
A magazine is a device that stores and feeds ammunition into a firearm. One type of magazine is a pan magazine, which is a flat cylindrical shape mounted on top of the firearm. It uses gravity to drop cartridges into the action. The cartridges in a pan magazine are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation, while in a drum magazine they are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation. The Bira gun, one of the first firearms to feature a pan magazine, was designed to hold .577-450 Martini cartridges in two layers of 60 cartridges each, giving the magazine a capacity of 120 cartridges. Other guns that feature pan magazines include the Lewis Gun, Bren light machine gun, Degtyarev light machine gun, and the American-180 submachine gun.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Magazine type | Pan magazine |
| Magazine shape | Flat cylindrical |
| Mounting position | On top of the gun |
| Cartridge arrangement | Perpendicular to the axis of rotation |
| Cartridge feeding | Gravity-fed |
| Cartridge layers | Two |
| Cartridge capacity | 120 |
| Mechanism | Ratchet |
| Rotation | Crank |
| Gun examples | Lewis Gun, Bren Gun, Bira Gun, Vickers K, Degtyaryov light machine gun, American-180 submachine gun |
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What You'll Learn

Pan magazines are mounted on top of the firearm
A magazine is a device that stores and feeds ammunition into a firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). Pan magazines are a type of magazine that is mounted on top of the firearm. They differ from other circular magazines in that the cartridges are stored perpendicular to the axis of rotation, rather than being parallel. This design allows the magazine to hold a large number of cartridges.
The pan magazine gets its name from its flat cylindrical shape, similar to a drum magazine. However, unlike drum magazines, which are mounted from below the gun, pan magazines are mounted on top. This allows the pan magazine to use gravity to drop cartridges into the action. The cartridges in a pan magazine are arranged like the spokes of a wheel, with the rounds rotating around the axle of the pan when feeding.
One of the first firearms to feature a pan magazine was the Bira gun. In this design, the pan magazine is rotated via a ratchet mechanism as the crank is turned. The magazine holds .577-450 Martini cartridges in two layers of 60 cartridges each, giving it a total capacity of 120 cartridges. Another early gun that used a pan magazine was invented in 1898 by Howard Carr, a well-known shooter.
Other guns that feature pan magazines include the Lewis gun, the Bren light machine gun, the Degtyarev light machine gun, and the American-180 submachine gun. The Lewis gun and Bira gun use a ratchet and pawl mechanism to drive the pan magazine, while the Bren gun and American-180 rotate the magazine by unwinding a circular spring.
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Cartridges are stored perpendicular to the axis of rotation
A pan magazine is a type of magazine for firearms that stores cartridges in a flat radial arrangement, perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This is in contrast to other types of magazines such as drum magazines, where cartridges are stored parallel to the axis of rotation.
The pan magazine is typically mounted on top of the firearm and uses gravity to drop cartridges into the action. The cartridges are arranged like the spokes of a wheel, with the rounds rotating around the axle of the pan when feeding. This arrangement allows the magazine to hold a large number of cartridges, with some models holding up to 120 cartridges.
One example of a firearm that uses a pan magazine is the Lewis Gun. In this design, the cartridges are evenly distributed on each side of the magazine, with a central feed tower where the ammunition is fed to the bolt. The ammunition is fed by a spring force, with rounds alternating from each side to prevent the gun from becoming unbalanced.
Another example is the Bira Gun, which features a pan magazine designed to hold .577-450 Martini cartridges. The magazine is rotated via a ratchet mechanism, and the cartridges fall through a slot in a stationary plate at the bottom of the pan into the action. This type of magazine was also used in a machine gun invented by Howard Carr in 1898.
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They are usually found on light machine guns
A magazine is a device that stores and assists in the feeding of ammunition through the use of a mechanical (usually spring-loaded) follower. It is usually referred to as a "mag". Magazines come in many shapes and sizes, from integral tubular magazines on lever-action and pump-action rifles and shotguns, to detachable box magazines and drum magazines for automatic rifles and light machine guns.
