Humorous English Etymologies 12 Magazine

Magazine (n,)

In the 1580s it meant "a place for storing goods, especially military ammunition," and was taken from the Middle French magasin "warehouse, depot, store" (15c.), from the Italian magazzino, from Arabic makhazin, plural of makhzan "storehouse" (cf Spanish almacén "warehouse, magazine"), from khazana "to store up." The original sense is now almost forgotten although the use of the word for a small ammunition chamber fitted toa  gun continues. The regular meaning "periodical journal" dates from the publication of the "Gentleman's Magazine," in 1731, which was so called from earlier use of the word for a printed list of military stores and information, or in a figurative sense, from the publication being a "storehouse" of information. Perhaps the idea of it packing an explosive punch is in there too.