The present invention relates to a box magazine for firearms, having a longitudinal housing (1), one end thereof being provided with an ejection opening for the frontmost cartridge contained in the magazine; it includes a follower, spring loaded in the direction of this ejection opening and being in a contacting relationship with the last cartridge, and with the follower spring, designed as a scroll spring (13), whose one end is attached to the housing in the vicinity of the ejection opening and whose scroll spring shaft (11, 12) is mounted on the follower (4) and whose axis is arranged at right angles to the direction of motion of the follower. In order to design a magazine of this type in such a manner that the length of the stack of cartridges is only somewhat less than the overall length of the magazine and that the magazine is suitable for use with small arms having a high firing cadence, when rolled up the scroll spring (13) assumes generally the full cross-sectional area of the magazine, the axis of the scroll spring shaft (11, 12) is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cartridges and a spiral spring (9), supporting the effect of the scroll spring (13), is housed within the scroll spring (FIG. 1).