Blind Box - Hinged Floor Plate - Detachable Box Mag

I have some of each. The only advantage I have found is that you can unload the rifle quicker with the hinged floor plate and you can forget, or misplace, the detachable magazine easier when going hunting.
 
Magazines get lost and cost money and are really more suited to autoloading rifles. But I still like them and I don't know why.
 
1. Hinged floor plate, for ease of unloading rounds and looks as Scorch stated.

2. Blind mag, most of my rifles with blind mags have a 3 position safety that allows unloading without being on fire.

3. Detachable magazines come in last for me.
 
I've got all three, use all three, like all three. Each to its purpose. My Savage .30-06 has a blind magazine, but the three position safety lets me cycle the action dry while blocking the trigger. About the only criticism I have of the blind magazine is that you have to run the cartridges into the chamber before you reload. This isn't much of an issue if you scrupulously follow the Four Rules.

My Ruger 77 has a hinged floorplate, as do other rifles that I've used. It's convenient for unloading and gives that little extra edge of safety in not cycling the cartridges through the chamber. The hinged plate also gives the rifle an extra touch of elegance, although mine is scarred and dinged up from hard use.

I can't imagine running my AR without a detachable box, although I have run an SKS with the combloc version of the blind magazine. In a semi-auto, the blind magazine makes sense, although magazines are susceptible to being lost, damaged or dropped in the mud and grime. I have a Remington pump rifle (Mod 760) with a detachable magazine and it's fairly particular about how the magazine is inserted and not all magazines immediately work with the rifle. You can't just slam it in and go, but have to make sure that it's properly seated. Good rifle, but the detachable box is a pain sometimes.

It boils down to personal preference and the weapon platform.
 
I like blind magazine in hunting rifle. Makes for a cleaner, smoother looking stock, especially if you have nice wood. - also one more metal part eliminated that will eventually lose its bluing and.or rust.
 
Most of my bolt rifles have hinged floor plate but I have one with blind box.
I'm liking the blind box design and don't really see any real disadvantage with it's design.
 
If I were building the perfect custom rifle it would have a blind magazine. The guns are about 1/4 lb.-1/2 lb. lighter and a good quality floorplate would add about $150-$200 to the cost of the gun which I could use toward more important features. Like a better quality barrel or optics etc.

Guns with blind magazines have the potential to be more accurate since the stock is stiffer with no cutout for a magazine or floorplate, and getting the rifle bedded correctly is easier.

A well designed floorplate is my 2nd choice, and most of my rifles have them. If done right, with quality materials they generally work fine, but some, unnamed companies use very cheap materials in all their bottom metal. Even well designed floorplates, made with quality materials will sometimes fail and dump your ammo on the ground. Depending on what you're hunting this could be very bad. Some dangerous game guides have been known to weld their floorplates shut to prevent this.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to point out that if a floorplate fails it is either operator error, or a faulty floorplate. That is true, but they are missing the point. It doesn't really matter if the floorplate fails because it is poorly designed, made with cheap materials, has a worn or broken part,has a broken latch spring, If ice or debris prevents it from fully closing, if a twig bumps the latch, or if the gun owner simply failed to close it properly, it still failed. A blind magazine won't open up and dump your ammo on the ground. Period.

I am slowly coming around to detachable magazines. I used to not like them at all, but if properly done they are probably as good as any. I don't care for those that extend more than a tiny bit below the bottom of the gun. They also will allow you 1 less round in the magazine with some guns compared to a blind mag or floorplate. They also can cost a lot more to replace, or if you want to own a spare that they should. Most that I've seen cost around $50. That can add up, and if I owned a detachble mag gun I'd have to own at least one to have as a spare. On guns such as AR's where they are dirt cheap, I don't have as much of a problem.
 
I have used all three types mentioned, and prefer the hinged floor plate. My reasons are that it makes the rifle easier to clean, easier to clear a jam, (if needed) quicker and easier to unload, and finally because it makes it easier to get water out of your magazine, should you get caught in the rain.
 
If three identical rifles were placed before me and I got to choose, it would be the hinged floor plate. Other than that, I've never let the magazine style stop me from buying a rifle I liked.
 
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