The need for invention is cunning
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It's just more convenient. |Photo: zagopod.com.
The Maxim machine gun did not immediately hit the field. At first they were placed on ships, airships and even airplanes. However, it soon became clear that such a “meat grinder” would be extremely useful in trench warfare and urban clashes. And if most often it was simply impossible to do anything with the mass of the weapon itself, then with the heavy boxes for ammunition it was definitely necessary to come up with something. Making the belt for the machine gun shorter was definitely not an option. Moreover, the problem was not only in the weight of the box with cartridges, but also in its ergonomics. It is bulky, makes unnecessary noise, and most importantly, it is uncomfortable to wear and, moreover, it can slip out of your hand at the most inopportune moment.
Not only during the revolution. |Photo: smolbattle.ru.
That is why Russian soldiers and sailors quickly realized that the boxes were not needed at all. According to the state, one “Maxim” was supposed to have 12 boxes per 250. Instead of carrying this “death’s belongings” in their hands, the ancestors began to take out machine gun belts and simply tie them around individual soldiers, primarily machine gunners. The evenly distributed load of the machine gun belt throughout the body created much less discomfort than a hefty box in the hand. At the right moment, the ribbon could be pulled off the overcoat and handed to a friend.
