Hotchkiss M1914

Go Back to Heavy Machine Gun

	Weapon: Hotchkiss M1914 Type: Heavy Machine Gun Country of Origin: France Year Adopted: 1914 Overall Length (mm): 1400.0 Overall Length (in): 55.12 Weight (kg): 23.00 Weight (pounds): 50.71

The Hotchkiss M1914 was a French heavy machine gun developed during World War I. Chambered in 8mm Lebel, it was an air-cooled, strip-fed machine gun designed for sustained fire. Unlike the water-cooled designs of its time, the M1914's air-cooled barrel made it simpler to maintain in the field.

Used extensively by French forces during World War I, the Hotchkiss M1914 played a significant role in defensive operations. It was mounted on various platforms, including vehicles and fortifications, and saw continued service throughout World War II and the post-war period.

The M1914 was valued for its reliability and ease of use, and despite its relatively slow rate of fire compared to other machine guns, it was a mainstay of the French military for decades. Its long service life is a testament to its solid design and effectiveness in combat.

From Grapeshot to BAR's

The Birth of the Machine Gun and the Genius of John Moses Browning