GunLab (KnownHost) » Maxim machine gun

Hotchkiss Portative tri-pod ideas

Chuck — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:00:31 +0000

I own a Hotchkiss portative machine gun and with it now fully operational it has become one of my favorites to take to the shoot.

My biggest complaint with it is that I just don’t like getting down into the dirt to shoot it. The butt stock is uncomfortable to use and the little tri-pod that came with it is really useless.

A close up of the yoke.

On of my personal projects that I have been working on is designing a new tri-pod for it. I use to own a 1914 French Hotchkiss and let it go a number of years back, a mistake but we all do it. So I have taken four different paths in the design of a new tri-pod for my weapon. There is always the original British design for an adapter to a Vickers tri-pod.

Actually this just looks like a great deal of work and really complex. The patterns to make the bronze castings would take a great deal of time to work out then the fixtures necessary to machine it would be numerous.

Then there is the idea of designing the patterns to cast a new yolk assembly based upon the Hotchkiss 1914 machine gun and the French 1907 St Etienne.

This is a project I might tackle once the cnc router is up and running after the other major projects are completed.

The third idea is one that I found on the internet. It uses a yoke from a Hotchkiss portative and attaches it to a Vickers tri-pod. It is an interesting idea, but I really want something a little lighter and generally when I go to a shoot I usually bring my Vickers as well.

So this leads us to the forth and final concept I am thinking of. This is using the concept of the Vickers-Maxium light machine gun tri-pod. It could be done by making an adapter to use the original yoke assembly and attaching it to a new column. The idea would be something like this.

This yoke would be changed to use an original

I would modify the legs so they would fold back against the sides.

A rear basic traversing set up

The elevation set up would have a handle to make it easier.

It would not be done by the up coming shoot, but by the end of the year if I can find any time.

My favorite Maxim machine guns

Chuck — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 08:00:53 +0000

There has been a number of articles and write ups on the Maxim gun lately so I thought I would add my 2 cents in. I have owned a number of Maxim guns over the years. An 08, 08/15 and a Chinese type 24 and well as a number of kits. However, my favorite Maxim guns are the little sales sample that Mr. Maxim use to take with him, the Finish m/09-21 and of course the Argentina brass Maxim. This write up is about the one I like the most and will never own. The Sales sample Maxim in 7.63×25.

This first four pictures came from an interesting site that if you have an opportunity should check out. http://www.victorianshipmodels.com/autoMG/index.html

The rest are pictures that I have taken a few years back. A couple of views of the barrel jacket. The jacket pattern would be the easiest of the patterns to make.

The side of the receiver

To give you the over all size for length

and height

A view of the feed block setting in the receiver

Here are some views of the feed block.

What a casting and machining project. The pattern alone had to be very interesting.

A few pictures of the lock.

Some more pictures of the inside of the receiver.

The look of this little gun is just beautiful.

The recoil spring

Now for the pistol grip.

If I had the time this would be a gun I would love to make, even if it were only in semi auto. The patterns alone would be works of art as well as the castings.

Library Thursday

Chuck — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 08:00:25 +0000

First off you can see that we changed the title for the Thursday post from book review to library. This was done because I wanted to add more then just book reviews. I wanted to add information to the Gun Lab library that I thought would be useful to you.

So this first post is from a friend of mine that wants to remain anonymous. So for this post we just call him Joe. Joe had the opportunity to have every piece of brass test that he had that was attached to a weapon. This included Maxim guns, Nordenfelt weapons, Gardner guns and any thing else he could find. This is that report. I found it interesting and very useful. I hope you do to.

Bronze Composition Analysis document