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MG08/15 belts
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Real German cloth Maxim belts are beaucoup. Vickers tabbed belts work well, but they too are getting rather expensive. If you want belts that work and aren't every expensive, get some IMA Turkish aluminum 8mm Vickers belts. Plus, you can load them by hand and avoid the need to get a belt loader.
http://www.ima-usa.com/original-german-wwi-maxim-mg-aluminum-ammunition-belt-250-rounds.html
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I bought a few of those recently, they were in great shape and do load easily. I just wasn't sure about their comment "MG 08/15 using the 08 Feed Pawl without finger guide".
Any recommendations on vickers tabbed belts?
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Yes the best ones I have found are the WWII Vickers with the green stuff on them. Must have brass dividers and starter tabs. However you must have a German belt loader to load these cloth belts. I don't consider hand loading possible.
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Know of any for sale?
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I have some I'll sell you. PM me for details.
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I'm also looking for an 08/15 sling. I see IMA sold them once but no longer carries them. Any ideas on where I can find one?
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I have an IMA one on my Maxim parts list. I will be upfront and tell you that the IMA sling is crappy! However its cheap too. Even repro slings can be a PITA to find. Email me if interested [email protected]
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Its the little piece sticking off the back of the pawl that allows you to release the pawl and disengage the belt. It also get in the way if the belt does not collapse. Sometimes guns can be picky on belts. German belts will work. Vickers belts almost always work. The others are hit and miss.
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My 08/15 ran the vickers belt and aluminum one ok,with the pawl intact. A friends 08/15 wouldn't run the aluminum, and his finger pawl had been removed...
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Yeah... its hit or miss with the AL belts...
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Different pitch than both Vickers and Maxim belts.
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Not in a German Feedblock. If you do a 7.62 conversion, they work great in Russian feedblocks.
Sorry, but SG/PK belts will run fine through the standard feedblock in a German Maxim in 7.92. Pitch is virtually identical to the standard Maxim/Vickers. The thickness of the SG/PK sheetmetal used in these belts is almost too thick for feeding through the German feedblock, since the links do not collapse and hold their shape, but they work fine.
The SG/PK belt loops do not collapse, so top feed pawls without the lifting levers will be more reliable although I have used a finger-lifting feedblock with these belts in an 08 without any problems that I recall.
For use of 7.92 in these belts, the front loop of each SG/PK link MUST be opened up enough for the neck of the 7.92 round to fit easily into it, and not pinch the neck too tightly. The looser the better, but not too loose. This is easy to determine when opening up the links and using a tapered drift that has sufficient OD when inserted to open the loop up enough. Test the loops until the cartridge moves out easily.
This is especially true for the 08/15 since tight belt loops have a greater tendency to stop the action in those guns.
The SG/PK belt loops do not collapse, so top feed pawls without the lifting levers will be more reliable although I have used a finger-lifting feedblock with these belts in an 08 without any problems that I recall.
For use of 7.92 in these belts, the front loop of each SG/PK link MUST be opened up enough for the neck of the 7.92 round to fit easily into it, and not pinch the neck too tightly. The looser the better, but not too loose. This is easy to determine when opening up the links and using a tapered drift that has sufficient OD when inserted to open the loop up enough. Test the loops until the cartridge moves out easily.
This is especially true for the 08/15 since tight belt loops have a greater tendency to stop the action in those guns.
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