An ammunition drum for a large caliber weapon may have two or more drum elements with parallel rotating axles. The ammunition is located in one or more concentric layers of ammunition holders around the rotating axles. To reduce the structural volume and to simplify the loading process, each of the drum elements may contain a recess extending at least (in the width of an ammunition) partially over the length of the drum element and from the circumference of the drum element at least partially to its rotating axle. The drum elements are located relative to each other in a manner such that in an alternating sequence in the position of one drum element in which its recess is located in the connecting plane between the rotating axles of the drum elements, the other drum element may be positioned with all of its ammunition holders in this connecting plane, from where the ammunition may be transferred in a translatory motion into the weapon.