History of the Drum Mag
Little Known
Broadwell Drum
The drum magazine was first patented in 1853, and then again in 1862. However, neither were put to use in war.
First Attempts
Beat to a different drum
Technically the Broadwell Drum was not what we would consider a drum mag by today's standards, but it was the first of its kind.
Accles Drum Mag
The first true "drum" mag was created by James G. Accles in 1883. All previous drum mags were more like pancake mags, which eventually became a dead end innovation.
First Drum Mag
To Hit the Frontlines
The Snail Drum mag was adopted by the Stormtroopers in WW1 to be used on the MP18 submachine gun, and the infamous Luger pistol.
This increased total capacity to 32 rounds, and was much more reliable.
The "Snail Drum"
The US military adopted the Thompson in WW2, but determined the drum was simply too heavy.
The Soviets noted that the PPSH had the same problems as the Thompson, in addition to complex spring mechanisms creating jams, and rattling when reloading.
The Icons
Beat A Different Drum
Modern-ish Drum Mags
The "Saddle" Drum was created for use with the MG-13 and MG-15, but the design created a legacy that persists to this day.
The "Saddle" Drum
It featured dual springs that worked in tandem to ensure the weapon remained balanced while firing.