Frequently, 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition is encountered on odd, non-disintegrating belts. Here is the answer to why.

Continuous 50-Round Belts.

At the very beginning of the 1950s, the first belts used for developing the prototypes of the future AA-52’s were closely derived from the German belts for the MG34 & 42. They had a capacity of 50-rounds and could be connected to each other by means of male & female connecting links installed at both ends of the belt. The pitch between the cartridges is 17mm as for the German belts.

At least four main French variants of the 50-round continuous belts are observed from surviving specimens. The same belts were used for both 7.5×54 and 7.62×51.

The French belts show very close similarities to the German wartime Gurt 34/41 (see author’s article on German MG34 & 42 belts in SAR Vol. 8, No. 6, March 2005) with 3 lengthwise stiffening grooves, but unlike their German counterparts, the French belts are devoid of friction dimples.

The first and earliest French belts were manufactured by the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Saint-Etienne (MAS), probably using modified German wartime tooling.

In early 1953, the design was improved by the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Châtellerault (MAC) with an important modification of the female connecting link. The latter incorporates a re-curved lip which partly surrounds the connecting spring of the starter tab and also offers a rest to it. This was done in order to stiffen the junction between the belt and the starter tab. This one-of-a-kind shape of the female connecting link is the foremost evidence to readily identify a French 50-round belt.

The corresponding French starter tab is composed of an unmarked ribbed steel plate re-curved at one end and assembled with only the male connecting finger.

Early in 1954, the individual links were further modified by the addition of a 2mm hole in their center. This hole was added only in order to help exactly positioning the link in the tool during the stamping process and during the assembly with the coiled connecting springs. Unlike what could be sometimes read, this hole is absolutely not a means of any identification. The female connecting link remained unchanged.

Finally from the end of 1956 on when the AA-52 entered full production and were delivered in quantity to the Armed Forces, the final design of the 50-round belt was stabilized and officially approved. It is the same as the previous variant with the 2mm hole on the links but with the female connecting link cadmium-coated in order to give it a white outlook aimed at helping to readily locate the end of each 50-round section should a longer belt be assembled. The starter tab remained unchanged.

On all these 4 variants, the male connecting finger is unmarked and the links are phosphated. The continuous 50-round belts remained used with combat ammunition only for a short period of time until the end of 1959-60 when they were mostly replaced with belts assembled with disintegrating links.

The 50-round continuous belts remained however in service as an accessory for training at a ratio of 3 belts issued per blank-firing accessory pack. Belts were repeatedly reloaded manually with the plastic blank ammunition both in caliber 7.5×54 and 7.62×51. In February 1973, the continuous belts were officially removed from the blank-firing accessory pack since from that time on all plastic blanks were issued pre-belted in disposable disintegrating 50-round belts.

For AA-52s used in the Light Machine Gun configuration, several experiments were conducted in 1953-55 to design a container that could accommodate a 50-round continuous belt and which could be fastened to the left side of the feed-block. Unlike the German WW2 type of belt drum used with MG34 & 42 where the belt is rolled around itself, the French have chosen the principle of a cubic box with the belt folded on several layers. Both cardboard and metallic cubic boxes are known from test reports, but the author has been unable so far to examine any surviving specimens.

Disintegrating links

In 1954, a disintegrating link was also designed for the AA-52 in caliber 7.5×54. This disintegrating link is of the hook-and-eye pattern and shows very close similarities with the latest variant of wartime German Gurt 17/81 for the MG17 & 81 (see author’s article on German MG17 & 81 belts in SAR Vol. 8, No. 2, November 2004). The pitch between the cartridges is 17mm like that of the continuous 50-round used with the infantry weapons. The key design difference between the last variant of the German wartime Gurt 17/81 and the French link is the shape of the end of the tongue which fits into the cartridge case extracting groove. For the German link, positioning in the extracting groove is achieved by a small dimple stamped into the link whereas for the French link, the end of the tongue is simply re-curved in V-shape. Obviously the other difference readily visible is the markings on the links. The prototype disintegrating links for AA-52 were produced by the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Châtellerault (MAC) and are devoid of any marking.

In 1959, the disintegrating links were officially adopted for combat use with 7.5×54 ammunition. Mass production links are marked with the weapon designation, i.e., “AA52” as well as with the manufacturer’s code. At least six different disintegrating link manufacturers codes are observed from specimens: PV (Peugeot in Valentigney), RD (Raymond in Grenoble), GG (Georges Groslambert in Besançon), PRI and ROS (Philippe Rossi Industries in Marseilles) and SAV (Savigny). Different surface coatings for protection against corrosion were used: green or black phosphate, gloss dark green or gloss black lacquer and more rarely zinc-chromate. From the mid 1980s on, the marking pattern on the links was changed to display only the manufacturer code and lot number+year of production. It must be emphasized that the same link was used both with 7.5×54 and 7.62×51 ammunition.

Three different types of starter tabs were used. The earliest one is composed of an unmarked ribbed steel band fitted at one end with a small loop that fits into the hook of the first link of the belt and on the other side a bigger loop which can be grabbed by the fingers of the gunner. This 1st model of starter was used with pre-packed combat ammunition 50-round belts loaded with 7.5×54 rounds. This design basically required that a cartridge is extracted from the first link in order to install or remove the starter tab from the belt.

In order to avoid that, a 2nd starter variant appeared around 1963-64 that is composed of a flat steel band with a re-curved end to help grabbing by hand and on the other end is fitted with a piece with a slot which can be slipped in or out from the hook of the first link of the belt without removing the cartridge. This second type of starter remained unchanged until the latest productions and was used both with 7.5×54 and 7.62×51 pre-packed combat ammunition 50-round belts. These starters usually bear no marking. However, some pre-packed belts issued to the French Navy sometimes bear markings in white paint either with a wing-and-anchor logo to show issue to the Navy or with lot identification data for belts loaded with blank cartridges.

