For an LMG to function even somewhat properly, you need a swappable barrel. After firing 100-200 rounds, accuracy degrades if you dont swap the barrel. Usually, lmg crews carry an extra barrel and alternate every 100-150 rounds.
Also, in islrael atleast, two negevists (the term for the negev lmg guy) work as a team, one is the gunner, other is ammo guy. 150 rounds per box, and 4 boxes per person is typical loadout. One extra barrel, negev barrel swap is one of the simplest and fastest.
Heres an account from a ex negevist (timestampsare relevant to Ian's video on the negev, from forgotten weapons)
Hey Ian, so nice to finally see the Negev on here. I was a 'negevist' (negev operator) in the IDF and I just wanted to point out a few things you didn't cover in this overview.
1. the gas system can be easily disassembled (and really should be each time the gun gets cleaned). It consists of three pieces: the selector (baseplate with struts and tubular extension for easy grip), the retaining pin and plate which are located on the opposite site, and a small but very stiff spring which provides tension so it stays in place. It all fits in the tubular recess under the sight. At
1:50-
2:00 you can see the exposed gas chamber on the commando barrel, where the piston sits inside it, and just in front of it, under the sight, is a circle with a small slot in it. When clean, that circle can be pushed in and rotated 90 degrees while you hold the gas selector in place. At
3:35 you can see an odd shaped pin in the baseplate of the selector and two black sections on the sides. The pin is actually an asymmetric 'T' attached to the circle with slot from the other side, and which goes through the selector, rotates and hooks into place. The asymmetric design means it can only be installed one way. The slot on the other side is so you can use a tool to increase torque when you've been shooting a lot and the carbon build-up fouls the mechanism.
2. The bolt has an internal ratcheting system of three catches (three on the old ones which I used, but I believe there are a lot more on newer ones, like what you have) which will be engaged if you don't pull the bolt back far enough to engage the sear. As you found at the
7:51-
7:56 mark, the bolt seemed like it was back, but you couldn't drop it with a pull of the trigger. You had to pull it back farther, and there was a click as it engaged with the sear, and then you could drop it. I'm sure you became more aware of this once you got out to the range and started putting rounds through it. The system is, as you must have easily guessed, a safety to ensure that you don't accidentally end up firing the weapon if you didn't charge it properly.
3. As you can see from the trigger assembly, the sear gives no resistance to the bolt carrier sliding back over it to reset. For this reason, during disassembly, there is no need to pull the trigger to release the bolt; I'll just slide right out.
4. The STANAG mag well does more than just allow you to feed with magazines. It is also the mechanism which holds and retains the box which the belt feeds from. IDF uses a bag/box called a 'toph', which carries 150 rounds (a combat load out is 4 'toph-eem', plus extra belts). The belt comes out through the upper left hand side (
9:30/
10:00 if you're looking at a clock) and there is a metal extension, like the top of a GI mag, which clicks into the mag well and holds it in place. Very secure, but also easy to switch and reuses a necessary part of the design; very slick.
5. The Negev is always issued with two barrels per gun. It's intended to be changed every 150 rounds (or one 'toph') during consistent fire, to keep from overheating the barrel.
6. It has night sights! The rear iron sight has a distance dial meter which, as you rotate, will positively click into different ranges with detents. It moves the sight by way of an off-set bar which rotates upward as your turn the dial. Once you've reached the top range, twist a little further and the sight will be able to lift off the bar and swing all the way forward. Underneath the peep sight is a wide 'U' notch sight with two tritium night-sight dots. The front sight post adjusts for elevation like any AR pattern rifle (the base of the front sight can be adjusted for windage), but the rotating part is made up of two elements: the elevation dial and a top section. The detent for adjusting needs to be pushed down far enough to spin both parts in order to adjust the sight, otherwise you only spin the top part. The top part spins independently because it too has a tritium dot on one side of it, which lines up with the detent pin. Obviously, this is so you can adjust the sight back in line with the shooter once sighting in has been achieved, and the tritium isn't on all sides so you don't reveal yourself to an enemy.
7. The bipod folds forward as well as backwards. While this may seem awkward, it does help to get the bipod legs out of the way of the operator if the operator is just carrying the gun by the sling and there is a 'toph' inserted. As you'll notice at
6:00-
6:07, the bipod lies around the mag well for storage. To be folded, the legs need to be brought together and then rotated up into place. This is possible if you have a magazine inserted, but impossible to do if you have a 'toph' inserted (though if you have the legs folded already, then you can insert a 'toph' but then you can't take the bipod down). Thus, the ability to fold the legs forward is quite handy and useful.
8. The barrel removal button is only the one side, on the right. That side of the pin face has knurling, and its position is such that it is possible to change the barrel with only one hand.
9. Just behind the gas selector, on the left-hand side of the gun is a 'U' piece of metal crudely welded to the frame. That is the front sling attachment point, and the extra welding material is to ensure against breakage. When loaded with a full 'toph', the negev is 10kg. With any optics or the barrel mounted laser sight (for the older versions), that weight goes up, and you don't want the sling attachment to break. At the rear of the gun, on the top left corner of the stock plate, is another 'U' loop strongly welded into place, and that's the rear sling attachment.
10. At
4:14, just above the trigger and to the left of the 'Automatic' fire selector letter, is a large hole. There is a similar hole behind the bipod mounting point (
2:19). As you might have guessed, these are for attaching the gun into a vehicle mount.
Sorry, this got a little longer than I had originally intended, but I felt it was important to add a bit more to the presentation, just to fully showcase how awesome this LMG is. I miss my negev every day.
