Most of my rifles have hinged floorplate magazines and 1 has a box magazine (removable) are there any pro's and cons of either or is it just preference?

Thanks

I have 3 types of magazines in my bolt rifles.

Blind, floor plate dumpers, and floor plate removable box.

The blind magazine makes for a lighter rifle and I do like that but I don't like unloading by cycling each round just enough to get them to jump up and out.

The floor plate makes for a quick dump and catch.

But the one that I like the most is the Browning Idea. They use a hinged floor plate with a detachable box magazine. It is very easy to top off by releasing the floor plate and just pushing another round into the box then swing it back closed.

They all work very good though.

There are some important considerations...

A floorplate model can cause double feeding if the lips at the top of the magazine box are not spread far enough - in that case, when you pull back the bolt, a cartridge will pop out. And at that point, it doesn't matter if you have CRF or push feed - you are going to double feed. A detachable box almost never has this problem.

On the other hand, a detachable box won't allow you to seat bullets out as far as an internal magazine. Managing overall cartridge length is pretty important when it comes to accuracy. But if you don't handlaod, that is a non-issue. Another potential problem is losing the detachable magazine.

in a nutshell, I wish all mine were detach mags, but for reloading purposes...well, see the above post!

I can live with either.

Definition of a "detachable magazine":

The neccesary part of the firearm that you lose, and go to the gun shop to replace the day before hunting season, to find that it is a special order item, and won't be available until next spring. . . .

Some DM's can't be loaded from the top (a la blind or hinged floorplate designs). That makes them a single shot once the DM is shot out. Not desirable for dangerous game situations methinks.

I have had feeding issues with a DM (Remington) and converting becomes an issue due to no feed rails. Kwik Klip makes it as above. HS Precision / BADGER / etc. is half again the amount of a rifle.

All my hunting rifles are floorplate designs. The reason is that everything's attached to the rifle so there's no extra parts to lose in timbucktu like the detachable mag, and a jam can be quickly cleared by dumping the magazine if necessary unlike the blind magazine.

I have to agree with Ted. I like the Browning design the best. I have all of the different types, including the regular type detachable magazines, and I still like the Browning design.

Legend has it that the Garand was once considered with a detachable magazine. That idea was supposedly nixed because soldiers might lose them in the heat of battle.

Mr Murphy...

Rich

Singleshot03: You got back a lot of prejudices, but not a lot of information.

My experience finds some advantages with both types of magazines.

Let's discount the blind box for a moment, since it is just a variation of the floorplate box. (1) The floorplate box usually (but not always) accomodates more cartridges in a flush magazine that doesn't protrude below the stock's bottom line. (2) It is always with the gun and won't get lost or misplaced. (3) Its feed lips are a part of the rifle's action and can't get bent, so feeding is usually very dependable.

The detachable magazine also has some strong points: (1) For currently produced guns, you can buy as many extras as you wish. I like to carry one, or sometimes two, loaded extras in my pocket which makes for very quick reloading under "extenuating" circumstances. (2) In jurisdictions in which a gun may not be carried loaded, I keep the detached but loaded magazine in my pocket for quick action should the need arise.

Detractors will say that the floorplate of a box magazine can unexpectedly open, dumping your cartridges on the ground. This is true, but like anything mechanical, it is only a poorly made or maintained magazine catch which will do this. Actually, a detachable magazine is much more likely to unexpectedly drop from its well, leaving you without an operating magzine. Yes, a detachable can, and often is misplaced. This is usually a result of someone "safely" storing the gun and the magzine in separate locations

My bottom line: I generally prefer a box magazine to a detachable, but I own guns with both, hunt with both, and won't reject a gun because it is equipped with one or the other.

By the way, I own three Sako TRG-s models which use the detachable. Its magazine is among the best of the detachables. It is a flush, double-stack model which feeds from the center and holds four cartridges in a magnum caliber. I own a total of six magazines for these guns (all interchangable among the calibers I have). When hunting with a TRG-s I always carry one or two loaded magazines in my pockets. This came in enormously handy when engaged in a cull hunt in Namibia.

while i much prefer the appearance of a blind well or a hinged floorplate, the box magazine that cooper is making surpasses both. it it made of quite heavy stainless and looks like a plain floorplate

I would like to thank everyone for their opinion and advice. It helps me make more informed decision on what I want in a rifle when comparing models.

Thanks,

Jim