WikimediaMany machine guns have a distinctive curved magazine, marking them out as a ferociously deadly weapon capable of firing more than one shot per trigger pull.
However, the ‘banana shape’ is far more than just a design quirk, with the curved magazine having numerous advantages in military situations to a straight one.
WikimediaFor example, the bullets used in machine guns are triangular shaped, and are thinner at the top.
If you stack a number of these bullets together then they will naturally form a curve as they fit together.
Therefore, a curved magazine will allow you to stack more rounds. Ideal for a weapon which is blasting out more far more bullets than a regular gun…
WikimediaThe curved shape also allows for bullets to feed more smoothly, which comes in useful in the high pressured warzone environments that such weapons are used.
You can watch a full talk about why certain magazines get their shape in the following clip:
Interesting stuff…
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.