Unloading a tube magazine lever action

[crys]

Newbie question here

I was at my local range the other night and some bloke was shooting a 22 lever action.

A ceasefire was called and to eject his remaining ammo he cycled the lever 8 or 9 times or whatever.

Is there not a way to 'unload' a tube magazine? Do you have to cycle all the cartridges out every time?

[yoshie]

With a rimfire you can take the tube inner out, and dump out the cartridges, however you need to cycle the action a few times to be sure it's empty with mag tube spring tension. It's easier to just cycle it until it's empty. For a centrefire it's the only way. Unless it's a BLR, which it has a box mag. You will also notice once people finish they cycle it a few times just to be sure it's empty.

[jackles]

A cap screws off the front of the tube or something doesn't it?

[tucked]

A cap screws off the front of the tube or something doesn't it?

I'm not an expert by any means but the few I've had a play with did. Just simple 22 stuff... Feed in the shells on the bottom and unscrew the tube at the front to pull them all out if need be.

Like yoshie says there are other setups like the Browning BLR. I dunno if there are others too...

[yoshie]

A cap screws off the front of the tube or something doesn't it?

Yeah like a tube within a tube. The cartridges go inside the inner tube and are forced against a spring which pushes them into the action. Centrefires have a loading gate and you push them in against the spring.

[VICHunter]

Is there not a way to 'unload' a tube magazine? Do you have to cycle all the cartridges out every time?

The guys have covered it already with the 'tube within a tube' for a rimfire,

It's not really a big deal to cycle through them for big bore stuff as you'd typically only have to eject 3 or 4 rounds max.

Not 15 rounds or whatever like you would for a rimfire lever action tube.

[Monty]

Tube mags are the bane of range officers everywhere.

Every cease fire without fail someone has left a tube full of cartridges.

[Chronos]

Tube mags are the bane of range officers everywhere.

Every cease fire without fail someone has left a tube full of cartridges.

Yeah, one reason dome ranges like single round load only.

As for cycling the lever to empty the tube, its no different to cycling the bolt on any internal magazine bolt rifle. Some have floor plates but some are completely closed off and must be chambered to be removed from the rifle

No big deal as far as I'm concerned.

Chronos

[Tinked]

Tube mags are the bane of range officers everywhere.

Every cease fire without fail someone has left a tube full of cartridges.

Worse than that... I was at the range one day and during the cease fire some turkey opened his action and just propped the breach flag in the action there but he still had one in the pipe. Pro effort

You can imagine the RO's reaction...

[Lorgar]

You can imagine the RO's reaction...

To quote from Black Adder:

"I think the phrase rhymes with clucking bell!"