During the years immediately before the World War I, small hollow off-white china ornaments decorated with civic arms and other crests were popular souvenirs for many people in England who took holidays or daytrips to seaside resorts. Crested china was typically bought from the places on the crest and carefully carried home. During World War I, holidays were still celebrated at most East Coast and South Coast resorts, and the ornament makers began to create designs related to the War.

The ornaments were largely made in the potteries around Stoke-on-Trent by companies such as Arcadian, Carlton, Grafton, Savoy, Shelley, Swan, Willow Art and W.H. Goss. The peacetime ornaments included figurines of everyday objects, local museum antiquities or items such as ring trees, stamp boxes and pin trays.

With the coming of War, new designs were created, such as grenades and mines, ships, airplanes, ambulances and military headdress and tanks. Depicting military subjects accurately was less important than the topicality of the model or its label; therefore, some crests on this china have proven to be “imagined” or are unofficial designs.

Crested china Vickers machine gun on tripod consisting of two-piece construction. Gun swivels 360 degrees on tripod. Gold high-lights. Crest atop water jacket is of Ayr, Scotland. Front of tripod head marked, “RD No. 66144.” (“RD” is “Registered Design” and is a form of copyright to prevent others from copying the style of the image.) Left side of water jacket marked “Model of Machine Gun.” Bottom of gun marked “402” and “Savoy China Stoke-on-Trent England” logo.

Crested china WWI Talbot armored car with two Vick-ers machine guns mounted fore and aft on the top. Crest of Chelmsford on hood of car under a banner that reads, “Many Minds One Heart.” Bottom mak-er-marked “Savoy China (introduced c.1910 until c.1928) Stoke-on-Trent England” for “BR&Co sellers” (Birks Rawlins & Co.).

Crested china commemorative World War I Vickers machine gun on tripod. Large crested front has blue and yellow shield of St. Albans. Atop water jacket is the Machine Gun Corps Skill-at-Arms badge of “MG” within wreath. Rear of tripod marked “The Victory of Justice Armistice of the Great War Signed Nov. 11th 1918.” Gold highlights around muzzle, rear and ammunition belt. Made by Carlton China with maker’s stamp on bottom.

Crested china golf ball with the central image of the king’s crown over crossed Vickers over “Machine Gun Corps” banner below.

Crested china good luck horseshoe with central mage of king’s crown over crossed Vickers over “Machine Gun Corps” banner. Above reads, “The Old Horseshoe” followed by a four-line poem. At bottom is, “The Legend” and a short history of why the horseshoe is considered a good luck symbol. Reverse maker-marked “W.H. Goss.”

Crested china bushel basket with crest insignia of the Machine Gun Corps in center of bottom of basket. Gold trim to edge highlight. Bottom maker-marked “W.H. Goss Ashbourne Bushel RD No. 450628.”

Crested china white porcelain figurine of World War I Machine Gun Corps “Tommy and his gun” firing a Vickers machine gun with gold trim highlights to cap, eyes, machine gun and base. Painted crested front has large coat of arms for Southampton. Bottom mak-er-marked “Arcadian China Stoke-on-Trent.”

Crested china with five fluted vase positions rimmed in gold. The vase is diminutive in size measuring only 3 inches wide and 2 inches high. Affixed to the front is the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps insignia of king’s crown over crossed Vickers with “N.Z” below. There is no maker mark, but it is of the Carlton style of crested china.

Crested china teddy bear with central image on stomach of the king’s crown over crossed Vickers and “Machine Gun Corps” below. Gold accents on ears and eyes. Bot-tom maker-marked “Arcadian China.”

Sterling silver U.S. doughboy dog tag holder and locket. The outside of the holder is engraved “2nd Lieut. H.W. Billman 109 M.G. BN. 28th Division USA Lebanon, PA.” Upon opening, the bottom contains the actual aluminum dog tag reading “Henry W. Billman 2nd Lt. 109 M.G.B.N. U.S. N.G.” with remnants of the hanging cord that would pass through a hole in the top of the locket so it could be worn around the neck. The other side shows a period photograph of Lt. Billman and two women—possibly sisters.

British World War I skill-at-arms sleeve badge for the Hotchkiss Gunner. Two pieces with wreath and “HG” with backing plate and original uniform fabric.

World War I British Motor Machine Gun Service officers bronze cap and collar insignia and cloth shoulder titles. Worn 1914–1915 only. The Motor Machine Guns Service used Clyno motorcycles with a sidecar mounted Vickers machine gun.