Drum magazines are used primarily for light machine guns. In one type, a moving partition within a cylindrical chamber forces loose rounds into an exit slot, with the cartridges being stored parallel to the axis of rotation. After loading the magazine, a wound spring or other mechanism forces the partition against the rounds. Drum magazines are mounted from below the gun.
Pan magazines are similar in shape to drum magazines but are mounted on top of the gun and use gravity to drop cartridges into the action. The cartridges in a pan magazine are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation, whereas the cartridges in a drum magazine are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation. The easiest way to understand it is via pictures. The cartridges are arranged like the spokes of a wheel in a pan magazine.
Pan magazines are usually found on light machine guns such as the Bren light machine gun, the Degtyarev light machine gun, and the American-180 submachine gun. The Bira gun, one of the first firearms to feature a pan magazine, was designed to hold .577-450 Martini cartridges in two layers of 60 cartridges each, giving the magazine a capacity of 120 cartridges.
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Pan magazines are flat and cylindrical in shape
A magazine is a device that stores and assists in the feeding of ammunition into a firearm. It gets its name from the ammunition storage area of warships and military facilities. Magazines come in many shapes and sizes, and one such type is the pan magazine.
The Bira gun, one of the first firearms to feature a pan magazine, had a capacity of 120 cartridges. The magazine was rotated via a ratchet mechanism, and cartridges fell through a slot in a stationary plate at the bottom of the pan. Another early gun that used a pan magazine was invented in 1898 by Howard Carr, a well-known shooter.
Other guns that feature pan magazines include the Lewis gun, the Bren light machine gun, the Degtyarev light machine gun, and the American-180 submachine gun. In the case of the Lewis gun, the cartridges are evenly distributed on each side of the magazine, with a central feed "tower" where the ammunition is fed to the bolt.
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They are similar to drum magazines but operate differently
A magazine is a device that stores and assists in feeding ammunition through the use of a mechanical (usually spring-loaded) follower. They come in many shapes and sizes, from integral tubular magazines to detachable box magazines and drum magazines. Drum magazines are used primarily for light machine guns. They feature a moving partition within a cylindrical chamber that forces loose rounds into an exit slot, with the cartridges being stored parallel to the axis of rotation.
Pan magazines are similar in shape to drum magazines, but they operate differently. Pan magazines are flat and cylindrical, and they are mounted on top of the gun, whereas drum magazines are mounted from below. Pan magazines use gravity to drop cartridges into the action, and the cartridges are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This type of magazine is used on the Lewis Gun, Vickers K, Bren Gun, Degtyaryov light machine gun, and American-180 submachine gun.
One of the first firearms to feature a pan magazine was the Bira gun. The magazine is designed to hold .577-450 Martini cartridges in two layers of 60 cartridges each, giving it a capacity of 120 cartridges. The crank on the side of the gun turns the magazine via a ratchet mechanism, and the cartridges fall through a slot in a stationary plate at the bottom of the pan. Another early gun that used a pan magazine was invented in 1898 by Howard Carr, a well-known shooter.
In the case of the Bira gun and the Lewis gun, the pan magazine has notches or teeth on the outside of the magazine cover, which are driven by a ratchet and pawl mechanism. In the Bren gun and the American-180, the magazine is rotated by unwinding a circular spring. The pan magazine differs from other circular magazines in that the cartridges are stored perpendicular to the axis of rotation, rather than being parallel, and are usually mounted on top of the firearm.
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Frequently asked questions
A pan magazine is a type of ammunition storage and feeding device for firearms.
Pan magazines are mounted on top of the firearm and use gravity to drop cartridges into the action. The cartridges are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation and are fed into the gun through a slot at the bottom of the pan.
A pan magazine is flat and cylindrical in shape, similar to a drum magazine.
Some guns that feature pan magazines are the Lewis Gun, Bren light machine gun, Bira gun, Degtyarev light machine gun, and the American-180 submachine gun.
Pan magazines differ from other circular magazines in that the cartridges are stored perpendicular to the axis of rotation, rather than being parallel.










































