few spares on hand.. but own no spare tubes
Old Shooter
Member
I'e had both tube and magazine fed and can't really place one over the other for my preference. Mags are nice as easier to reload and you can keep an extra one or two in your pocket, no problem.
Tubes to me look nicer, generally hold more rounds than factory mags although aftermarket mags will beat them for capacity.
What's your planned use for the gun? Lots of blasting at targets, tin cans, etc I'd probably lean slightly towards the mags fed. For a woods gun, small game hunting or just not going thru a brick of ammo at a session it would be the tube fed.
Tubes to me look nicer, generally hold more rounds than factory mags although aftermarket mags will beat them for capacity.
What's your planned use for the gun? Lots of blasting at targets, tin cans, etc I'd probably lean slightly towards the mags fed. For a woods gun, small game hunting or just not going thru a brick of ammo at a session it would be the tube fed.
Last edited:
oldfool
Member
aftermarket mags will beat them for capacity
for autoloader carbines (if a dozen rounds at a time will not suffice), true
never saw hi-cap box magazines for bolt actions & such though.. but then again just never looked, they might do 'em, for all I know... I don't even favor 10 round box mags on 22 rifles, prefer 'flush" myself, 4 or 5 rounds
always thought the Ruger rotary and Browning helix magazines a cool notion, just never owned either
for autoloader carbines (if a dozen rounds at a time will not suffice), true
never saw hi-cap box magazines for bolt actions & such though.. but then again just never looked, they might do 'em, for all I know... I don't even favor 10 round box mags on 22 rifles, prefer 'flush" myself, 4 or 5 rounds
always thought the Ruger rotary and Browning helix magazines a cool notion, just never owned either
W.E.G.
Member
magazine
good ones
good ones
oldfool
Member
^^^^^^^^
looks like a real "stand-up" gun/mag to me !
looks like a real "stand-up" gun/mag to me !
ForumSurfer
Member
I prefer tube, but I don't see either option as being superior or faster. Now if you're shooting less than 100 rounds and you have enough magazines, then yeah, mags are faster. But if you're shooting 1000 or more rounds, then you're not noticing a huge speed difference. Cabelas and a few other places sell a speed tube loader that costs less than a good magazine and it greatly decreases load times. If you do any shooting from a table or prone, depending on the magazine you may have issues.
Wolfebyte
Member
meh... 6 of one, half a dozen of another..
I've had both, basically it's going to come down to what 'You' like..
I've had the 10/22 with the elongated magazine, fun to shoot.. reloading it is what you make of it. About the only thing I didn't like about the large capacity magazine is carrying the thing on the rifle. I would go out in the pasture, cut a cross to the orchard and hunt tree rats.. the 10/22 with a flush mount magazine was great compared to the high capacity magazine digging in my back or side while trying to sling carry..
My Marlin Glenfield Model 60 was a blast to shoot and easy to carry. But as previously stated, easy to load a round in upside down, difficult to load with gloves and you have to be careful with the spring rod so that it doesn't get bent, damaged or sandy (debris) on it..
I've had both, basically it's going to come down to what 'You' like..
I've had the 10/22 with the elongated magazine, fun to shoot.. reloading it is what you make of it. About the only thing I didn't like about the large capacity magazine is carrying the thing on the rifle. I would go out in the pasture, cut a cross to the orchard and hunt tree rats.. the 10/22 with a flush mount magazine was great compared to the high capacity magazine digging in my back or side while trying to sling carry..
My Marlin Glenfield Model 60 was a blast to shoot and easy to carry. But as previously stated, easy to load a round in upside down, difficult to load with gloves and you have to be careful with the spring rod so that it doesn't get bent, damaged or sandy (debris) on it..
Tube fed is my prefference, at least for rimfire rifles. They tend to balance better, and less hanging off the rifle to get caught on stuff in the woods. A flush box would be a close second, but then I would have to carry extra ammo in my pocket when hunting, not a big deal, but just loading up 13 rounds in the tube before hitting the woods has always been more than I ever needed for a full bag of squirls.
boricua9mm
Member
Believe it or not, technically, Marlin's description could be accurate, depending on what you're looking at. I have a Marlin Model 25 that takes a "clip magazine." The magazine has a clip at the rear that is under spring tension. This clip grabs onto a flat extrusion from the receiver in order to lock it into place. Hence, "clip magazine."
