M27 link

The first scaled-down version of the mid-20th century M13 link was developed in the early 1960s for the Stoner 63 belt-fed light machine gun/squad automatic weapon and designated as the "S-63 BRW" link.

[3] Each M27 link consists of a single piece of metal curved into two partial cylinders, into which adjacent rounds slide.

With the round freed, the link disintegrates (detaches from the belt) and is ejected.

This is in contrast with older belt systems which were typically made of fabric and were fed straight through the weapon without disintegrating.

[4] The links often have an extra anti-corrosion surface treatment, generally (oil impregnated) black phosphate, and can be collected and reassembled by hand with fresh ammunition, but in practice this is not commonly done as it is labor-intensive, and the inexpensive links are considered disposable.