Seems like a lot of hunting rifles come with a detachable magazine that is (usually) a proprietary design are can be difficult to locate replacements or spares. Given that fast reloads while hunting is not a high priority, why do manufacturers of many rifles choose to use detachable magazines?
Why so many hunting rifles with proprietary detachable magazines?
- Thread starter Balrog
- Start date
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Proprietary parts =$$$$$$
If it's detachable, many owners will want a spare. Blind mags don't generate any additional profits. Also, some folks think scopes and blind mags dont mix well- contrary to about 50 years of military service evidence, of course.
Ill take a reliable steel blind mag with a hinged floorplate ANYDAY over a flimsy plastic detachable.
If it's detachable, many owners will want a spare. Blind mags don't generate any additional profits. Also, some folks think scopes and blind mags dont mix well- contrary to about 50 years of military service evidence, of course.
Ill take a reliable steel blind mag with a hinged floorplate ANYDAY over a flimsy plastic detachable.
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Detatchable mags because that is what most consumers want...propriety is to make money.
lysanderxiii
Member
Because designing reliable feeding around per-exsiting magazines is often harder than just making a new magazine, unless you copy everything about the feed geometry which may not be compatible a different rifle design.
dieselchief
Member
in and out or on and off trucks, atvs side by sides. crossing roads, walking along road ways to get to hunting spots comes to my mind...
And for kids to unload. They can stand outside the barn to unchamber the last. Good comment
redneck2
Member
Detachable magazines are great for loading and unloading. Racking multiple live rounds through a firearm after a hunt isn’t my favorite thing to do. Also, it’s nice to insert the mag, rack in a round and be ready to go. I realize it’s isn’t a big thing, but if there’s and easier way, why not?
As for being proprietary, from what I’ve read there is considerable engineering that goes into producing a firearm that has consistent, reliable feeding. Using existing magazines would most likely introduce issues.
As for being proprietary, from what I’ve read there is considerable engineering that goes into producing a firearm that has consistent, reliable feeding. Using existing magazines would most likely introduce issues.
someguy2800
Member
Most of the universal magazines like stanag, AR10, or AICS are very long and hang out the bottom of the gun. I don’t want that in my hunting rifles and don’t need the capacity either. A 3 round flush fitting mag is just fine. Having one spare is nice but don’t really need it.
While I prefer a hinged floorplate, I just bought an Xbolt with a DBM. Seem's to me to be the best non-AR poly mag I've seen, but its best attributes are that it is 4 rounds and dead flush with the bottom of a very short (top to bottom depth) action. Flush is an absolute requirement for a gun to be carried for the sneak-n-peak still hunting and tracking I do, and, as someguy pointed out, none of the universal mags can do this.
mcb
Member
Also remember many of those rifle and their proprietary magazines were design before common magazines became the market expectation. Before the late 1990's is was expected (or at least not rejected) by the market that a new gun would have a new magazine to go with it. Starting in the 90's with the rise in popularity of the AR-15/10 and Glock (and much later AICS for bolt guns) etc the expectation by the market slowly transition to one that expected most new guns to use proven magazines rather than new proprietary ones. In the current market you see a lot more guns using an accepted standard than proprietary magazine
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A hinged floorplate solves the issue of racking rounds through the firearm. With a fixed mag, you also don't have to worry about losing or forgetting the magazine, or buying new ones.
I don't mind a detachable magazine if its compatible with AR15 or AR10 mags, because they are cheap and easy to find. But finding proprietary mags is sometimes hard and they seem to be frequently out of stock. I misplaced the only magazine I had for a Savage Model 10 about six months ago, and finding another was hard. Savage was out of stock for months, and Midway an other suppliers didnt have them either. I ended up having to buy one from a seller on Ebay for about $50 or 60. I have pretty much decided that any new rifles I buy have to either have fixed magazines, or at worst be compatible with AR15 or AR10 magazines.
EIB0879
Member
As many people said, money.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
If we compared rifles to handguns, this would seem more normal.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Has nothing to do with making money. What would be the standard? For a flush fit, or near flush, there is no standard. If you don't care if it hangs down a few inches, there's STANAG, AR10 and AICS if it's compatible with the cartridge you're chambering. There is no standard magazine for .30-06 length cartridges, certainly nothing bigger. A magazine has to be as popular and ubiquitous as those aforementioned or the 10/22 rotary for other manufacturers to adapt the design to their guns. So for anything else, they design their own.