Finally a third type of starter saw only very limited use. It was officially adopted in August 1970 to enable the loading of the AA 7.62 N F1 fitted coaxial to the 75mm gun of the tank AMX 13/FL10E. The mounting of the machine gun was so cramped that the standard rigid starter could not be used. Accordingly, a dedicated starter was designed, composed of only a 2cm portion of a standard starter and then fitted to a 20-cm long fabric strip therefore enabling to fold it out of the feed block. According to the requirement of this starter in only a very limited number of tanks, instructions were provided to the unit armorers for the hand production of the starter by shortening standard issued starters and the riveting of a fabric strip. From 1959 on, most combat ammunition for the infantry was issued in prepacked disposable 50-round belts with disintegrating links. The typical packing encountered in the 1960s and 1970s corresponds to a single 50-round disintegrating linked belt, fitted with a starter tab, packed in three folds into a triangular shaped cardboard box contained in a transparent sealed plastic bag. Five of these sealed triangular boxes are stored in a cardboard box (total content 250 rounds) fitted with fabric carrying handles. Two of these 250-round cardboard boxes are installed in a steel can (total capacity of 500 rounds) and finally two of these steel cans are transported in a wire-bound wood frame (total capacity of 1,000 rounds).

From the early 1980s on, the length of the triangular cardboard box was slightly increased and the belt could accordingly be packed in 2 1/2 folds only in the box also contained inside a transparent sealed plastic bag. Six of these sealed triangular boxes are stored in a cardboard box (total content 300 rounds) fitted with fabric carrying handles. Finally two of these 300-round cardboard boxes are installed in a steel can with a removable lid (total capacity 600 rounds).

Both 7.5×54 and 7.62×51 ammunition were delivered in these pre-packed 50-round disposable belts. Standard belting sequence for both calibers was 1 tracer + 4 ordinary balls. More rarely pre-packed belts loaded with only ordinary balls are also observed.

The feeding of AA-52 in the Light Machine Gun configuration was achieved from one 50-round disposable belt carried in a rectangular green fabric pouch attached to the left side of the feed block. This configuration of feeding is the most commonly encountered on pictures taken during combat in Algeria around 1960.

The feeding of the AA-52 in vehicle mounts was usually achieved from 250-round capacity steel cans. These re-usable cans were filled prior to use with the pre-packed 50-round belts assembled together to the required length.

Although no official information could be found about that issue, the high-capacity belts with disintegrating links used by the Air Force onboard airborne platforms (aircraft or helicopter) were probably belted from loose ammunition within the flying unit armories.

Prior to the official adoption by France of the AA-52 chambered in 7.62×51 NATO, extensive experiments on interchangeable feed systems within the various NATO machine guns were undertaken between 1959-1962. Accordingly, different prototype links were specifically developed by the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Châtellerault for the 7.62×51 NATO cartridges and tested for interchangeability with the German MG3, U.S. M60 and Belgian MAG. Among the numerous prototypes, it is worth mentioning a close variant of the standard AA-52 links but bearing a reduced pitch of 14.7mm instead of the standard 17mm. This reduced pitch was meant to correspond to the pitch of the U.S. M13 links for the M60. Other variants have also been developed in cooperation with the Belgians with a pitch of 15.5 and 16mm; those links were commonly referred to as “Franco-Belgian links”.

.50 Caliber Belts and Links

The .50 caliber weapons designed by the Manufacture d’Armes de Châtellerault is a scaled-up version of the AA-52. Accordingly, it is not a big surprise that the feed systems used are also scaled-up versions of the 7.5/7.62 belts and links. The first type of belts are continuous 50-round belts that could be connected to each other by means of male finger and female link. The female link corresponds to a scaled-up version of that used for the Model of 1954 with the re-curved side. The starter tab is also of the same pattern with only the male connecting finger. Two types of stamping patterns are observed on the .50 links, both also bearing the small hole to help positioning during the manufacturing process. The male connecting finger is also unmarked. From 1957 on, disintegrating links were also investigated. The first model is exactly a scaled-up version of the 7.5/7.62 link, however also fitted with the small hole. In 1959, an enhanced prototype of disintegrating link was designed in order to increase the grip of the link on the .50 caliber cartridge. The hook-end-eye pattern was kept but the link encloses the cartridge case more tightly at two clamping positions. A .50 caliber starter tab for the disintegrating link has also been designed but no surviving specimen was observed so far by the author.

Belt Loading Machines

At the first stages of development of the AA-52 in the early 1950s, German wartime Gurtfüller 34 were used during the trial period. It is only around 1957-58 that a small batch of belt loading machines designed by the company Peugeot was put in production. The official designation of that machine was “Assembleuse de Bandes Peugeot Type 10” (Peugeot belt assembling machine type 10) and was dedicated to the 7.5×54 caliber. It remains still unclear for which precise application this machine was designed. It can be noted that, so far, reference to this belt loading machine has only been observed in French Air Force armament inventory files. It is possible that this machine was in use in Air Force base armories to assemble the long belts for use with aircraft guns. However, it must be emphasized that the cartridges are fed in bulk in a kind of hopper, which does not enable the organization of any belting sequence mixing different types of ammunition (tracer, incendiary, etc.). Both continuous belts and pre-assembled belts with disintegrating links could be loaded with that machine. A distinctive feature is that two links are filled simultaneously during one rotation of the handle. The latter could be assembled either on the side of the machine or on the front in order to cope with any configuration of the workbench on which the machine was affixed. This machine has an extremely smooth and reliable operation. The three different specimens of such loaders ever examined by the author are painted light grey and were manufactured at the end of 1957 through early 1958. This type of belt loading machine is now an extremely scarce collectors’ item in France.

The masters of the miniature machine guns have just unveiled their latest creation. In just over a year, from concept to production, Lakeside Machine of Pound, Wisconsin has announced the addition of the LM-7 to their rimfire lineup. The LM-7 is a belt-fed upper receiver chambered in .22 long rifle for an M16 or AR-15 type rifle.

