Jam resistant ammunition magazine

摘要

Methods and apparatus are provided for a passive locking device for preventing an ammunition belt from sliding across the top of an internal wall of an ammunition magazine used in conjunction with a belt feed weapon. In one embodiment the passive locking device is movable between a locked position in which a locking end is in close proximity to the top of the internal wall, and an unlocked position in which the locking end is spaced apart from the top of the wall.

主权项

1. An ammunition magazine for storing and dispensing a linked ammunition belt, comprising:
a vertically oriented internal partition separating two internal ammunition compartments; and a first biased passive lock moveable from an unlocked position into a locking position above an upper end of the internal partition thereby establishing a gap between a locking end of the first biased passive lock and the upper end of the internal partition that is less than a maximum thickness of the ammunition belt, wherein the first biased passive lock is part of a guided slide member configured for automatic longitudinal sliding movement between the locked and unlocked positions in a direction substantially perpendicular to the internal partition, wherein an ammunition belt draped over a top edge of the internal partition and into both internal ammunition compartments is prevented from squeezing through the gap when the first biased passive lock is in the locking position and the ammunition belt is acted upon by an external force tending to cause the ammunition belt to move from one of the two internal ammunition compartments to the other across the internal partition.