The legal definition of a loaded gun varies from state to state, but in general, a loaded gun has ammunition in the chamber and/or cylinder and/or clip. A magazine is simply a device for storing ammunition and is not inherently part of the gun. However, in many states, attaching a magazine to a gun (even if there is no ammo in it) is considered the same as loading the gun itself. So even though a detached magazine by itself may not be considered a loaded gun, once it’s attached to the gun, it usually is.
Robert Answered question September 4, 2022