During the ten year period of the Clinton Assault Weapons ban (1994-2004), common firearms that were deemed “assault weapons” were prohibited from manufacture for sale to individuals. Also prohibited were magazines and feeding devices with a capacity greater than ten rounds. This resulted in a cessation of many innovative projects and caused a sharp increase in price for existing supplies of weapons and magazines. There were many new weapon concepts and pioneering ideas during this time, but with a market limited to the military and law enforcement, economically, there was little point in proceeding. With the expiration of the Clinton Assault Weapons ban in 2004, firearm design and ingenuity has reemerged after being stifled for ten years and new designs and products are hitting the market at an amazing pace.

Lakeside Machine has been in the business of manufacturing high capacity rimfire guns since their purchase of Tippmann Arms from F.J. Vollmer and Company in September, 2001. They initially specialized in the manufacture and sales of the one-half scale miniature Tippmann machine guns (Small Arms Review – Vol. 7 No. 6, March 2004). As the 2004 sunset of the ban got closer, their focus switched to a line of newly designed, shoulder-fired variants. Although the firearms could be manufactured in compliance with the ban, the limited availability of belts for feeding them was very poor. With the ban terminated, more belt material was able to be manufactured and a new generation of belt-fed rimfire rifles was born.

The first shoulder fired, belt fed rifle system designed by Lakeside Machine was the BF1 Vindicator (Small Arms Review – Vol. 8 No. 4, January 2005). Introduced in 2004, these rifles were manufactured in .22 Long Rifle with a few chambered in the relatively new .17 Mach II. These rifles used the same cloth belts originally designed for the Tippmann miniature machine guns and can also use the newly designed disintegrating links; another one of Lakeside Machines’ recent innovations. The disintegrating links are made of a Nylon material and function with .22LR, .22 Magnum, .17 HMR and .22 Mach II. These links have been upgraded by impregnating them with enough metal content to allow them to be picked up with a magnet.

In October of 2004, Eric Graetz, CEO of Lakeside Machine was approached by a customer and asked if he thought he could design an AR-15/M16 upper receiver that would accept his belts and links. Graetz accepted the challenge. After some months of research and development, the machine shop was retooled to manufacture the latest creation: the LM-7 .22LR (and .17 Mach II) belt-fed upper receiver. The prototype was unveiled in December of 2004 at the SAR Show in Phoenix, Arizona.

The LM-7 (the 7th model firearm developed by Lakeside Machine) is a complete upper receiver assembly that will fit on any standard AR-15 or M16 lower receiver and function with the trigger internals as intended. While offered in a semiautomatic configuration, an upgrade is available so the upper will function in full automatic when used on a registered full automatic lower receiver. To the delight of the NFA community, it will also work in conjunction with a drop-in auto sear.

Mounting the LM-7

Before replacing the stock upper receiver with an LM-7, the factory buffer and spring must be removed from the lower receiver and replaced with the new buffer assembly supplied with the LM-7. The factory hammer spring should also be replaced with a much lighter hammer spring that is also supplied with the LM-7. That is the extent of the modifications to the lower receiver when used on a semiautomatic rifle. When used on a full automatic rifle there are a few timing adjustments that may be necessary and will be discussed later in this article.

Installing the LM-7 upper receiver is as simple as pulling the two takedown pins, removing the factory upper and replacing it with the LM-7 upper receiver. Once pinned on the lower receiver, the factory magazine-well now functions as a brass ejection port. In order to catch the ejected casings, Lakeside Machine supplies a brass catcher that locks into the magazine-well in the same manner as a factory magazine. As it fills to capacity it can simply be “ejected” like a standard magazine, the contents dumped out, and quickly reinserted. The bottom of the brass catcher also has a swing-down floor plate to allow empty brass to flow through when the shooter does not want to retain the ejected casings. The brass catcher doubles as an attachment platform for the optional belt box and link catcher. Shooting long belts without the assistance of an A-Gunner can easily be accomplished with the use of the belt feed box. It holds a little more than 200 belted or linked rounds. Since the links are ejected directly across from the feed tray, another identical box mounted on the opposite side of the feed box catches all the used links.

The LM-7 functions in a similar fashion to a Browning Model 1919 machine gun. It utilizes a shuttle feed mechanism that feeds the belt, extracts each round from the rear of the belt, chambers the round and extracts the empty case after firing. This mechanism does not utilize a locked action. The rifle is loaded by lifting the top cover and inserting the belt with the first round placed below the extractor. The top cover is closed and the gun is charged by pulling the bolt handle back and released one time. As a new round is pulled from the belt and loaded in the chamber the fired case is pushed out of the T-slot in the bolt and dropped into the brass box or directly on the ground.

The LM-7 utilizes an exclusive quick-change barrel (QCB) that can be replaced in seconds. Changing or installing a barrel is as simple as depressing the barrel release button, pulling the barrel strait out, replacing the barrel and releasing the button. It is a direct action that requires no twisting, turning, adjusting or head spacing. Barrels are currently available in two lengths and three styles. Barrel lengths are 16.25 inches and 7.5 inches. The 16.25-inch barrels are contoured just like a standard M4 barrel and can utilize any of the M4 mounting options. Where the barrels are secured in the receiver by the QCB mechanism, they are completely free-floating and will work fine with any free-floating style handguard. If you wish to use standard M4 handguards you can utilize an adapter that secures them at the front and also doubles as a front sight block. Where it is unnecessary for the front of the barrel to be supported by any handguard mounting hardware, it lends itself well to the use of shorter barrels with sound suppressors. The 7.5-inch barrel we were shooting with was often fitted with an AWC MKII suppressor that protruded less than 4 inches past the standard carbine handguards. If this system were going to be set up in this configuration for regular use, the handguard would certainly be replaced with a free-floating type or any of the rail systems allowing the use of various accessories.

On the rear of the top cover is a 4.25-inch M1913 Picatinny rail to accept short optics or a removable rear sight. The front block installed with a 16-inch barrel includes a 1.75-inch rail that can host standard removable front sights and accessories. The LM-7 we tested was equipped with an EO Tech Model 552 Holographic Sight. While the version using AA batteries was a little long on this mount, it was certainly still usable. While using the sight with multiple quick-change barrels, we noticed very little point of impact change. Each LM-7 system is shipped with the LM-7 Buffer System, a 16.25-inch barrel, front sight block, brass catcher, two feed boxes, two 100-round belts and 200 links.

