Hotchkiss Mle 1922
Hotchkiss et Cie · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1922
Also known as: Hotchkiss M1922, Hotchkiss Modèle 1922, Hotchkiss M1926, Hotchkiss M1934
Overview
The Hotchkiss Mle 1922 is a French gas-operated, full-automatic light machine gun developed by Hotchkiss et Cie for the export market after the First World War. It uses a long-stroke gas piston with a tilting bolt that locks upward into the receiver, a layout broadly similar to the Browning Automatic Rifle. Notable for its flexibility, it was offered in virtually any service rifle calibre and with either a detachable box magazine or a metallic feed strip. Greek forces chambered theirs in 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schönauer, the standard Greek service cartridge, and used the gun with considerable success during the Greco-Italian War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 8500 g (299.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1216 mm (47.87") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 700 m/s (2297 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2474 J (1825 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schönauer · primary — also known as 6.5x54mm M-S, 6.5 Greek, 6.5mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Feed Strip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Gas Operated Long Stroke Piston, Tilting Bolt Lock, Rate Reducing Mechanism, Quick Change Barrel, Bipod, Interchangeable Caliber Barrels
Variants
- Hotchkiss Mle 1924 — Improved Model
- Hotchkiss Mle 1926 — Improved Model
Service history
Operators
- Hellenic Army · adopted 1926 · as Hotchkiss M1926
- Spanish Army
- National Revolutionary Army
- Turkish Army
Conflicts
- Greco-Italian War (1940-1941)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1922-1930s
Built primarily for export; adopted in modest numbers by several nations rather than mass-produced for a single army.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Hotchkiss et Cie
Notes
Rejected by the French Army in favour of the Châtellerault FM 24/29, but exported widely under the designations M1922, M1924 and M1926. A rate-reducing mechanism let the operator select a fast or slow cyclic rate.
Background
Offered in 'virtually any rifle caliber a potential client might want,' the Hotchkiss M1922 was a salesman's machine gun, with modular barrels, calibres and feed systems tailored to each export contract, which is why surviving examples turn up chambered in everything from 6.5mm Greek to 8mm Mauser.