Definition:

A tubular magazine is a gun or firearm magazine that is, in essence, a tube. Ammunition is stacked end-to-end when loaded into a tubular magazine.

Because ammunition is stacked bullet-to-base and primers are in the centers of centerfire ammo, pointed bullets on centerfire cartridges are unsafe when loaded into tubular magazines, except in the case of special plastic (polymer) bullet tips designed to be soft and flexible enough to not fire the round against which the tip is pressed.

As a rule, only flat-nosed bullets and round-nosed bullets with soft lead tips should be used in tubular magazines.

Tubular magazines have been used on lever action, bolt action, pump/slide action, and semi-automatic firearms.

- Russ Chastain

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