Rimfire Ammo Reliability

When the LM-7 was designed, it was built to function with the inexpensive CCI Blazer ammunition. This is fantastic news for shooters who are conscientious about their ammo budget. We tested the LM-7 with several types of .22LR ammunition and have included a chart indicating performance, muzzle velocity and rate of fire when utilized in full automatic. The ammunition we tested included CCI Blazer, CCI Mini-Mag, CCI Stinger, Remington Thunderbolt, Federal Lightning, Federal Bulk Pack, Federal Champion, and Winchester Wildcat. It ran fine with most but the Federal Champion was the least reliable. The absolute best was the CCI Stinger due to the increased power over standard .22LR ammo but the additional cost (almost $4.00 for a box of 50) may be enough to discourage many people. The Winchester Wildcat, Federal Lightning and CCI Blazer all worked great. The Federal Bulk Pack and Remington Thunderbolt also worked quite reliably. For some reason it was a little finicky with the CCI Mini-Mags. The author has found after years of shooting select-fire rimfire rifles and pistols, that when determining which .22LR ammo will work the best, it is usually a good idea to just try several brands in your own firearm. Some seem to run great with one particular brand while other firearms like something completely different. Factors that may be important in the LM-7 that would not necessarily be an issue in other .22LR guns include the thickness of the rim. After extraction from the belt, the round is channeled down a T-slot to the chamber, and captured in the T-Slot again as it is channeled down to the point of ejection. If a particular brand or batch of ammo has a thicker than usual rim, it could interfere with, or stop, the operation of the gun altogether.

The greatest obstacle in reliable functioning is the lack of energy in the little .22LR cartridge. It takes a lot of energy to run these machines in full automatic and when you start adding factors like pulling belts and links, the challenge gets even greater. Light parts and springs, necessary because of the low amount of energy created by the rimfire round, only add to bolt bounce problems and pose additional hurdles in the development of select-fire, Rimfire guns. Unlike many other select-fire .22 LR firearms, bolt bounce is not a problem in the LM-7 due to the function of the extractor pulling the new round from the belt at the same time the chambered round is fired. This action dampens the rearward travel of the bolt and eliminates the bolt bounce issue.

Timing and Function in Full Automatic

With the weak .22LR ammo in mind, we can get into some of the timing issues when shooting the LM-7 in full automatic. Subtle inconsistencies that are not critical dimensions with higher-powered rounds can often be the determining factor in creating problems when shooting rimfire rifles. In the case of the LM-7, some of the loose tolerances of standard 5.56mm guns combined with the fact there are several manufacturers of rifles, receivers and parts to fill them, create an enormous number of potential combinations.

When shooting the LM-7, the trigger function is identical to that of the original 5.56mm rifle. While shooting in semiautomatic mode, when the bolt carrier recoils from shooting the chambered round, the hammer is cocked and held captive by the disconnector. When the shooter lets off the trigger the hammer releases from the disconnector and engages the front of the trigger. When the shooter squeezes the trigger the hammer is released and the process starts all over again. When shooting in full automatic mode, the hammer bypasses the disconnector and does not contact it at all. A spur on the back of the hammer is caught and held captive by the auto sear and it is only released when the bolt carrier trips that sear when the gun has chambered the new round and it is in battery. The timing aspect comes into play with the relationship between the bolt carrier sear trip and the sear releasing the hammer.

The part of the LM-7 that has to be altered for full automatic fire is the bolt carrier. Just like the standard AR-15 and M16, all that is necessary for the upper receiver to accommodate a legally owned full automatic lower receiver, is the addition of a sear trip on the carrier. Lakeside Machine will be happy to provide owners of registered receivers or drop in auto sears with the piece needed to engage the auto sear. That is where the timing comes into play. The sear trip on the carrier needs to contact the auto sear at the precise time the new round is fully chambered. Due to the large number of parts and receivers on the market, one gun may need a specific thickness on the sear trip to engage the sear at the correct time while another gun needs one much thicker. This timing can be accomplished by simply removing an Allen-head screw, removing the sear trip, adding a piece of shim material (an old feeler gauge set works great for shimming) and replacing the trip and screw. When the hammer drops at the same time the bolt completely closes it is ready to go.

Early in the testing we realized the tolerance difference in some hammers also created a problem where the guns would not cock the hammer far enough to catch it under the auto sear. This would cause the hammer to follow the carrier back into battery without firing it. Some of the hammer spurs were much thicker and/or longer than others. The cause of the problem was the lower power of the .22LR ammo was sending the much lighter bolt carrier back much slower than a standard 5.56mm carrier and not getting the hammer to fall back far enough. The reason this is not usually a problem with the 5.56mm round is because the mass of the carrier and the speed it is recoiling at is much greater than that of the LM-7. Lowering the internals of the entire LM-7 system so the hammer would drop much lower and not rely on speed, but simply movement, solved this issue.

Loading Belts

If there is any downfall to shooting belt fed firearms it is the simple fact that we have to load belts before we can shoot them. Lakeside Machine has helped us out a little in this area with the introduction of their new belt-loading device. A box of ammo, or small handful if you have bulk ammo, is dumped into the sorting hopper. A few shakes of the wrist and several are all lined up protruding from a small slot in the bottom of the device. A transfer bar is pushed up through the slot, catching the already lined up ammo, and slid out the front of the hopper. The transfer bar is then inserted into a loading block and the result is 10 rounds, all perfectly spaced and ready to be belted. When the belt is pushed over the rounds in the loading block they are all perfectly spaced and seated to the correct depth when the belt is removed. Several loading blocks can even be connected in unison to speed up the process. The author uses 3 blocks mounted together and has found that to be fast and comfortable. Since new belts are very tight the first time they are loaded, there is a spike that acts as a belt spreader included with the loading tool that can be mounted with the loading blocks. A simple pass through each pocket prior to loading each first round and it is no longer a struggle. No more blistered fingers from loading new belts and more time shooting instead of loading. As previously mentioned, you can also use disintegrating links instead of the cloth belts. These are much easier to load but don’t tend to hold the linked ammo quite as secure as the cloth belts do. Some people have found that given a slight pinch while loading them creates a little tighter hold. Both belts and links provide excellent results at the range. The 8-piece belt loading system is available for $40 and should be mandatory equipment for anyone who owns one of the Tippmann miniatures, a Vindicator Carbine or an LM-7.

