Cartridge orientation apparatus for cartridge storage magazines and method

Cartridge storage magazines, comprising:

• a plurality of cartridge storage magazines in first and second orientations, said first orientation of said cartridge storage magazine accepting cartridges in a first orientation and said second orientation of said cartridge storage magazine accepting cartridges in a second orientation, said cartridge storage magazines including:
• walls defining a plurality of storage slots into which the cartridges are positionable for storage;
• a projection extending from a rear wall of the storage slots into an interior of the storage slots, said projection being positioned in a first orientation for said storage magazine of said first orientation and said projection being positioned in a second orientation for said storage magazine in said second orientation, said projection blocking full insertion of the cartridges into the storage slots of said first storage magazine when the cartridges are in a second orientation but permitting insertion of the cartridges into the first storage magazine when the cartridges are in a first orientation, and said projection in said storage slots of said second storage magazine blocking full insertion of the cartridges into the storage slots when the cartridges are in a first orientation but permitting full insertion of the cartridges into the storage slots when the cartridges are in a second orientation.

An automatic cartridge handling apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge drive, a cartridge moving shuttle and first and second cartridge storage magazines, said first and second cartridge storage magazines including walls defining a plurality of cartridge storage slots;
• a projection extending into the storage slots from a back wall of the storage slots so that properly oriented cartridges fit fully into the storage slots but improperly oriented cartridges only incompletely fit into the storage slots, said projection being re-positionable from a first position to a second position, said storage slots of said first storage magazine having said projection in said first orientation and said storage slots of said second magazine having said projection oriented in a second orientation.