Question about belt-feds

[Rob893]

I've never handled a belt-fed, so I'm curious how they avoid jamming or losing the feed, given that they need to strip the links from the round to be chambered while retaining the next round. Is there a pawl or something that holds the to-be-chambered round while the chambered round is firing? What about early weapons like the Maxim gun, which used a cloth belt that fed through the action and came out the other side? Also, why don't the link fragments ever jam the modern variety—or do they?

I've searched the web for diagrams, but come up empty. You would think that kind of diagram would be readily available, but I guess I haven't figured out the right search terms yet.

 

[RKG]

M1919 Browning machine gun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M1919, but same mechanism.

If you've ever watched a crewman loading an M2, you may have noticed that two pulls on the charging handle are required. This is wy.

 

[ranger4-7]

Here is an army training film for the M60. If you FF to the 10:00 mark, it demonstrates the function, on an oversized mock up.

Army Training Film: Operation of M60 Machine Gun - YouTube

Chris

 

[Rob893]

Here is an army training film for the M60. If you FF to the 10:00 mark, it demonstrates the function, on an oversized mock up.

Army Training Film: Operation of M60 Machine Gun - YouTube

Chris

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. Very educational.

 

[The Professor]

Great vid. I remember it. I loved the 60.

 

[TZCHRIS]

What did they do in the fighter planes with guns on the wings? When they jammed or misfired were you SOL ?

 

[Picton]

No idea about the planes; from what I remember, the links did jam very occasionally as the gun got dirty on the M60s we used to use. We got M240s right after, so the 60s were nearing the end of their useful lives and had probably had hundreds of thousands of rounds through them.

 

[atilla]

What did they do in the fighter planes with guns on the wings? When they jammed or misfired were you SOL ?

i do believe you were SOL.

 

[Acme.Armament]

Here's a video of a GAU16 the modern Ma Deuce. A 1919A4 is very similar.

[video]http://www.pureluckdesign.com/videos/Gau16animation.wmv[/video]

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

What did they do in the fighter planes with guns on the wings? When they jammed or misfired were you SOL ?

Yes, SOL for that particular gun anyway.

 

[Boris]

beltfeds do jam, Maxim's cloth belts did jam quite a bit due to dimensions. What most beltfeds have going for them is .... kick ass calibers that can power through many imperfections of design and put parts in their rightful place.

 

[The Professor]

The beaten zone....

 

[centermass181]

Plunging fire.
5 point safety check.

 

[whacko]

Great vid. I remember it. I loved the 60.

X2 on the pig! I was "saddled" with one of those for a year in the infantry as a PFC and loved it. The best part about being a 60 gunner was having a 1911 on my side! the 60 was not suitable for close combat so 60 gunners were issued a side arm! AWESOME! The only crew served weapon system I have fired that is better is MA duece.......used that in 2003 and 2004 on convoys in Iraq......now that is the perfect crew served weapon!

Yeah my career spans a few decades.......enlisted on 1989.....got out in 1996.....back in in 2001......went to OCS on 2005......loved every minute.

 

[MisterHappy]

As to the airborne MG jam - Two (or more) is one, one is none.

as to the Maxim

"Whatever happens, we have got
the Maxim Gun, and they have not."
-Hilaire Beloc

 

[Nicole]

Fighter pilot confirms:

"If the gun(s) jammed, you had no recourse but to run away.

I believe they were charged manually prior to takeoff and fired electrically."

 

[JuergenG]

Animated MG 42 mechanism
How the MG42 works - YouTube
Here it is in action
Weaponology - MG34 and the MG42 - YouTube

 

[inerlogic]

Here is an army training film for the M60. If you FF to the 10:00 mark, it demonstrates the function, on an oversized mock up.

Army Training Film: Operation of M60 Machine Gun - YouTube

Chris

i miss my pig

X2 on the pig! I was "saddled" with one of those for a year in the infantry as a PFC and loved it. The best part about being a 60 gunner was having a 1911 on my side! the 60 was not suitable for close combat so 60 gunners were issued a side arm!

yeh, not so in the Guard... in Bosnia i had to hump the Pig AND my M16A2

 

[The Professor]

When assigned to a M-901-A1, there was a pig at the commanders hatch and a Scout also humped one.