Despite its outstanding achievements, the Hotchkiss machine gun did not remain in constant service with at least one army in the world, because apart from the relative simplicity of the device, it does not have any outstanding advantages. It was actively used both in the war and in the post-war period, when it was used for a short time in England and the Indian colonies, which were previously in the power of France, and today it has been completely forgotten throughout the world.
Tests of the first sample
Based on the development of the basics of an easel machine gun, it was possible to construct a new model of weapons - the Gochkis machine gun, which already in 1909 was introduced to the world market immediately in 7 and 10 kg version. The heavier specimen was equipped not only with a barrel, the replacement of which required a minimum amount of time, which was extremely important in combat conditions, but also with a radiator, which immediately interested the gun department of the GAU Artcom, who decided to test new weapons at the Gun range.
Despite the fact that during the use of repeated failures of the barrel system were noticed, the weapons department decided to continue testing, and made a new order for a small batch of guns. This decision was directly related to the fact that most foreign countries, along with massive machine guns, were armed with “machine guns”, which were widely used because of their power and relative compactness, which had nothing to oppose, but manual - machine gun "Hotchkiss" could be a good alternative.
In service with the air fleet
In 1912, the manufacturer introduced a new modification of the machine gun, designed for installation on military aircraft. In this case, the device had characteristic differences from the original sample. The Gochkins machine gun received a pistol grip instead of a stock, to which a special sighting system and swivel mount were added, which greatly simplifies use in the event of a combat alarm. The officer rifle school received the first copies of the advanced guns in June 1914, directly from the manufacturer.
Contribution to World War I
Despite the fact that the first models were not very popular, the machine gun system "Hotchkiss" became extremely popular before the First World War.
Countries adopting it:
- France - 1909. A debugged system made it possible to produce more than 700 units per month. The most popular French model was the "Hotchkiss" machine gun of 1922, the weight of which in all subsequent modifications did not exceed 9.6 kg. The universal design made it possible to fire at 450 rounds per minute, which was a very significant indicator at that time. This model was favorably distinguished by a flame extinguishing system, which had not been used before, and was equipped directly on the barrel.
- Great Britain - Mk I "Hotchkiss" 303. In 1915, continuous production was established.
- USA - Bene Mercier 30 M1909. It is worth noting that for the period until 1916 in the American army there were no more than 679 similar models.
Regardless of the country of manufacture, it was supplied with a folding bipod system, a ring on the barrel with trunnions so that the machine gun was much easier to mount on a light tripod, placing a back support under it for greater stability. Despite the fact that in such countries as Spain, Norway, Greece and Brazil, the release of these guns was not adjusted, stable supplies helped to completely fix the problem of lack of weapons.
The machine gun "Hotchkiss"
Despite all the modifications, “Hotchkiss” retained most of its original device, while receiving a significant strengthening of all weaknesses. A gas chamber regulator in the form of a screwed-out piston was installed in front of the chamber and operated by measuring volume, discharging gas as soon as it reached a critical value. The powder gas exhaust system was designed in such a way that they, moving away from the cylinder, passed through a long stroke of a gas piston equipped with a nozzle and were removed through the transverse hole at the bottom of the barrel, without causing the arrow any inconvenience.
The handle used to reload the gun at the same time played the role of a fuse. The automation system, due to its mobility, had a stroke length of up to 106 mm. The owner of the machine gun could, turning it, determine for himself in what mode the machine gun will be used:
- S - fuse.
- R is a single fire.
- A - continuous fire.
In addition, the Hotchkiss machine gun received intermittent cuts on the bolt and part of the barrel, which served as the main factor in the change between these elements of the guns of the fastening system. For these purposes, a clutch was used, equipped with many internal sectors, which, turning on the barrel as a result of the action of the piston rod, were fixed inside the gun.
Machine gun power
It was necessary to load a machine gun with a rigid tape. It should be borne in mind that if its release was carried out in the UK, the volume of cartridges was 30 pcs., And if in France, then only 24 pcs. When firing, the taphole turned at the expense of the finger of the lever installed in the movable system.
It is noteworthy that the charging system for each modification was individual, so the 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun was loaded with a flexible metal tape with rigid links, each of which had three rounds. In the process of use, one negative factor was noticed, despite the fact that the weight of the tape was much lighter than that of the store, it was not particularly reliable, and charging it at night became a very difficult task. On the butt made of wood, made a pistol ledge and an emphasis on the shoulder. In addition, if necessary, it was possible to place in it even an oiler, for which there was a special department.
Prewar years and World War II
Before the start of World War II , the 13.2 mm "Hotchkiss" heavy machine gun, launched in France, began to gain popularity again. This was mainly due to the fact that the design provided not only fire power, but also the speed of fire, given the high initial bullet velocity.
The mechanism of the machine gun is made like a drummer - this is directly related to the fact that its trigger mechanism, assembled in the butt plate, provides only automatic fire. The only drawback of this model was that it was required to charge it with stores, the volume of which did not exceed 15 rounds. At the same time, overheating protection technology, which is a rib made along the entire length of the barrel, has become a plus.
Today, this model of a light machine gun is undeservedly forgotten, although it was with its help that the Germans managed to stay in captured positions for so long, holding back the Soviet troops with its firepower.