Machine Gun Belt

A machine gun belt is a device that holds machine gun cartridges in a single row for feeding into an automatic weapon, usually a machine gun. All the belt does is link the cartridges together so they may be fired in a uniform matter. It does not perform the actual feeding of the weapon. Machine gun belts have some uniform features, though: the belt is permanently linked, fed through the weapon, and pushed out the other side of the chamber, or the links break apart after firing since the cartridges are what hold the belt together. The second type of belt is aptly named a "disintegrating belt." The advantage of the non-disintegrating belt is that it is a lot easier to refill. Disintegrating belts are much lighter to wear and the empty links don't dangle from the other side of the gun. Permanently linked belts are usually made of cloth, while disintegrating belts are usually metal. Belts are most useful because long sequences of ammunition can run through the gun with little or no help from the shooter.

As machine guns have evolved, the traditional device used to load them - the magazine - wasn't fast enough and depleted too quickly, resulting in jams and frequent reloading. Belts are usually stored in a transportation box, which can be attached under the gun. This allows mobile troops to carry a lot of ammunition that wouldn't fit in a loose belt.