r/canadaguns • u/SecureNarwhal • Mar 09 '26
Misc Internal Mags vs Detachable Mags, What's your preference and why?
Just a thought that crossed my mind while the work day comes to any end. Do you prefer internal mags or detachable mags and why?
I've always preferred detachable mags as they make it easy to unload a gun and deal with malfunctions as you got a whole new opening to tackle the issue with.
But there's a lot of guns with internal magazines and magazine tubes. I guess they are lighter and you don't have something protruding out the rifle to snag on a branch, strap or sling. But I don't actually know what the advantages or personal preferences are for them.
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Mar 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/FD4L Mar 09 '26
$200/piece
Like tikka ctr magazines
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u/LongRoadNorth Mar 09 '26
Put in chassis so you can use aics
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Mar 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/geo-desik Mar 10 '26
I milled out my chassis and installed aics bottom metal and it worked good. Was a bit of work tho... and still 200 bucks. And u can't use magpull mags so your still looking at around 80 per mag lol
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u/airchinapilot Mar 09 '26
If you are road hunting, having a detachable magazine can make it easier to unload when you get back into your vehicle. Detach it, put it n your pocket, start driving and if a CO is around the corner, you are clear.
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u/Dummy_Wire Mar 09 '26
For rimmed cartridges, internal tube-magazines, generally (except for on .22lrs).
For rimless cartridges, detachable box-magazines, generally.
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u/SirKickBan Mar 09 '26
I love detachable magazines that can be fed from stripper clips or just one round at a time while in the gun, especially if I'm going to be limited to five rounds at a time. But even if I couldn't have that, and had to pick, I'd still go with detachable over internal.
As nice as it can be to just be able to carry loose rounds to reload with, detachable magazines have so many perks. From generally faster reloads to being way less of a pain to make a weapon safe, it's not much of a competition.
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u/RelativeFox1 Mar 10 '26
What I hate is magazines that stick out so far right at the balance point it’s not comfortable to trail carry the rifle.
I prefer a flush mounted detachable mag for ease of unloading.
But a short lever rifle is just so damn sexy I don’t mind the tube mag.
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u/rogue_noob Mar 10 '26
Internal mag. I lose stuff all the time, can't lose it if it's bolted to the gun. I do want a drop plate for rifles though.
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u/Even-Somewhere-9554 Mar 09 '26
Depend. On shotgun ( or maybe lever action rifles), internal mag is better. On others, I prefer external mags
Internal mag on SKS works just fine for me but the external mags will be superior if it is working. I don’t bubba my SKS so I use a plastic loader instead of the clip for little bit comfortable
Never has issue with external mags in all my guns so far if they are factory built for it
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u/LongRoadNorth Mar 09 '26
Why not both?
For shotguns though I hate detachable.
Tube or better yet over under
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u/xthemoonx Mar 09 '26
Detachable because its faster to unload. Also when im walking trails for birds, I can keep the gun unloaded and when I see a bird, I pop that bitch in fast.
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u/FenderFanatic Mar 10 '26
Internal. Hunting in my area is mostly hiking and you can't lose an internal mag very easily when walking through all the brush. Easy loading/unloading isn't of concern if you only have to do it before/after hiking in/out. Also just looks classier imo.
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u/Remarkable_Vanilla34 Mar 09 '26
Internal magazines unless its something that you can't buy in Canada any more lol
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u/Imaginary-Text4690 Mar 10 '26
Good way to put it
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u/Remarkable_Vanilla34 Mar 11 '26
Ya there are some semi autos that work very reliably with detachable magazines but they are not guns we can own here.
I know mossberg has their system, but the magazines are huge and I don't know if their as reliable as a tube fed. Then theres the Turkish mall ninja shit, which if thats your cup of tea its fine and for the price its probably a fun range toy, but if the question is serious reliability I would be buying something that is a major manufacturer with a good reputation and a tube fed magazine.
Theres a reason why benelli and beretta are building guns specifically for military and LEO use that have tube fed magazines, and thats why high speed sporting shot guns have remained tube fed, the shells just feed much more reliable from that design, enough so that it offset the speed and convenience of a detachable magazine.
I think there is a lot of appeal to detachable magazines because its looks more modern or tactical, especially in a restricted market, but not only do those magazines not work great, their usually expensive, the guns themselves aren't great and the magazines are usually not something you will be able to pick up extras in or might not even be in production in a few years time (the grizzly 870 clones is a good example). These Turkish guns are not going to institutions that stand the test of time like mossberg, remington or beretta.
Plus I see people buying a bunch of these gimmicky guns when they first start out, which is ok, its about having fun, but they often could have put that money into one or two far nicer firearms that will last a lot longer and run a lot better.
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u/Imaginary-Text4690 Mar 11 '26
Yea I feel you on that another guy had a really good point that pretty much anything rimmed should be used with an internal mag. Didn’t think of it like that how everyone else was wording it. But it is pretty obvious you get rim lock when trying to double stack or pretty much any issues that could arise from feeding it from a box with a rim. A nice tube fed semi auto shotgun would be something I’d want. Gen 12 ar shotgun probably the only mag fed shot gun I’d get, but I’m in the US so that’s kinda irrelevant except it’s the only one that seems to work good and have taken off. Costs 5k though. Yea pretty much anything left up there by this point theres no point in detachable mags besides cleaning, maybe clearing failures. I do like the idea of being allowed to have 10-20 rounds in a shortened classic style bolt as a scout gun. Prolly one of the few things I’d still be excited to be able to buy if I was there. Sad shit
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u/jubejubes96 Mar 09 '26
usually detachable, especially with guns like a .22 for target-practice.
i usually load up 4-5 mags before i even go to the range, and then get a lot of shooting in before having to stop to reload.
it’s also slightly relevant with larger calibers i guess, but my tikkas barrel usually needs to cool down anyways, so not as crucial.
i prefer internal on shotguns though
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u/NL1839 Mar 10 '26
Isn’t a detachable magazine what the government thinks makes a rifle “assault style”(I hate that term with a passion)? If the government doesn’t like something that usually means I do
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u/SecureNarwhal Mar 10 '26
only assault if it holds 6 or more rounds, if originally only holds 5 it's a hunting rifle #logic /s
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u/NubaIox Mar 10 '26
A bunch stripper clips is great for target shooting, no need to stop to pick up mags and refill them.
Also SKS mag opens from the bottom for easier clearing, which is redundant because it's an SKS and won't malfunction, comrade.
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u/CryptidWorks CryptidWorks Mar 10 '26
Depends! General use/bolt action? Detachable. SKS? Integral, because all the detachables on the market are generally less reliable than the stock mag.
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u/oldballsmcgee Mar 11 '26
I have no problem with either, but most of the rifles I usually hunt with are internal. Drives my uncle nuts. I can load and unload as fast as anyone that I hunt with that has a detachable mag.
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u/swift_gilford Mar 09 '26
For shotguns and levers; interntal tubular.
Almost every other scenario - detachable. Even my hunting rifles, if i want i can get flush fit magazines that won't get snagged and its easier for me to make my rifle safe for when i'm coming out of a stand/tree/etc.