How to Measure & Choose the Correct Magazine Capacity for Your Marlin or Remington 783 Rifle

Magazine capacity on a Marlin rimfire or Remington 783 depends on three things, in this order: your exact model number, your exact caliber, and — for the 783 — your exact action length. There's no single "right" capacity across either brand; a Marlin 795 and a Marlin 925 both take .22LR box magazines but aren't automatically interchangeable, and a Remington 783 in .308 holds a different round count than one in 7mm Rem Mag even though both are "detachable box magazines." Confirm the model stamped on your barrel before you order, not the family name.

A customer calls in asking for "the Marlin mag" for his rifle. He doesn't know if he owns a 795, a 995, or a 70 — he just knows it's a Marlin and it's .22LR. This happens dozens of times a week. Magazine capacity sounds like a simple spec, but it's tied to the exact model, the caliber, and in some states, the law.

What "magazine capacity" means

Magazine capacity is the maximum number of cartridges a magazine is designed to hold and feed reliably — not the number that physically fits if you force it. ARM builds detachable box magazines only; we don't make or sell tube magazines, so a tube-fed Model 60 is outside what we carry — tube-fed, no detachable magazine to buy.

How to confirm the right capacity for your rifle

1. Find the model number, stamped on the left side of the barrel, usually just ahead of the receiver.
2. Confirm the exact caliber stamped on the barrel — .22LR, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR are not interchangeable in the same magazine body.
3. Match both against the magazine's product page, which lists compatible models by name, not just "fits most Marlin rifles."
4. For the Remington 783, confirm action length too — short action, long action, and magnum long action use three different magazine bodies even at the same round count.

Marlin rimfire magazine capacities by model

Marlin's detachable-box rimfire lineup splits by caliber. (Tube-fed rifles like the Model 60 take no detachable magazine at all, so they're outside what we make.)

• Marlin 795, 995, 880, 925, XT-22 (.22LR) — 7-round (71900/71901) or 10-round factory magazine
• Marlin 780, 80, 20, 25 (.22LR, classic bolt-action) — 7-round #71903 magazine
• Marlin 882, 982, 782, 25M/25MN, 925M, 980, XT-22WMR, XT-17HMR (.22 WMR / .17 HMR) — 4-round, 7-round, or 10-round magazine depending on model
• Marlin 922M (.22 WMR semi-auto) — its own dedicated 7-round magazine, not the general WMR pattern above

As case length grows from .22LR to .22 WMR to .17 HMR, box magazine capacity drops for a given body size — a .22 WMR round is noticeably longer overall than a .22LR round, so a magazine body that holds 10 rounds of .22LR typically holds 7 or fewer of .22 WMR. Never assume a magazine is interchangeable across calibers just because it fits the same receiver footprint.

Remington 783 magazine capacities by caliber

The Remington 783 is a detachable box magazine rifle across its entire lineup, and capacity is driven by both action length and cartridge geometry, not action length alone:

• Short action — .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor: 4 rounds (8-round XT version also available); .222/.223 Remington: 5 rounds; 450 Bushmaster: 3 rounds
• Long action — .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .35 Whelen: 4 rounds
• Magnum long action — 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum: 3 rounds

Short action, long action, and magnum long action are three different magazine bodies. A "4-round" short-action magazine and a "4-round" long-action magazine will not interchange, even though the round count matches — match caliber and action length together, not round count alone.

State capacity restrictions

Magazine capacity rules vary by state. We don’t give legal advice — check your state before you order anything above standard factory capacity on our magazine capacity laws by state page.

This matters even for personal use within your own state — rules can differ for hunting versus range use, and for possession versus purchase, in a handful of jurisdictions. If you're a gunsmith or dealer filling a wholesale order, confirming the shipping destination's rules is your responsibility.

The most common capacity-buying mistakes

• Ordering by family name instead of model number — "Marlin 795" and "Marlin 925" magazines both exist in .22LR but aren't automatically the same fit
• Guessing caliber compatibility — a .22 WMR magazine will not seat and feed correctly in a .22LR magazine well
• Ordering a standard-caliber 783 magazine for a magnum rifle, or vice versa — the feed lips are spaced for a different case diameter even when the well looks close

Practical fix: photograph the barrel markings before you order, and match the exact model and caliber against the product page rather than the listing headline.

Which magazine do you need?

• Marlin .22LR (795/995/880/925/XT-22): .22 LR Rifle Magazines collection
• Marlin .22 WMR/.17 HMR: Marlin .22 Mag Magazines collection
• Remington 783, any caliber: Remington 783 Magazines collection
• Not sure which model or action length you have? Marlin Magazine Guide or Remington 783 Magazine Guide

Frequently asked questions

What magazine capacity comes standard on a Remington 783?

It depends on caliber: 4 rounds for short-action .308 Win/.243 Win/6.5 Creedmoor and for long-action .30-06/.270 Win, 5 rounds for .223/.222 Remington, 3 rounds for 450 Bushmaster, and 3 rounds for magnum long-action calibers like 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag.

Is it legal to buy a 10-round or higher capacity magazine in every state?

No. Several states restrict magazine capacity for many rifles. We don't provide legal advice — check our magazine capacity laws by state page and verify current law directly with your state before ordering.

Can I put a higher-capacity magazine in my Marlin rimfire rifle?

Only if it's a factory-pattern magazine designed for your exact model and caliber. Tube-fed Marlins like the Model 60 have no detachable magazine to install at all.

Why does my magazine only feed reliably when partially loaded?

This usually points to spring wear or a magazine loaded past its rated capacity, which over-compresses the spring. Since ARM builds the spring, follower, and feed lips into one complete magazine rather than as separate parts, the fix for a worn magazine is a full replacement.

Does a bigger magazine capacity hurt reliability?

Higher-capacity magazines have longer springs that require more precise tolerances, so a correctly fitted factory-capacity magazine is often more reliable for hunting use than a stretched high-capacity version.

Pull the model number off your receiver and the caliber off your barrel, then check both against the product page before you order — it's the single step that prevents nearly every return we process.

Buying for a shop, a range, or more than one rifle? See our wholesale purchasing terms for volume pricing.