BATFE Technology Branch Ruling

Unlike many other manufacturing projects, there was still something necessary even when the majority of the in-house troubleshooting had been completed. The Technology Branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives makes legal determinations on new firearms and related accessories based on samples submitted. They examine these new designs and based on the item submitted they will issue a determination in writing. There have been other designs submitted for determination changing the caliber and/or feed mechanism of specific firearms, where the devices were ruled firearms of themselves. There have been other designs where Technology Branch has determined the new device was too easily convertible to full automatic fire and ruled as machine guns, themselves. For obvious legal reasons a sample LM-7 was submitted to ATF and on December 6, 2005 it was determined that the LM-7 does NOT meet the definition of a firearm or a machine gun, and is simply an upper receiver, like countless other replacement upper receivers on the market.

Range Performance

Most of the range time was during sub-freezing temperatures at our production office in Maine. The LM-7 ran perfect in semiautomatic mode right from the box. In order to achieve reliable performance in full automatic, it had to be timed. This can be accomplished in less than an hour with the right materials and depending on the firearm you have, it may not involve any adjustments at all. As explained above, during preliminary testing we discovered several variables in most lower receiver fire control groups that had to be tweaked, and at this point Lakeside Machine has already addressed them in their new production models. Once we had everything adjusted and timed it ran excellent. We successfully ran several long belts just for function testing (ok, and a little fun) and fired several strings collecting data on muzzle velocity and rate of fire with several types of ammo in different configurations. The data from those tests are provided in the accompanying charts.

Conclusion

Lakeside Machine has hit a home run with this design. As an accessory for a military style firearm that has been the USA primary service weapon for over 40 years, there are a lot of host guns out there as potential customers. It is a reasonably priced way for a shooter to “upgrade” to a belt-fed firearm and it is a great way to shoot on a budget with the cheap price of most .22LR ammunition. It is fun to shoot and works excellent right out of the box in semiautomatic mode and, with a minimal amount of timing and fine-tuning, in full automatic. The conversion to LM-7 from a factory upper receiver is simple and can be completed in less than a minute. The vast number of accessories available for the LM-7, both from Lakeside Machine and current ones already on the market create an infinite number of configurations to suit any shooter. Where the LM-7 works in conjunction with previously owned, registered M16s and drop-in auto sears, it is about as close to having a “new” machine gun as we can get since May 19, 1986. There will always be room in this writer’s reference collection for an LM-7.

Sources

LM-7 Upper Receiver
Lakeside Machine
N5391 County Road. S.
Pound, WI 54161
Phone: (920) 897-4682
Fax: (920) 897-4688
www.lakesideguns.com

PACT Timers
PACT Inc.
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 535025
Grand Prairie, TX 75053
(800) 722-8462
www.PACT.com

LM-7 Specifications Chart

Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Overall Length: 24.5 inches w/16.25 inch barrel
Barrel Length: 16.25 inches & 7.5 inches
Weight: 5.05 pounds w/16.25-inch barrel
Barrel Rifling: 6-groove, right hand, 1 in 12 inches
Firing Mode: Semiautomatic and select fire
Method of Operation: Closed bolt, blowback action
Finish: Manganese phosphate
Rear Sights: M1913 Picatinny rail
Price: $1,750 suggested retail
.22 Long Rifle Muzzle Velocity Barrel Length
Ammunition
7.5-inches
w/flash hider
7.5-inches
w/sound suppressor
16.25-inches
w/flash
hider
16.25-inches
w/sound suppressor

Remington Thunderbolt
997fps
1,032fps
1,095fps
1,088fps

CCI Mini Mag
975fps
1,027fps
1,069fps
1,055fps

CCI Stinger
1,334fps
1,345fps
1,450fps
1,474fps

Federal Bulk Pack
1,064fps
1,054fps
1,139fps
1,148fps

Federal Champion
1,111fps 1,141fps 1,179fps 1,206fps

Measurements recorded 8 feet in front of the muzzle with a PACT MKIV Timer & Chronograph

.22LR Rate of Fire
Barrel Length
Ammunition
16.12-inches
w/flash hider
16.25-inches
w/sound suppressor

Remington Thunderbolt
970rpm
1,025rpm
CCI Mini Mag
1,046rpm
1,036rpm

CCI Stinger
1,076rpm
1,085rpm

Federal Bulk Pack
975rpm
N/A

Federal Champion
857rpm
857rpm

Measurements recorded with a PACT MKIV Timer & Chronograph.

As early as 1889, Imperial Russia ordered for trial purpose 12 Maxim machine guns chambered for the black-powder “4.2-line” 10.6x58R Russian Service Berdan cartridge. These early weapons were imported from the British company Maxim Nordenfelt Gun & Ammunition Company Ltd (MNG&ACL). Following these trials, the first Maxim machine guns adopted for operational service were for the Imperial Russian Navy, and were still chambered for the 10.6x58R cartridges.

According to the other contemporary Maxim belts, the fabric belts for the Russian Navy should have had a total capacity of 334 rounds, although the author has so far not examined any complete specimens. The belt is composed of two strips of webbing fixed together by means of riveted brass spacers, thereafter generating the pockets to accommodate the cartridges. A long spacer is installed after every three pockets to insure maintaining a correct seat of the ammunition when the belt is stacked in its transport crate. Both ends of the belt are fitted with starters composed of two flat brass tabs riveted together and are intended to facilitate the introduction of the belt into the feed mechanism.

The very rare specimen observed is a 13-round sample belt kept for reference purposes by the Vickers Company and, hopefully, still survives today. Markings are “RUS V” suspected to mean “Russian Vickers” as well as an inspection mark of the Crayford facility (C/8).