World War I helmet belonging to Private Abian A. “Wally” Wallgren (1891-1948) of the U.S. Marine Corps, 2nd Division, 5th Marine Machine Gun Company. Insignia of that unit is a purple square denoting the 5th Marine Machine Gun Company with the 2nd Division Indian head in white star hand-painted to the front of the helmet with an applied period USMC EGA (Eagle, Globe, Anchor) collar device affixed above. Also hand-painted all around the helmet is a belt of machine gun bullets and the name of the artist and owner: “Wally.” Behind the helmet is a booklet of hundreds of humorous cartoon drawings featuring events during World War I by famous U.S. Marine Corps private Abian A. Wallgren, known as Wally. He was the staff cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces). This collection of his favorites was published after the war by Stars and Stripes in 1919 and sold for 5 francs. The profits from the original sale of this book went to aid the Stars and Stripes French War Orphans Fund. Enlisting in the Marines in 1917, Wallgren was among the first to see service in France as a buck private and regimental sign painter, a post which army logic assigned him on his “professional” record. For nine months he painted “Latrine” and “Officers Only” signs up and down France. His great opportunity came when the Stars and Stripes was started as the official newspaper of the A.E.F. in 1918 and Wally was placed on the staff as cartoonist; he drew cartoons for this doughboy newspaper throughout the war until the final issue in June 1919.

Russian late 1920s or early 1930s marksmanship competition trophy banner between Soviet regiments. All hand-stitched and embroidered, it is made with cotton applications on a velvet background. The center exhibits a large Russian M1910 Maxim on a wheeled Sokolov field mount. This banner itself is the “trophy” awarded to the winning regiment at the Second Regimental Machine Gun Competition—to be hung with pride at their regimental headquarters for all to see. The verbiage in Cyrillic below roughly translates to “Top Prize.” With fringe it measures approximately 37 inches high by 30 inches wide.

U.S. World War I era sterling silver, machine-gun-themed finger ring. Blue enamel “liberty” to the top and red, white and blue enameled federal shield to the bottom. The center has a Colt Model of 1914 Automatic Gun (Potato Digger) machine gun on tripod in high relief. One side of shank has eagle, U.S.A. sword and Latin motto banner. The other side of shank has image of a soldier at attention with rifle and bayonet at “present arms.” Inside marked “Sterling” and “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.”

German veteran’s machine gunners interwar reunion table hanging banner inscribed and embroidered on both sides. One side show a three-man crew with a Maxim machine gun on sled mount with Z.F. 12 optical sight with inscription in German (approximate translation: Former members of the Bavarian machine gun squad Nuremberg). The reverse side shows Bavaria Coat of Arms (upper left), Germany Coat of Arms (upper right), Nuremberg Lesser Coat of Arms (lower left) and Nuremberg Greater Coat of Arms (lower right) with the swastika added to the top. It is inscribed in German (approximate translation: Dedicated by the women of the club members 1923–1933). Handmade embroidery and stitching. This World War I Nuremberg raised unit had a reunion five years after the war in 1923. (See large wall flag commemorating that reunion in Small Arms Review, Dec. 2018, Vol. 22, No. 10, p. 89.) Ten years later in 1933, the Nuremberg machine gun veterans had another reunion for which this table banner was created. Measures 9 inches square, excluding the gold bullion fringe.

Boer War era (1899–1902) slouch hat badge for the De Beers Maxim Detachment. The De Beers diamond mines used Maxim machine guns to protect the diamond mines during the war. Two lugs to the rear.

Pair of left and right Canadian formation patches for the 2nd Division. Machine Gun officer’s dark blue wool battle flashes with applied red cranberry wool felt arrows and gilt bullion embroidered officer’s “CII” cipher for the 2nd Canadian Division. Worn on the sleeve.

Heavily carved hinged lid souvenir trinket box with various dragons, flowers and Chinese style motifs on top and all sides. In the center of the lid is the insignia of the king’s crown over crossed Vickers with “Machine Gun Corps” banner below. Inside lid also heavily carved with monogram in center “HMD.” Acquired in North Scotland; veteran was a member of the Seaforth Highlanders. “HMD” could be person’s initials or possible Highland Machine Gun Detachment. Due to Chinese motif, could be from Shanghai Volunteer Corps service or from Hong Kong.

Finnish machine gunner’s unit bracelet. Silver and enameled with gold Maxim machine gun in the center of white enamel surrounded by a belt of silver bullets in a diamond shape. Cobalt blue enamel cross with “2 MGK” at top (Maskingevärkompani—2nd Machine Gun Company) with “N” and “R” on each side (Naatali re Reimente—Nådendal Regiment) and “1930-31” below. Between the crosses are the Finnish royal lion. Rear engraved “Grönqvist, K.” and maker-marked “Vellkset Sundqvist” with silver proof crown marks. Bracelet made of hinged links with clasp and securing chain. Finland has two languages—Finnish and Swedish. This bracelet reflects its Swedish language origins as Naatali Nådendal is near the city of Turku and is a partially Swedish town.

