IMBLITZVT
Ultimate Member
I never set out to collect them but in my quest to be able to put out the most amount of lead in the least amount of time while keeping on target... there is no substitute for a Belt Fed Machine gun. Well if you go that direction, eventually you will wind up collecting these too!
I just added my latest belt loader and figured I would take a picture as it really has grown into its own collection. For anyone who has never used one, belt loaders are actually really interesting and cool pieces of machinery to use or even to watch. My collection now includes a wide span of nearly a 100 years worth of designs. While you can load metal belts fairly easy by hand. Its really hard and it does not work well loading cloth belts by hand. If you don't seat the rounds the same depth in the belt each time the gun will jam.
On the left is the oldest design, which was used by the British for their early Maxims & Vickers and by the Russians on their 1905 and 1910 Maxim MGs. This example was made by the Russians in 1932. This is one of the earliest belt loading designs from the late 1800s. Its almost completely brass. The black paint will be coming off soon. This is a cloth belt loader only, and an example of its work it at the bottom. Caliber 7.62x54r. These are seriously rare even in Russia. I don't know if any other examples in the US but there are probably a handful. Rounds fall down the stack and are pushed from right to left into the belt with the bullet pointing to the left. There is a knife on the left side that slides to the right and then twists opening the hole in the belt for the bullet tip to slide in. Belt feeds from front to back, just keep rotating the handle. Standard belt holds 250rds.
Next, middle bottom, is a German MG08 or MG08/15 Belt loader. They were next stage of belt loaders from around 1908 and was used during WWI. Cloth belts only and in 8mm caliber. On this model the belts feed around the wheel front front to back. Knife for opening the belts pops out of the body from left to right and can be see out in the picture. Rounds feed in from right to left. This is a little different as you must pull out the handle, turn 15 degrees and press back in for each round. Works better I think but its a bit more work. All the accessories are for this loader. Standard belt holds 250rds or 100rds for MG08/15 Assault drum.
Moving to the right we have a Yugo made copy of the German WWII MG34 and MG42 Belt loader. This was used in the 1930s and 1940s. Yugos copied the MG42 as the M53 and used in much later. This is also in 8mm but is for Melt non-disintegrating belts. This feeds the belt from back to front and pushes the rounds in from left to right. This loader, mainly because of using metal belts is much easier and quick to use. Standard Belt of 50rds that are very easy to link together.
Finally, moving to the middle top we have a Russian PKM, SG43 & 1910 Maxim belt Loader. All three of these guns were made (or converted for the Maxim) to use a standard metal non-disintegrating belt that works in all three guns. This loader is the Cadillac of belt loaders. This example was built in 1987 and is Russian made for 7.62x54r. This is the only belt loader of the group where you can load the rounds into the hopper in either direction! It flips the rounds to face the correct direction automatically and feeds them into the belt from left to right. Belt feeds in from back to front. On both of the German belt loaders, if you run out of rounds, it will advance the belt with no round. This loader will not. Its really just a great loader and the second best thing the Russian ever made after the AK and before Vodka. Standard belts of 100 for PKM and 250rds for SG43 and Maxim.
Anyway, I thought this would be different from the standard SBR/AR threads and hope you enjoyed it. Maybe one day I will take some video of them all in action. Then you can really see just how much quicker some of the models are. All these loaders are to support my two German Maxims that can shoot in both 7.62x54r for keeping costs down and the original 8mm. Both Cloth and Metal belts on each caliber. To give an idea of price the first one is worth twice the second, which is worth 5 times the third which is about equal to the fourth.
I just added my latest belt loader and figured I would take a picture as it really has grown into its own collection. For anyone who has never used one, belt loaders are actually really interesting and cool pieces of machinery to use or even to watch. My collection now includes a wide span of nearly a 100 years worth of designs. While you can load metal belts fairly easy by hand. Its really hard and it does not work well loading cloth belts by hand. If you don't seat the rounds the same depth in the belt each time the gun will jam.
On the left is the oldest design, which was used by the British for their early Maxims & Vickers and by the Russians on their 1905 and 1910 Maxim MGs. This example was made by the Russians in 1932. This is one of the earliest belt loading designs from the late 1800s. Its almost completely brass. The black paint will be coming off soon. This is a cloth belt loader only, and an example of its work it at the bottom. Caliber 7.62x54r. These are seriously rare even in Russia. I don't know if any other examples in the US but there are probably a handful. Rounds fall down the stack and are pushed from right to left into the belt with the bullet pointing to the left. There is a knife on the left side that slides to the right and then twists opening the hole in the belt for the bullet tip to slide in. Belt feeds from front to back, just keep rotating the handle. Standard belt holds 250rds.
Next, middle bottom, is a German MG08 or MG08/15 Belt loader. They were next stage of belt loaders from around 1908 and was used during WWI. Cloth belts only and in 8mm caliber. On this model the belts feed around the wheel front front to back. Knife for opening the belts pops out of the body from left to right and can be see out in the picture. Rounds feed in from right to left. This is a little different as you must pull out the handle, turn 15 degrees and press back in for each round. Works better I think but its a bit more work. All the accessories are for this loader. Standard belt holds 250rds or 100rds for MG08/15 Assault drum.
Moving to the right we have a Yugo made copy of the German WWII MG34 and MG42 Belt loader. This was used in the 1930s and 1940s. Yugos copied the MG42 as the M53 and used in much later. This is also in 8mm but is for Melt non-disintegrating belts. This feeds the belt from back to front and pushes the rounds in from left to right. This loader, mainly because of using metal belts is much easier and quick to use. Standard Belt of 50rds that are very easy to link together.
Finally, moving to the middle top we have a Russian PKM, SG43 & 1910 Maxim belt Loader. All three of these guns were made (or converted for the Maxim) to use a standard metal non-disintegrating belt that works in all three guns. This loader is the Cadillac of belt loaders. This example was built in 1987 and is Russian made for 7.62x54r. This is the only belt loader of the group where you can load the rounds into the hopper in either direction! It flips the rounds to face the correct direction automatically and feeds them into the belt from left to right. Belt feeds in from back to front. On both of the German belt loaders, if you run out of rounds, it will advance the belt with no round. This loader will not. Its really just a great loader and the second best thing the Russian ever made after the AK and before Vodka. Standard belts of 100 for PKM and 250rds for SG43 and Maxim.
Anyway, I thought this would be different from the standard SBR/AR threads and hope you enjoyed it. Maybe one day I will take some video of them all in action. Then you can really see just how much quicker some of the models are. All these loaders are to support my two German Maxims that can shoot in both 7.62x54r for keeping costs down and the original 8mm. Both Cloth and Metal belts on each caliber. To give an idea of price the first one is worth twice the second, which is worth 5 times the third which is about equal to the fourth.
