Shobarys Spaghetti Westerns -Guns-

Hotchkiss/Benet-Mercie LMG

The French army's standard heavy tripod mounted machine gun throughout the war
was the Hotchkiss 8mm M1914 machine gun. Although it proved reliable in use it
was unquestionably heavy at 23kg (40kg with its mounting). Initially adopted in
1900 a number of models were produced until a gas-powered, air-cooled model was
unveiled in 1914.

Although the gun was generally well regarded Hotchkiss' metal magazine strip -
which fired 8mm Lebel rounds - was considered a notable design flaw, holding a
maximum of 30 cartridges. This was corrected the following year when a
249-cartridge belt was introduced in 1915.

Even with the increased belt the gun was unable (for obvious reasons) to meet
the theoretical cyclic rate of 600 rounds per minute. The gun's maximum
effective range was approximately 3,800 metres.

As the war progressed the major powers began a shift away from heavier machine
guns - which were never designed with rapid mobility in mind - towards newer,
lighter machine guns (LMGs). This did not imply a particular dissatisfaction
with the Hotchkiss gun however, simply a preference for lighter models such as
the Chauchat. Even so the Hotchkiss M1914 remained in French use until the end
of the Second World War.

A measure of the popularity of the model can be found in the willingness of the
US to adopt the weapon, along with Allied nations in the Balkans. It was even
deployed as an anti-aircraft weapon.

Although a lighter 12kg model of the Hotchkiss, also 8mm - the Hotchkiss M1909 -
had been available since 1909 it was still deemed too bulky for use as an
infantry assault model.

There were also concerns with the reliability of the gun's magazine feed; it was
not deemed a particularly reliable weapon for use in the trenches.

Variations of the Hotchkiss M1909 were however popular when fitted onto aircraft
and tanks, where they were generally fired in short bursts. The M1909 was
produced by the U.S. as the Benet-Mercie Machine Rifle (adopted in 1909) where
they were used during the 1916 expedition to Mexico; and by the British as the
.303 Hotchkiss Machine Gun Mark I.