Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I've been looking at Space Mariens a lot now and something's come across my mind. I never see them holding any extra clips for their bolters. On the everyday soldier they tend to carry a lot of bullets, but in 40k do they Space Marine's only get one magazine? Or do they have like a secret built in compartment in their...ass. Yeah, let's go with ass for now. So do they have one mag or does it pop out of their rear when needed?

They hold them in backpack and backpack holds about 6 magazines.

Oh, well reaching there seems a lil' bit inconvenient ._.

I thought that the backpack was a power generator for the armor?

All the tac marines have pouches on their belts. I'd assume ammo comes from there.

Also, Space Marines don't need extra ammo. If the enemy isn't dead after the first clip is expended... Exterminatus.

I always figured the belts were too small to hold a clip of bolter rounds.

They must be magic belts. Wait, I know! They keep it in their oversize shoulder pads!

I wish know how many ammo is into the backpack of an SM carring a heavy boltgun

Well, actual soldiers tend to carry up to 3 spare clips, some 4, but only if they tape anoter clip to the one that's loaded on the gun.

Fun fact of the day.

Christ! The oversided pauldrons actually make sense now!

When possible, I give my Marines ammo pouches to avoid this problem. I believe the small pouches are bolt pistol magazines and the larger ones are for bolters.

They have pouches. And I thought the thing one their back was a vent/generator for their power armour, as well as a backpack?

Some Grey Knight Terminator models have have entire clips of storm bolter ammo kept on the hip.

Powered Armour Grey Knights have an ammo belt that comes from the back.

I think the backpack is a power generator, but thier must be extra space. This is perhaps where they keep the magazines, perhaps not the ones for immediate use, but this is likely. As they consolidate on to an objective they could get out the magazines and put them in the pouches, i mean they can hardly have a picnic in the backpacks can they??

Shoulders.

definitely the shoulders.

Dark wrote:Well, actual soldiers tend to carry up to 3 spare clips, some 4, but only if they tape anoter clip to the one that's loaded on the gun.

Fun fact of the day.

What army and time period? Modern US soldiers carry six spare magazines. No tape required, the pouches that come with the standard load bearing equipment are meant to hold that much.

I figure that 40k miniatures and artwork don't quite look like the warriors they represent. Little bits of kit that an actual soldier would need but are not terribly exciting get played down in favor of making the model look good. Space Marines probably do have capacious ammo pouches somewhere, but modeling them accurately would make them less pretty.

Anyone ever read brotherhood of the iron snake. In it abnette creates this idea that bolts are on some kind of belt as they run dry of ammo but never smack in another clip (from what I remember. Maybe all the bolts are internal and there OVER 9000 of them.

Secondly the backpack carries the power generator for the armor as well as waste managment and sensor processing

Dark wrote:Well, actual soldiers tend to carry up to 3 spare clips, some 4, but only if they tape anoter clip to the one that's loaded on the gun.
Fun fact of the day.

I suppose it depends on what branch of the military and which country you are from, but my basic LBE carried six thirty rounders, later my LBV carried eight, and the rack I use now holds at least ten. I think I can squeeze fifteen into it, but it would be balls to pull them out. Not to mention the one in my WEAPON (not gun) and the two back-ups attached to my pant belt. Just in case I had to ditch my vest for whatever reason.

Well, actual soldiers tend to carry up to 3 spare clips, some 4, but only if they tape anoter clip to the one that's loaded on the gun.
Fun fact of the day.

Well, Skinnattittar and Raxmei pretty much beat me to it, but they're both right. 6 extra mags is standard for Soldiers these days.

Unless you are like me and carry around a Beta C-mag... just for those times when 3-round burst is needed and you dont want to change mags every few seconds.

Try Again Bragg wrote:
Secondly the backpack carries the power generator for the armor as well as waste managment and sensor processing

And this happens AFTER I take the backpacks off of my repainted Grey Knights... Wonderful.

Ammo goes IN the enemy, duh.

As in previous posts back is not just a mini-fusipn reactor power the armor but also it procceses other things like cooling of the armor.

Wow I'd never would have guessed at first that the back pack was that important @_@

I always figured those really small panels on the legs held an extra magazine. Like, inside the armor. Plus extras if they have the pouches. And of course because everyone has an invisible Skyhawk, they can probably get ammo crates dropped in.

Anyway, my Drill SGT. told me recommended combat load was 270 rounds. I wouldn't know really. I tried to off my self in AIT a few times so they sent me home.

I vaguely remember reading that the magazines have magnets that allow Marines to stick them to any part of their armor they want. Does anyone else remember this, or am I just making it up?

I seem to recall reading that the magazines are stored in the backpack but are not normally supposed to be used by the carrier.
Rather, the space marines work in pairs and as one of them stands at the front firing, the other remains at back, grabs a clip from the firing guy's backpack and reloads.
When the firing guy runs out of ammo they switch places.

Now if I could only find the source..

jp400 wrote:Unless you are like me and carry around a Beta C-mag... just for those times when 3-round burst is needed and you dont want to change mags every few seconds.

Yeah, I tried C-mags before, but I found even new ones tend to jam when they are fresh and when you're nearly expended. They also really throw off my aim, seem to wear out quick, and are prone to double feeds with a full load.

Here (or so I think....)

vodo40k wrote:Here (or so I think....)

That's the thing I was talking about.