They were wrapped in machine-gun belts not only in the Revolution. However, when it comes to revolutionary sailors, their image in the minds of the majority of the compatriot is inextricably linked, including with cross-tied machine-gun belts. And here it is time to ask: is it not better to transport the tapes in a special box, which was created for this very purpose.
Boxes for machine-gun belts appeared almost immediately with the appearance of the first machine guns. It is quite obvious that they were made to maximize the simplification of the transportation procedure and the subsequent use of the "ration" of the heavy machine gun ammunition. However, in the realities of war, everything is very often not the same as in the minds of engineers. Soldiers and sailors were tied with ribbons when the use of boxes became impossible.
With regard to revolutionary Russia, it is safe to say that the most common machine gun in the country at that time was Maxim. Regular ammunition meant equipping the calculation of 2,500 rounds of cartridges, 10 ribbons of 250 each. 1 tape for Maxim weighed about 6 kg. Thus, the mass of the full standard ammunition reached 60 kg. Of course, especially in the conditions of the Revolution and the Civil War, there was no talk of any staffing. However, even 2 tapes is a very representative load for a person who does not move empty-handed anyway.
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In this regard, the box for machine-gun belts was only suitable for conducting defensive battles. But in offensive, including amphibious operations, dragging boxes (don't look at the handles) was completely inconvenient. So the sailors began to tie themselves with ribbons. Moreover, they did this long before the Revolution, during the First World War and the Russo-Japanese Wars. Many ships of the Russian fleet had landing platoons, which included machine gunners. For practical reasons, no one wanted to bother with heavy boxes, and therefore the sailors simply distributed the ribbons to the compartment serving Maxim's crew.
This is how the most dashing and recognizable symbol of the two Russian revolutions appeared in the popular consciousness and artistic space.
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Continuing the topic, you can read about why during the Second World War on heavy machine guns did not put shields to cover the shooter.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/021020/56240/