NOT my photo:
shotgunjoel
Member
I have 2 of each. I bought both of the magazine fed rifles, and inherited the tube fed rifles. I don't hate the tube feed, it is pretty slim and trim on the rifle, but I prefer magazines because when I'm just going out and shooting it goes faster. Also I can stay laying down to reload the magazines better than the tube fed rifles. YMMV
NCsmitty
Member
I chose the Marlin M60 because it has a good reputation for reliability, and mostly because it has a tube magazine.
I've had 22 RF rifles using clips, and still do, like my Rem 541-T. They work ok, but I prefer the tube mags for fun shooting.
NCsmitty
I've had 22 RF rifles using clips, and still do, like my Rem 541-T. They work ok, but I prefer the tube mags for fun shooting.
NCsmitty
Dr T
Member
For me, it boils down to convenience for loading and unloading.
Years ago when we were always carrying a loaded (in the magazine), non-semi-automatic 22 in the pickup for ranch work (snakes, vermin, etc), we used tubular magazines since they held more cartridges. You never worried about unloading the magazine, and never left a loaded round in the chamber).
Times have changed. Now, All guns get loaded when we get to the ranch and get unloaded before we leave the ranch. A clip is much more convenient: Pop out the magazine, clear the action, and you are done.
I do not want a semi-auto rifle with a tube magazine. Besides being cumbersome to unload, I have found that tube magazines are are bit more difficult to unload. After all the cartridges are dumped, a single round may hang up on the loading ramp and you may have to clear the action a couple of times and visually inspect it to make sure it is clear. It makes me nervous.
Years ago when we were always carrying a loaded (in the magazine), non-semi-automatic 22 in the pickup for ranch work (snakes, vermin, etc), we used tubular magazines since they held more cartridges. You never worried about unloading the magazine, and never left a loaded round in the chamber).
Times have changed. Now, All guns get loaded when we get to the ranch and get unloaded before we leave the ranch. A clip is much more convenient: Pop out the magazine, clear the action, and you are done.
I do not want a semi-auto rifle with a tube magazine. Besides being cumbersome to unload, I have found that tube magazines are are bit more difficult to unload. After all the cartridges are dumped, a single round may hang up on the loading ramp and you may have to clear the action a couple of times and visually inspect it to make sure it is clear. It makes me nervous.
I like both types.
I refer to magazine fed as just that because I know that my MI Garand is clip fed. But I don't insist that others do the same thing. I guess I feel the same way about the new style of writing without punctuation.
I've never needed more ammo for hunting that a tube fed rifle will carry, so I don't see any advantage to have a couple of spare loaded magazines in you pocket.
I've never found a .22 that I didn't like.
I refer to magazine fed as just that because I know that my MI Garand is clip fed. But I don't insist that others do the same thing. I guess I feel the same way about the new style of writing without punctuation.
I've never needed more ammo for hunting that a tube fed rifle will carry, so I don't see any advantage to have a couple of spare loaded magazines in you pocket.
I've never found a .22 that I didn't like.
Last edited:
ForumSurfer
Member
I can agree with you on that!
Dr T, in your situation I would want a magazine, as well. For me, I don't hunt anymore. So when I unload my rifle, I do so with my trigger finger once more before heading home.
JohnBT
Member
I have always found it faster to drop rounds into a tube instead of having to shove them into a magazine one at a time with my thumb. They really go into the tube fast if you pull the rod out and drop the rounds into the open end.
And mags clip into the rifle, so that makes them clips. A magazine is where they store powder isn't it?
And mags clip into the rifle, so that makes them clips. A magazine is where they store powder isn't it?
MinnMooney
Member
Marlin is has one of the best removable clips[sic] (magazines) on the market. It's their rotory magazine and it is slick and dependable.
For carrying around, I don't like the long mags sticking out of the bottom of the rifle. For this reason I like either a tube fed or a Ruger 10/22 with the stock mags. The Ruger mags are on the small side and it's no big deal to throw 5 or 10 of them into the ammo bag, already loaded up.
The only thing is that the 10/22s are built cheap these days. I went to Academy not too long ago to pick one up for my son and would up getting a Henry lever action. The Ruger didn't impress me at all. The finish on the barrel looked more like paint than bluing and there were plastic parts on it. My personal 10/22 is about 15 years old and is a nice rifle.
The only thing is that the 10/22s are built cheap these days. I went to Academy not too long ago to pick one up for my son and would up getting a Henry lever action. The Ruger didn't impress me at all. The finish on the barrel looked more like paint than bluing and there were plastic parts on it. My personal 10/22 is about 15 years old and is a nice rifle.
- Status
