Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun

Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun
A Hotchkiss Mark I.
Type	Light machine gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
Used by	See Users
Wars	Border War World War I World War II
Production history
Designer	Laurence Benét and Henri Mercié
Designed	1901
Manufacturer	Hotchkiss et Cie
Produced	~1909
No. built	~700 by Springfield Armory
Variants	Hotchkiss M1909 (French Army, 8×50mm Lebel) Hotchkiss Mark I (Britain, .303) Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle M1909 (United States, .30-06)
Specifications
Weight	12 kg (26.5 lb)
Length	1.23 m (48 in)
Barrel length	64 cm (25 in)
Cartridge	.303 British (Britain) 8mm Lebel (France) .30-06 Springfield (U.S.)
Caliber	.303 British 8mm Lebel 7.62×63mm (.30-06 Springfield) 7mm Mauser
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	400-600 rounds per minute
Maximum firing range	3800 m
Feed system	30-round feed strip, or belt-fed

The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a French-designed light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I, Hotchkiss Portative and M1909 Benét–Mercié. It is not to be confused with the heavier Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun.

It was gas-operated and air-cooled, had a maximum range of 3,800 m (4,200 yd) and weighed 12 kg (27 lb). Initial models were fed by a 30-round feed strip but later models could be either strip-fed or belt-fed. The U.S. types had a bipod, while some others used a small tripod. This tripod, fitted under the firearm, could be moved with the weapon, and was very different from larger tripods of the period.

The U.S. M1909 machine guns were made by Springfield Armory and by Colt's Manufacturing Company. Total production for the United States was 670. This may seem small compared to the huge production runs of firearms later in the 20th century, but this was a significant number for the size of the contemporary U.S. Army. The M1909's adoption coincided with the withdrawal of the .30-06 manually operated Gatling guns from the U.S. Army's arsenals.

As the Hotchkiss M1909 (or Mle 1909), firing the 8 mm Lebel, it was adopted by the French military in 1909 but not issued as an infantry weapon. The 700 examples manufactured were used in the fortresses at Verdun in a defensive capacity, on some fighter aircraft, and in Mark V* tanks acquired from Great Britain.

A variant to use the .303 round was produced in Britain at a Hotchkiss factory in Coventry as the "Hotchkiss Mark I". It was issued to some cavalry regiments. The MkI* variant, with the wooden stock replaced with a pistol grip, was widely used in British tanks during World War I.

It was adopted by the United States in 1909 as the "Benét–Mercié Machine Rifle, Caliber .30 U. S. Model of 1909" firing the .30-06 cartridge. The name comes from three sources: Hotchkiss, the name of the American Benjamin B. Hotchkiss who started the company in France; the two main designers, Laurence Benét and Henri Mercié; and the U.S. designation system at time which label arms with "Model of Year". Laurence Benét was a son of Stephen Benét, a former Chief of U.S. Army Ordnance. It was also used by other countries, including Belgium, Spain, Brazil and Australia. France and Britain used the Hotchkiss M1909 through World War I and on into World War II. The Australian Light Horse, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Imperial Camel Corps used the Hotchkiss in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–17). U.S. forces used the Benét–Mercié at the Battle of Columbus (Pancho Villa Raid) in 1916 (4 guns fired 20,000 rounds total in the engagement) and in the subsequent Pancho Villa Expedition in Mexico of 1916–17 and initially in France. Firing pins and extractors broke frequently on the American guns.