Tube fed or magazine fed. Six of one and a half dozen of the other.
You are far less likely to lose the components of the tube feed but in reality the tube and detachable spring/plunger mechanism is nothing more than a magazine laid out lengthwise. Some nimrods claim the rifles with under barrel tubes change the harmonics as the tube empties and this has a negative effect on accuracy. IMHO there are other factors causing this but hey, any port in a storm where any excuse will do.
Magazines get LOST for all sorts of reasons, mostly because people insist on taking them out of the rifle and storing them separately for safety reasons or whatever. Such a practice is a recipe for frustration when its location is either forgotten or as in many estate cases its location was never revealed.
Buttstock tubes are my personal favorite but that's just IMHO because they feel right to me.
Recently I purchased a couple of Mendoza semi auto rifles from a good CGNer on the EE. I have used Mendoza built rifles in the past and was always impressed with them as far as fit, finish, accuracy and aesthetics go. They also seem to be very ergonomically well designed for most shooters.
The reason I'm mentioning the Mendoza in particular is that their brochures claim they will shoot long rifle and short rounds interchangeably. That isn't a claim to be taken lightly. Also they have an under barrel tube magazine.
Long story short, I mixed a tube full of shorts and long rifle cartridges to test function. When a short was fired the mechanism would not feed a long rifle cartridge that followed. It would however feed flawlessly if another short was in line.
Very nice little rifles with some sort of hardwood or synthetic stock at a reasonable price for a semi auto.
Why would you want to shoot shorts????? They are almost twice the cost of long rifle cartridges, when you can find them.
