Helical ammunition magazine

An ammunition magazine for holding and delivering a plurality of cartridges, the magazine comprising:

• an outer housing having an inner wall surface defining a longitudinal axis,
• an inner support member mounted within the housing and having an outer wall surface opposing said inner wall surface of said housing thereby forming a gap between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
• a helical ramp disposed within the gap, said helical ramp extending from said inner wall surface of said outer housing to said outer wall surface of said inner support member, said helical ramp having a guide rail extending along the helical ramp, said guide rail configured to be received within a groove in a casing of each of the plurality of cartridge;
• said helical ramp forming a helical gap within said gap, said helical gap configured to receive a plurality of cartridges such that a longitudinal axis of each cartridge is oriented radially of the inner wall surface within the helical gap;
• a plurality of cartridges disposed within the helical gap, each cartridge having a casing with a circumferential groove, the circumferential groove received within the guide rail.

An ammunition magazine for holding and delivering a plurality of cartridges, the magazine comprising:

• an outer housing having an inner wall surface defining a longitudinal axis,
• an inner support member mounted within the housing and having an outer wall surface opposing said inner wall surface of said housing thereby forming a gap between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface;
• a helical ramp disposed within the gap, said helical ramp extending from said inner wall surface of said outer housing to said outer wall surface of said inner support member, said helical ramp having a guide rail extending along the helical ramp, said guide rail configured to be received within a groove in a casing of each of the plurality of cartridge;
• and
• said helical ramp forming a helical gap within said gap, said helical gap configured to receive a plurality of cartridges such that a longitudinal axis of each cartridge is oriented radially of the inner wall surface within the helical gap.