how often do infantry  have to carry GMPG ammo? does it weigh them down very much.

if the GMPG was mag-fed, with a polymer 6.5mm, would this be easier for people to carry and generally more practical?

assuming a side-mounted 33-38round magazine

GPMG will be belt-fed. How much ammo the rest of the squad carries will depend on the situation. Low chance of engagement, none. Decent chance of engagement, especially with a peer/near-peer enemy, it would depend. Some would carryaspare belt, but others would carry extra ammunition for RPG, Carl Gustav or grenade launchers. Some might be loaded down with LAAWs. Squad leaders, DMs, and "systems operators" would probably have extra comms.

smg762 said:

if the GMPG was mag-fed, with a polymer 6.5mm, would this be easier for people to carry and generally more practical? assuming a side-mounted 33-38round magazine

No.  A side-mounted magazine is less practical than belt feed.  Such a feed system saw limited use by US forces in WW2, but was soon discontinued.

stancrist said:

A side-mounted magazine is less practical than belt feed.  Such a feed system saw limited use by US forces in WW2, but was soon discontinued.

Stan, do you know of any comparative testing of otherwise similar automatic rifles with side, bottom or top-mounted mags? On the face of it, each location has its plus and minus points. And then there was the butterfly twin-mag arrangement used in the WW1 Winchester...?

autogun said:

do you know of any comparative testing of otherwise similar automatic rifles with side, bottom or top-mounted mags?

No, Tony.  I do not.

Interesting point by Karl here

YouTube

SVD vs WWSD - Time & Grains on Target

InRange is entirely viewer supported, please consider it:https://www.patreon.com/inrangetvThe SVD is a notorious Soviet era DMR, which has proven itself on t...

graylion said:

Interesting point by Karl here

Perhaps, if by "interesting" you mean very dishonest.

- Different types of ammo (5.56 match vs 7.62 ball).

- Different types of guns.

- Different types of optics.

"In fact, if you're watching the footage, it's hit, hit.  I'm already sending the second round before I even hear the shooter -- the caller -- call a hit."

ROFL.  That is total BS.  Almost every time, 1-2 seconds elapsed after a hit was called before Karl fired the second shot.

yeah, I was unimpressed myself. WWSD not selling well?

graylion said:

WWSD not selling well?

LOL.  Yeah, that'd be my guess.

but surely a mag fed gun is more effiencent because you can easily carry a 33-36 mag in your pocket, wheareas a belt must be put in the rucksack or something similar?