The early Model 1895 machine guns in caliber 7.62x54R.

Immediately following the adoption in 1891 of the “3-line” 7.62x54R Russian cartridge loaded with smokeless powder, the first five Maxim machine guns chambered for that new caliber were tested as early as 1892. In May 1895, the Maxim machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54R cartridge was officially adopted for service as fortress armament bearing the designation of Model 1895. These early machine guns were fitted on a heavy wheeled carriage with large armor shield. In 1896, the Vickers Sons & Maxim Company (VSM) received an order for 174 Model 1895 machine guns chambered for 7.62x54R. This order probably corresponds to the entries in the Vickers Register of Guns for 1897 where 179 guns are referenced with the caliber denoted as “RSB”. Although it has been previously suspected among knowledgeable researchers that this should stand for “Russian Service Berdan” and therefore be in caliber 10.6x58R, Russian sources indicate these were in caliber 7.62x54R. In that case, it is supposed that the “RSB” reference could rather stand for “Russian Service Board.”

According to the size of the early standard wooden ammunition box that can accommodate a 334-round belt with 10.6mm cartridges, the new capacity of the belts for the smaller 7.62x54R rounds was extended to 450 rounds. Unfortunately, the author has never managed, so far, to come across any of these early British-imported 450-round belts of the Russian contract, and accordingly their particularities and markings remain unknown.

In 1897 a first batch of 224 additional machine guns were ordered from the German company Ludwig Loewe, which later became the Deutsches Waffen und Munition Fabrik (DWM). In total, approximately 1,500 weapons were imported from Germany between 1897 and at least 1903. It is supposed that the accompanying ammunition feed belts were probably the standard German capacity of 250 rounds only.

The Russian Model 1905 and 1910 machine guns in caliber 7.62x54R

The first Maxim weapons locally produced in Russia under Vickers (VSM) license are referenced as Model 1905. It is during that year that the first batch of 28 machine guns locally made in Russia came off of the production lines, followed in 1906 by another batch of 73 weapons. In March 1906, a comparative trial was conducted between 3 ammunition belts imported from England and the very first 4 prototype fabric belts assembled in Russia. These first tests showed that the Russian belts were woven too close, which led to misfires. Further investigations finally concluded that the best material suited for the manufacture of the belts was a braid from a Riga textile factory. It is suspected that the early Russian belts had a capacity of 250 rounds only according to that of the belts already imported with the weapons from Germany and also according to the length which became standard among other contemporary Maxim users. In the period 1905-1908, a total of 1,376 machines guns of Model 1905 were produced. While the improved and lightened version of the weapon was adopted under the designation of Model 1910, the accompanying ammunition belts are suspected to have remained unchanged. So far, the earliest belt of local Russian production examined is dated 1910 and the author would be grateful to any reader who might report any earlier date.

The belts of early Russian production are fitted with both starter tags and spacers made of brass. According to the size of the Russian 7.62x54R cartridge, the total length of the long spacers installed every three pockets is 58.5mm. The starter tags are marked with the year of production (expressed with 4 digits) and the Imperial Russian Coat of Arms. The numbering of the cartridge pockets every 10 rounds is printed in tens with usually purple ink (markings ranging from 1 to 25). This cartridge numbering feature is less systematically observed for belts manufactured after the revolution of 1917. The assembly of the two brass plates of the starter tags is made only with a single rivet situated at the end of the tag.

A scarce German DWM belt has been examined bearing most of these Russian unique features and is suspected of having been imported to Russia around 1906-1910 while complying with the official Russian patterns. Both spacers and starter tags are made of brass. The long spacers have a total length of 58.5mm and are assembled by a hollow rivet, which complies with the Russian patterns. This has never been observed on any other DWM production which always relied on solid steel rivets. The assembly of the starter tags fitted at both ends of the belt relies on the German pattern with three hollow rivets; whereas the Russian pattern only involves one rivet. The starter tags are marked with the manufacturer’s initials D.W.M. and are not dated. The cartridge pockets are numbered every 10 rounds, with only the value of the tens (numbers ranging from 1 to 25) being printed with black ink on the fabric. The style of the figures inked does exactly correspond to that found on contemporary DWM belts issued to the German Army. As a matter of summary, for belts with DWM marked starter tags, the total length of the long spacers, the hollow rivet assembling the end of the long spacers and the numbering of the cartridge pockets every 10 rounds are all key features that enable to tell apart these German belts intended for export to Russia. It is suspected that these DWM belts might have been part of an export contract to Russia which also involved the delivery of 7.62x54R Model 1891 round-nosed ammunition from Germany around 1906.

The geometric constitution of these 250-round fabric belts remained unchanged until the latest productions observed up to 1947. Only variants in markings or in the materials used have been examined.

After the revolution of 1917, the first productions of the Soviet era remain fitted with brass spacers and brass starters. The markings are obviously devoid of the Imperial Coat of Arms and only show the year of manufacture expressed with the last 3 digits only. The earliest post Imperial-era belt observed so far is dated 1920 (marking 920).

From the middle of the 1930’s on, the brass starters were replaced by zinc-coated steel ones, which proved mechanically more resilient. The spacers remained, however, usually made of brass. This standard pattern has been observed at least up to 1947 production.

Wartime production belts (1939-1945) are sometimes found with both starters and spacers made of gray phosphated steel. Starters are often undated and bear various small inspection stamps and sometimes a manufacturer’s logo. For example, a belt marked with a “3” in a triangle has been observed, which denotes production at the Tula arsenal. An unusual specimen which seems dated 1944 has been observed with brass spacers and copper plated steel starters, but its origin remains uncertain.

