WIX Archives
Re: Corsair ammunition loads
Posted by Rob Mears on Fri Mar 08, 2002 08:32:11 PM
In reply top Corsair ammunition loads posted by Scott WRG Editor on Thu Mar 07, 2002 02:07:23 PM
: Also, what was the standard length of a .50 ammo belt out
: of the box? And how many rounds in a belt? 100? or 250?
My inquiries elsewhere netted me these responses:
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I believe the History Channel was in error on the "Guns of John Browning".They stated that a 50 Cal.belt was 9yds long.According to Dolph Goldsmith,author of "The Devil's Paintbrush" it was the Maxim belt that was "Nine Yards" long.
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Give or take an inch. WWII .50 was packed 105 rds to a can for ground guns. Modern cans are packed with 100 rounds, about 7' 8-1/2".
I have a wooden crate that was packed and sealed in May 1945 that contains one 265 round belt of Twin Cities M2 AP black tip. I assume this was for aircraft and other fixed-mount .50 cal guns. That belt is about 20' 6".
A "nine yard" belt would have to hold 350 rounds and weigh up to 125 lbs. What a monster!
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The fabric M7 ammunition belt was 10.5 feet long as it stood empty, this includes the metal tab on the end. The M2 metal ammunition box holds either 105 or 100 round belts or a 110 round fabric belt. 105 round loaded are 8.42 feet long (2.80 yards) and the 100 round belt in metal links is 8.04 feet(2.68 yards) long. A 400 round metal link belt (for the P51 Mustang wing gun ammo cans)would be 32.16 feet long (10.72 yards)
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Rob Mears