I was down on [...]]]> After the last machine gun shoot with the Hotchkiss I made a decision that what was really needed for this gun is a tri-pod. I did a post a while back about ideas for the tri-pod, http://gunlab.net/hotchkiss-portative-tri-pod-ideas/, but now I am on to the project, in my spare time of course.

I was down on a job a week ago in Tucson and when I finished I stopped by Omega, Don Bell’s shop, to say high and check in on him. While I was there I came across this little beauty that Don offered to me at a really good price,free, for the project.

The pintle support prior to cleaning.

With a basic set that was with in my price range I could not say no. It is a Chinese tri-pod for a recoiless rifle.

The first step in the process was to clean all the rust off and paint a coating of primer on it.

With the tri-pod back together for a quick photo op. I kind of like the look.

It will require a yoke and cradle of some type.

I wanted to paint it the same color as my Vickers, a Syrian desert brown.

A close up of the color.

I lost out to my wife and went with basic black.

This is after the first coat. A couple of more coats this coming weekend

The first part to solid model is the pintle support’

with this part complete I could start working on the basic pintle design.

This is all that I have left after the new computer ate the rest of the solid models. Actual it is not much of a loss as I was going to change the basic design from what I started with.

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 [...]]]> 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.