I also don't understand the logic behind a rigid plastic drum for holding only a 50rnd belt
Carrying less than about 100rnds for a MG, like with the IDF canvas assault drum, doesn't make sense to me. A 50rnd belt is short enough that you can even let it hang or drape it over your left arm
In my time, the gunners would just keep 4 x50 rnd belts folded twice in the front magazine pouches of the effod with an additional 150rnd belt in the rear pouch "shekem". (I think that the Paratroopers instead carried three extra assault drums with 100rnds each
Reading about others' experience with the FN Minimi, it certainly does seem that hanging a rigid plastic drum or a box on the MG makes it less comfortable to use or carry. Carrying additional rigid drums on your effod is also more bulky and less comfortable/practical
In regards to all the complaints about weight in existing medium machine guns and money poured into developing things like the FN mk48, or the new HK, a much more perplexing question to me is why no Western army has tried to adopt the Russian PKM in 7.62 NATO?
Weighing only about 8kg, the proven PKM is 3kg less than the FN MAG without being any less reliable
!