Gildwiller1918 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Here is the Hotchkiss Portable Machine Gun Mark I, which was based on the French Hotchkiss Model 1909. It is not as well known as other British machine guns such as the Lewis or Vickers but it still was widely used, as the name implies, the British considered it more easy to carry and use than other models. ANZAC and British troops used them in the middle eastern theater from Beersheba to Gallipoli. The British also used these guns in aircraft and the Mk. V tanks. It comes with the short three-legged tripod, which if not placed right will tip the gun onto its side. The bolt handle was used to charge the weapon much like a rifle. The gun itself weighed in at nearly 27 pounds (not so light) minus the tripod and was 48 inches long. It fired the standard .303 rifle cartridge and used cloth, rigid or semi-rigid belts. It was a gas operated, air cooled weapon that had a rate of fire between 400-600 rounds per minute. Over 40,000 were built for the British and Commonwealth forces during its service life. Versions of this gun were used by Russia and the USA as well. This gun is all original, however the receiver has been torch cut and re-welded as well as other features to make it a display gun. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildwiller1918 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Here is a carrying case for the feed strips for the Portative, the strips typically held 30 rounds. (source, internet) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildwiller1918 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Here is an example of the gun in the aircraft weapon role. Note the feed strip has the bullets facing downwards, that is the correct loading position. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildwiller1918 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Here is an example of the semi-rigid metal belts. These held around 3-7 rounds and were basically long strips cut short and linked together. These strips were carried in a metal tin that had 6 compartments. These are the types used in the Tanks, note the only real difference is the buttstock is removed. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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