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The M13 link, formally Link, Cartridge, Metallic Belt, 7.62mm, M13, is the
The M13 link is a push-through design. Rounds are extracted by pushing them forward out of the link. The left side of a single link has a semi-circular loop which holds the main body of the cartridge case below the shoulder, and an extension on the right that forms two similar loops which were designed to fit in between the two right-side loops of the next link, and which have a small metal tab that extends down to the cartridge base and fit into the extraction groove of the case.
The M13 link binds the rounds from halfway down the length of the case to the case head. This was designed so that the bolt of the machine gun using the link would come forward upon squeezing the trigger and strip a round from its link from below the cartridge, and the round would be chambered, fired then extracted and ejected. The feeding pawl in the gun would pull the belt to the right as the gun was fired or cocked, sending the loose link out to the right side of the receiver, where the expended case was also ejected, normally separately from a different ejector port to the link.
MIL-L-45403D stipulates that the force to strip a NATO approved round from the M13 link should be between and the belt have a minimal tensile strength of . A single M13 link weighs approximately .Metal link M13 for cal. 7.62×51mm Technical data
/ref> The links often have an extra anti-corrosion surface treatment, generally (oil impregnated) black phosphate, and can be collected and reassembled by hand with fresh ammunition, but in practice this is not commonly done as it is labor-intensive, and the inexpensive links are considered disposable. Sometimes the ejected link pieces are collected to avoid littering the interior of aircraft and vehicles or reuse. The early 1970s
M13 link technical data
{{DEFAULTSORT:M13 Link Firearm components Ammunition Military equipment introduced in the 1960s
The M13 link, formally Link, Cartridge, Metallic Belt, 7.62mm, M13, is the U.S. military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...
designation for a metallic disintegrating link specifically designed for ammunition belt-fed firearms
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originated ...
and 7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, straight walled, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries.
First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first be ...
rounds. It was introduced in the mid-20th century. It is the primary link type for the United States and among NATO for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. , it has been in use for over 60 years and is used on the Dillon M134D Minigun
The M134 Minigun is an American 7.62×51mm NATO six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly with an external power source, normally an elect ...
, M60 Machine Gun
The M60, officially the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO Cartridge (firearms), cartridges from a disintegrating Belt (firearms), belt of M13 links. There are sev ...
, FN MAG
The FN MAG (, , ) is a Belgian 7.62 mm calibre, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it h ...
/ M240, Mk 48, MG3, HK21, MG5, UKM-2000, K16, SS-77, and Negev NG-7, among others. Some countries redesignated the M13 link when it was adopted.
History
The M13 link replaced the older M1 links designed for .30-06 Springfield ammunition, which bound cartridges to each other at the neck, used on the olderM1917 Browning machine gun
The M1917 Browning machine gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War; it has also been used by other nations. It was a crew-served, belt-fed, water-cooled ...
and M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30-06 Springfield, .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial weap ...
family, though some conversions of the M1919 to the M13 were done, such as on the U.S. Navy Mark 21 Mod 0 machine gun, which saw service in the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. Once converted, it cannot use other link types, as firearms made for the M13 Link are not backward-compatible with the M1 link (or other systems). The M9 link is technically very similar to the M1 link but designed for 12.7×99mm NATO/ .50 BMG ammunition used in heavy machine guns like the M2 machine gun
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...
. The M1 and M9 links are pull-out designs. Rounds are extracted by pulling them rearward out of the link.
The NATO Standardization Agreement
In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundant acronym, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alli ...
''STANAG 2329 Links for Disintegrating Belts for Use with NATO 7.62mm Cartridges'' described the M13 link in 1982. STANAG 2329 has been rendered inactive.
The ''DEF STAN 13-33 - Standard NATO 7.62 Millimetre Rounds and Associated Chargers and Links'' is a 1982 standard by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. This Defence Standard specifies 7.62 mm small arms ammunition and its associated chargers and links for use by the Ministry of Defence to meet its commitment to NATO in the United Kingdom.
The United States Army ''MIL-DTL-45403E (3) CONT. DIST. - Link, Cartridge, Metallic Belt, 7.62 Millimeter - M13'' 2021 specification covers the requirements and verification methods for the Link, Cartridge, Metallic Belt, 7.62mm - M13 for use in 7.62mm machine guns.
Design details
The M13 link is a push-through design. Rounds are extracted by pushing them forward out of the link. The left side of a single link has a semi-circular loop which holds the main body of the cartridge case below the shoulder, and an extension on the right that forms two similar loops which were designed to fit in between the two right-side loops of the next link, and which have a small metal tab that extends down to the cartridge base and fit into the extraction groove of the case.
The M13 link binds the rounds from halfway down the length of the case to the case head. This was designed so that the bolt of the machine gun using the link would come forward upon squeezing the trigger and strip a round from its link from below the cartridge, and the round would be chambered, fired then extracted and ejected. The feeding pawl in the gun would pull the belt to the right as the gun was fired or cocked, sending the loose link out to the right side of the receiver, where the expended case was also ejected, normally separately from a different ejector port to the link.
MIL-L-45403D stipulates that the force to strip a NATO approved round from the M13 link should be between and the belt have a minimal tensile strength of . A single M13 link weighs approximately ./ref> The links often have an extra anti-corrosion surface treatment, generally (oil impregnated) black phosphate, and can be collected and reassembled by hand with fresh ammunition, but in practice this is not commonly done as it is labor-intensive, and the inexpensive links are considered disposable. Sometimes the ejected link pieces are collected to avoid littering the interior of aircraft and vehicles or reuse. The early 1970s
M27 link
M, or m, is the thirteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of several western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''em'' (pronounced ), plural ''ems''.
Histor ...
is a link of smaller, but identical design, used among NATO for 5.56×45mm NATO chambered light machine guns, such as the FN Minimi
The FN Minimi (short for ; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is in service in more than ...
/ M249, HK21, MG4, CETME Ameli, K3, Mini-SS and Negev
The Negev ( ; ) or Naqab (), is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort town, resort city ...
, among others.
See also
* M1 link *M27 link
M, or m, is the thirteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of several western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''em'' (pronounced ), plural ''ems''.
Histor ...
* List of firearms
This is an extensive list of small arms—including pistols, revolvers, submachine guns, shotguns, battle rifles, assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns, personal defense weapons, carbines, designated marksman rifles, multiple-barrel firearms ...
References
* http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/ammunition/eurolinks/M13 link technical data
{{DEFAULTSORT:M13 Link Firearm components Ammunition Military equipment introduced in the 1960s