In this live fire episode Matt gets behind a Hotchkiss ‘Portative’ light machine gun. The Hotchkiss was one of the earliest light machine guns to see general service. It was used in action by a number of countries during the First World War, the example we’re examining today is a British Mk1 Hotchkiss Portative light machine gun.
The Hotchkiss, developed in 1909, feeds from a metallic strip which feeds right to left. This .303 example is a Mk1 which was used by British cavalry before and during the war, it was also later used in early British tanks. Both France and the US also used the Hotchkiss.
Our thanks to our friend Chuck, over at gunlab.net, for allowing us to put a few rounds through this wonderful old machine gun.
Check out our website https://armourersbench.com for an accompanying article on the Hotchkiss.
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The Armourer’s Bench is a collaborative effort from Vic Tuff and Matthew Moss. We will be bringing you detailed examinations of historic small arms from around the world. We will delve into the history, use and operation of the weapons using videos, blog posts and high resolution images to tell their story.