The career of the Model 1910 Maxims continued well after the end of the Second World War. From the end of the 1940’s on, continuous metal belts have been standardized for use with Maxims, SG-43 and RP-46 machine guns. These belts with a capacity of 250 rounds are composed of metallic pockets joined together with coiled steel springs. Each end of the belt is fitted with a long starter tag with curved end to facilitate the gripping. Although similar metallic belts were tested as early as 1940 for use with the DS-39 machine guns, and were also used in some combat with SG-43s since 1944, it seems that large scale production did not begin before the end of WW2. Russian sources indicate that although a modified feed-block for the Maxim Model 1910 was designed during WW2 to cope with both fabric and metal belts, the quantity of fabric belts available in stock was so huge that this modification was finally not made on wartime weapons. World War II dated photographs showing Model 1910 Maxims fed with metallic belts have not been observed so far by the author.

The air cooled Maxim-Tokarev Model 1925 light machine gun.

In the middle of the 1920’s an air cooled light machine gun in caliber 7.62x54R was designed at the Tula arsenal and was adopted as the Maxim-Tokarev machine gun Model 1925. Standard production of the weapon started at Tula in November 1925 and, by 1927, a total of 2,500 weapons had been manufactured. These light machine guns were designed to use the same 250-round fabric belt as those for the heavy water cooled Model 1910 Maxims. However, following the principle used by the German MG 08/15 during the First World War, the Russians also designed a belt drum which accommodates a 100-round belt for these Maxim-Tokarev guns. Only very few photographs depict these belt drums and it remains unclear as to how the drum is fastened to the gun itself. It also seems that these drums are fitted with an internal spool around which the belt is wound up and therefore took example on the design of the German Gurttrommel of MG 08/15. Photographs however state that both drums are externally different. Russian sources indicate that the 100-round belts used with those drums were simply shortened 250-round standard belts. Although very large quantities, if not all, of those Maxim-Tokarev light machine guns were exported to Spain during the Civil War in 1937-1938, it seems that the belt drums were not included in the shipments since no such item has ever been commonly reported from Spain so far.

The air cooled aircraft Maxim PV-1.

An air cooled fast-firing aircraft machine gun was investigated at Tula arsenal since 1923. This weapon was formally adopted by the air force in 1928 as PV-1 and a total of more than 17,800 weapons were produced between 1926 and 1940. This aircraft weapon was primarily designed to be fed with disintegrating metallic links. Although the design of the very first prototype links developed before 1930 is not known, in the later years the disintegrating metallic links used with the Maxim PV-1 were the same as those used with the ShKAS aircraft machine guns. Two major variants are identified: one seldom encountered which is completely smooth, and the most common bearing a set of ribs. Some of these aircraft Maxim PV-1s also found their way into the Spanish Civil War and some photographs show them heavily reworked and reissued for ground use fed either with metal disintegrating links or fabric belts.

Acknowledgements :

Special acknowledgments are due to the late Herb Woodend who spent hours searching through piles of Russian fabric belts to retrieve some of the variants presented in this article. The author is also very grateful to Mr. Kooger and Wanting (the Netherlands) and Bob Faris (USA) for their useful comments.

By Vince Oliva

The American Class 3 Association sponsored and put together a Belt Fed Match. Tony Gooch, President and Chairman of the American Class 3 Association molded and put forth a new event that will be a regular feature at KCR.

The rules of engagement were that any belt fed machine gun of less than .50 caliber may be used and fired only from a mount. The mount for the gun may be a tripod, quad leg mount, sled or wheeled mount.

The gun shall not be mounted to the mount until the crew has entered the “bunker”. The bunker in this scenario was square bales of hay stacked to create a wall with a port hole.

No tracer or incendiary ammo was allowed. Belt length restrictions were that the first belt must contain no more that 50 rounds and no less than 25 rounds and there shall be one mandatory belt change. There were no belt length restrictions after the first change.

Two separate classes of entries were set up for this match, Tripod and Bipod. Bipod had the same rules except for the mounting portion.

The scenario for this event was to have a crew (3-person max limit) from the starting line (about 20 feet from the bunker) have their ammo, gun and mount separated. At the signal from the range officer the crew would enter the “bunker” area, set up the mount, gun, load the ammo and begin firing. A 10 minute time limit was imposed.

The targets were of 18 different colored helium filled balloons set up in 3 separate sections of 6 balloons per section with 2-3 feet of sting tied to a base. If a shooter cut the balloon string it was a “lost” target. The amazing part was that most competitors completed the course. Have any of you ever tried to hit a balloon at 100 yards especially when the balloon is bobbing up and down and waving side to side due to the wind. Let me tell you that it was a very breezy day and the competitors had to really work. I especially commend the tripod shooters. The gunner had to work the T&E constantly. One amazing thing that was observed by this writer and other spectators, during an engagement of fire a balloon would jump to the side caused by a near miss or shock wave of the bullet. Thus making the target even more difficult to hit.

Tony set up a separate class for the bipods. The bipods had a very big advantage due to the maneuverability of the weapons. The resulting scores display the big difference in set up time as well.

A separate and special plaque award also went to the most authentic appearing gun crew of the competition. With only one entry, the most authentic appearing crew, the Russian Red Army, went to Bob Raymond (Gunner), Randall Raymond and Sue Bennett. This crew did it right. With an M1910 Russian Maxim and a shouldered PPS41, dressed in the proper period of military garb it set the stage for a very colorful event.

This writer believes this new belt fed competition will be an ongoing event and as the word gets out more entries for the most authentic appearing crew will materialize. With the 1919MG one could be wearing WWII, Korean or Vietnam period uniforms.

