Well that "how stuff works" describes it pretty well. If you can think of all the belt-fed gizmos as the "magazine", everything else works just like a normal rifle.
There are two different kinds of belt-fed mechanisms - "push" type as that in that image, and "pull" type such as for cloth belts, and rimmed cases. (there is a variant of the MG42 that uses 7.62x54R with its "push" mechanism, but that's not the norm).
The "pull" type such as the PKM have a "pickle fork" type of extension that grabs the rim and pulls the cartridge backward out of the belt. There's a ramp at a certain point that drops/pushes the case downward and into the path of the bolt. After that its a normal ride for the case into the chamber. I believe this is how the 1919 works as well.
The "push" type is pretty much self-explanatory in that image. The belt's purpose is simply to put the cartridge into the path of the bolt so that it is stripped out of the belt and pushed into the chamber. This is how the MG42 and M249 SAW work.
That's a really simple explanation but with that pic it should make more sense.
There are two different kinds of belt-fed mechanisms - "push" type as that in that image, and "pull" type such as for cloth belts, and rimmed cases. (there is a variant of the MG42 that uses 7.62x54R with its "push" mechanism, but that's not the norm).
The "pull" type such as the PKM have a "pickle fork" type of extension that grabs the rim and pulls the cartridge backward out of the belt. There's a ramp at a certain point that drops/pushes the case downward and into the path of the bolt. After that its a normal ride for the case into the chamber. I believe this is how the 1919 works as well.
The "push" type is pretty much self-explanatory in that image. The belt's purpose is simply to put the cartridge into the path of the bolt so that it is stripped out of the belt and pushed into the chamber. This is how the MG42 and M249 SAW work.
That's a really simple explanation but with that pic it should make more sense.