I'm kinda torn on the concept. I would mostly prefer a slick bottom hinged floorplate or blind magazine on a boltgun.
I'm kinda torn on the concept. I would mostly prefer a slick bottom hinged floorplate or blind magazine on a boltgun.
When the Tikka T3 landed, it used a proprietary single stack mag that was supposed to sell for $80. They are now priced closer to $40, as I suspect that Beretta learned that if they got too greedy, no one would buy extras. Even now, I have only 1 spare. I like a flush bottom stock, but not if it expands that section of the stock a la M-1.
If you worry about losing the mag, you can always tether them as was done with the British Enfield.
If you worry about losing the mag, you can always tether them as was done with the British Enfield.
Howland937
Member
In my state, a loaded mag separated from the gun can still be considered a "loaded gun" if they're both in the same vehicle. Arbitrary, but that's what the ODNR officer told me.
Internal mag with floor plate just looks cleaner and more snag proof.
It is less expensive to manufacture rifles that take detachable mags which means more profit for the manufacturer. It usually means a less expensive rifle for the consumer as well even when you factor in buying 1-2 spare mags.
It's also much easier to manufacture an accurate rifle with detachable mags than one with an internal magazine. While the potential is there for equal accuracy fitting the action to the stock while working around an internal magazine adds another obstacle to overcome in accuracy. Not to mention simply getting the rifle reassembled after the consumer takes the rifle apart for cleaning. Often poor accuracy is traced back to a mag box not seated correctly.
Traditionally I've always preferred a blind magazine simiar to the Remington ADL. It simplified things, the rifle weighs less, and the extra time needed to unload didn't bother me, but I've come to appreciate the newer generation of guns with detachable mags.
There are a lot of budget priced bolt guns out there now that will match or beat the accuracy from much more expensive guns. The Ruger American, Savage Axis, Browning X bolt, Tikka, Styer Pro Hunter, and Winchester XPR come to mind and I'm sure there are others I've forgotten.
They all have several things in common that leads to reduced costs while giving exceptional accuracy. Detachable magazines are one, but nontraditional ways of bedding the action to a cheap plastic stock and still getting exceptional accuracy is another trait they have in common.
It's also much easier to manufacture an accurate rifle with detachable mags than one with an internal magazine. While the potential is there for equal accuracy fitting the action to the stock while working around an internal magazine adds another obstacle to overcome in accuracy. Not to mention simply getting the rifle reassembled after the consumer takes the rifle apart for cleaning. Often poor accuracy is traced back to a mag box not seated correctly.
Traditionally I've always preferred a blind magazine simiar to the Remington ADL. It simplified things, the rifle weighs less, and the extra time needed to unload didn't bother me, but I've come to appreciate the newer generation of guns with detachable mags.
There are a lot of budget priced bolt guns out there now that will match or beat the accuracy from much more expensive guns. The Ruger American, Savage Axis, Browning X bolt, Tikka, Styer Pro Hunter, and Winchester XPR come to mind and I'm sure there are others I've forgotten.
They all have several things in common that leads to reduced costs while giving exceptional accuracy. Detachable magazines are one, but nontraditional ways of bedding the action to a cheap plastic stock and still getting exceptional accuracy is another trait they have in common.
Anchorite
Member
I agree. I think the popularity of the AR platform has contributed immensely to this phenomenon. Pass me a floorplated long gun. If you can’t load the internal magazine, you probably shouldn’t own a rifle.
ECVMatt
Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2004
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- 2,870
I like a hinged floor plate for my BA rifles. It just carries better in the hand and contributes to a better feel in the field, but those are just my subjective opinions.
I think detachable magazines in BA rifles also go with the tactical vibe running through the community at the this time.
I think detachable magazines in BA rifles also go with the tactical vibe running through the community at the this time.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
Well, this thread has me thinkin' . . .
doubleh
Member
I am a geezer and grew up with rifles that either had blind mags or detachable floor plates. To this day a magazine hanging below the stock is not only ugly it is inconvinent to carry the rifle. When I used an AR to hunt coyotes it was equipped with a five round mag that fit flush. I have even cut off 22 rimfire and 17HMR mags to make them fit flush with the stock and have passed on nice rifles strictly because of the box magazine sticking out of the bottom of the stock. It is for ease of carry and the gun looks better to my eye. That is what keeps ME happy and that is my only concern.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I think much of the rhetoric about detachable mags comes from folks who are not roaming around the woods with a rifle but only from their vehicle to the bench.
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