All in all the competition was a great success and fun was had by all. Looking forward to attending the next belt fed competition this fall shoot. Any one who would like to attend this event can contact Tony Gooch AKA mguntony@yahoo.com

TRIPOD CLASS RESULTS:

83.1 Seconds, Gun – 1919A4
Team: 2 man crew
Keith New – Missouri
Steve Reece – Missouri

193.4 Seconds, Gun – 1919A4
Team: 3 man crew
Joe Carrere – Tenn.
Bill Ownbey – Tenn.
Paul Winters – Ky.

194.5 Seconds, Gun – 1919A4
Team: 3 man crew
Bill Ownbey – Tenn.
Malcome Davis – Alabama
Matt (Mongo) Bright – N.C.

233.1 Seconds, Gun – 1910 Russian Maxim
Team: 3 man crew
Bob Raymond – Tenn.
Randell Raymond – Tenn.
Sue Bennett – Louisiana

666.4 Seconds, Gun – 1919A4
Team: 3 man crew
Mike Bergmann – Ohio
Drew Kretzschmar – Ohio
Ed Beyer – Ohio

No score, Gun Malfunction, 1919A4
Team: 2 man crew
Tim Hakenwrth – Missouri
Mike Klos – Missouri

BIPOD CLASS RESULTS

58.82 Seconds, Gun – Stoner (.223)
Team: Single man team
Mike Homberger – Illinois

117.9 Seconds, Gun – MG42
Team: Single man team
Dave Wright – Illinois

165.2 Seconds, Gun – 1919A6
Team: Two man crew
Joe Carrere – Tenn
Paul Winters – Ky.

Mark is known to many in the class 3 community, not only for his frequent calls from the island, (apparently due to Rock Fever and a combination of too many Macadamia nuts and somewhat over-ripe mangos), but because he has been carrying the torch for military-type firearm shooters in Hawaii for quite a few years. We thought this essay on his journey in search of fulfillment might kindle a spark in the minds of those who live in similarly restrictive states, and perhaps give a glimpse into what living under onerous firearms laws is like. – Dan

Living in the Peoples Republic of Hawaii kept me from my dream of belt/fed full automatic ownership for many years. I’ve always had an eye for the exotic, and have been shooting semi-automatic military style small arms on Maui since the 1970’s. AK’s, Uzi’s, AR-15’s, Mac’s, Valmets, M14, AR18, Galils, FAL’s, the list goes on. But they just weren’t belt fed, and I felt a void in my life.

In 1982 I was travelling to the great free state of Arizona, and J. Curtis Earl came immediately to mind. He was one of the first Class 3 Dealers. I had seen his machine gun and cannon ads in everything from Boy’s Life to Popular Science back when I was a kid, and still clearly remembered the thrill of looking at his ads over and over again. Better than the Sears Lingerie section! I called Mr. Earl when I got to Phoenix, and asked if I could stop by and take some photographs of his collection. To make a long story short, I got bitten by the belt fed bug. This was an amazing experience, one that I could never forget. Unfortunately, while I had seen an extremely interesting collection, I still couldn’t own belt-feds on Maui.

There then appeared a light at the end of the tunnel. Rock Island Armory under the watchful hand of Dave Reese, was marketing a semi-auto belt fed M-60. After several phone conversations and a timely refinance of my home mortgage, I placed my order- to include all the extras I thought I would need; starting with five thousand links, of course. There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then came a disturbing question. “Uh, Sir, Do you plan to shoot this a lot?”

Right then and there I knew I was in deep kim chee.

After months of trying to address the design shortcomings, the 60 was regulated to the spot in my vault called “This here’s the Only Game In Town”.

By this time, I had belt fed fever real bad, and my next project just had to be water-cooled. I rapidly came to the conclusion there are not many companies out there building water cooled guns, let alone semi-auto ones. I put my money down on a 1917A1 Browning, manufactured by DLO in Arcadia, Florida. Eleven months later I got to shoot a lot of rounds through it- these custom semi-autos took as long as their full auto cousins.

I bought everything I could find for it, my special 1917, but there was still something missing; it was too slow.

I was reborn when I received my first issue of the now defunct Machine Gun News and was brought into the light through one of the ads I found. Valkyrie Arms, LTD in Olympia, Washington, made a 1919A6 with some special trigger work. After much conversation with Valerie Johnson (the gun’s designer) I gave the coveted Visa number for a 1919A6 Browning and settled down to wait the customary six months to a year for delivery. What attracted me to this design is the use of AR15 parts incorporated into the 1919 trigger lock group. This made for real smooth, real fast semi-automatic shooting, with only one minor problem in the twelve thousand rounds I have personally fired through this gun. The fact is, I was so impressed with the trigger I had one installed on my 1917A1 gun. It now has about seven thousand rounds through it.

There was still something missing. I needed a really “light” belt-fed gun. All these other ones got really heavy and with my back and all, I knew that getting a lighter gun was a medical necessity. I am sure that many of the physicians out there have filled out prescriptions for lighter belt-feds, in the course of caring for their patients who happen to be “Firearms enthusiasts”.

So, I fired up the old fax machine to everyone who counted for H&K 21’s. One year later Volmer Mfg. of Bloomington, Illinois shipped one to me. This was about to become my second experience with German engineering. The first was my 1965 356 Porsche super coupe (where is the number one cylinder when one is facing the rear of the car? And more importantly, why does a German starter cost eight hundred and fifty bucks, when a Ford starter is sixty-six and change?)

Allow me to pass on this knowledge from painful experience; H&K 21’s do not readily digest MG/34/42 belts, they like M/60 belts upside down. Do not break the belt feeding insertion unit, you will have to give up your first born child, then increase your limit on all your credit cards and apply for new ones. Watch for the skin that used to be on your elbow looking like a Harley road rash, and that huge yellowish greenish purplish bruise on your shoulder- you will get used to it. One other major side effect is that your left biceps will benefit from the cocking spring.

Where does a guy go from here?

He sets his sights on the Mecca and endures the pilgrimage and the pain to be among the holiest gathering of the tribes that this planet has ever seen or heard. Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot, in Bullet County, Kentucky where the gurus of the class three world come to interpret the tea leaves, read the ashes and above all commune profusely with their like minded brethren.

After having watched “Creek” video tapes from 1988 to the present, I thought I was well prepared for my first trip to the Creek. NOT! I was totally overwhelmed by the second day. The blue fog of cordite, the heart stopping short barreled 50’s and 30’s, the constant roar of the dynamite wanting to suck the very air from your lungs, the good company. (Then there was the splitting headache, the mud, the rain, the cold, this was definitely not Maui). I loved every second of it. Knob Creek was a magical experience- after being there, you feel renewed with faith in America and the people who live here.

Today, here I am, back on Maui, the island paradise… I have my Knob Creek videos, my belt feds, and the Small Arms Review. All is right with the universe and I just wanted to pass that on…