1930s-era Transjordan Arab Legion other ranks machine gun section cast brass cap badge. Hook pin back. The badge depicts the crown of the Hashemite Kingdom bordered by two crossed swords and the Arabic legend “Al Jeish al Arabi” (“The Arab Army” or more popularly known in English as “The Arab Legion.”) It was to be worn on the front of the “Keffiyeh” cloth head-dress or on the front of peaked helmets.

Australian 2nd Machine Gun Squadron. Stamped bronze cap badge of World War I Australian Commonwealth Military Forces insignia with the rising sun and king’s crown. Crossed Vickers to center with the number “2” below. Two lugs to rear.

Highly detailed desk ornament of gilded metal of World War I Austrian soldier with field pack firing the Schwarzlose M07/12 water-cooled machine gun. Artist signed on edge “T Henn.” Mounted on a thick, white marble base measuring 5¼ x 3¾ inches.

Finnish elite shooter badge for machine gun. This Finnish badge was issued to “Vailo-Ampuja” or “Elite Shooter” machine gunners. The first of these badges was issued in 1933 (March 6) and continued being issued until the end of World War II. A very scarce two-piece badge because it has a gilt Maxim machine gun inside a white metal wreath meaning it was issued to someone on the permanent staff. Outside edges have civil guards influence with branches of the evergreen tree. Screw-post back.

African Gold Coast Territorial Force machine gun officer’s silver plate collar badge (circa 1920s-1930s). White metal trumpeting elephant atop gold colored banner with “G.C.T.F” to center atop silver-plated crossed Vickers machine guns. Rear maker marked “Firmin London” with two lugs to the rear. The Gold Coast was a British colony in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

Glass souvenir of the 2/ 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion on the occasion of the Fifth Australia Wide Reunion in Adelaide in 1982. Clear glass with gold rim. Approximately 5 inches high. Rear of glass has famous poem In Memory of Fallen Comrades: “They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” “LEST WE FORGET.” The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was a World War I raised unit in 1918 and part of the Australian Imperial Force consisting of four machine gun companies fighting in the final days of the war. The unit was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilization of the AIF after the war. The second 1st Machine Gun Battalion was raised for service during World War II as part of the 6th Division seeing service in the Middle East, Egypt, Greece, Crete, Syria and Palestine. It later fought a defensive role in the New Guinea campaign and the Borneo campaign. The battalion was disbanded in early 1946.

Indian Army Sikhs Machine Gun Corps other ranks brass cap badge. The five-pointed star affixed to the top denotes instructor. Two lugs to the rear.

Malta-assigned other ranks machine gun section brass cap badge. Machine Gun Corps insignia with Malta banner below. Slider to rear.

Pair of Italian officer’s silver cufflinks for the 42nd Infantry Regiment. Crown to top with “42” in center with crossed rifles and water-cooled FIAT Revelli M1914 machine gun below. Each cufflink and connecting bar marked “800” indicating silver content of 80%.

Canadian veteran’s blazer patch for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Machine Gun Regiment. Green thistle and wreath with purple embroidery and bullion-stitched lettering on black felt. Though this unit existed in Canada for a long time, it was under this “M.G.” designation for only a little less than 10 months in World War II. This unit was placed on active service on Sept. 1, 1939, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (M.G.). It then mobilized on May 24, 1940, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (having been switched from machine gun to regular infantry, the M.G. designation was dropped from its insignia). Battle record included the Normandy Landing, Authie, Chambois, Boulogne, Breskens Pocket, the Rhine and Northwest Europe.

German Reichswehr period (end of World War I in 1918 and the rise of the Third Reich in 1933) 0/5 liter pottery beer stein marked, “19. Bayer. Inf. Rgt. 1. Batl. 4. (M.G.) Komp” and “Weihnachten 1930” (19th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 4th Machine Gun Company and Christmas 1930). The central image is of a German soldier training with the MG08 (Maschinengewehr 08) mounted on the sled mount. Pewter hinged lid with relief helmet and acorn leaves. Maker marked on bottom Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach.

Early Swedish Machine Guns

Sweden was not shy in their attempt to modernize their army at the turn of the twentieth century by equipping it with modern machine guns. The m/95 Maxim, the m/99 Nordenfeldt (Konstruction Bergman-Nordenfeldt) and m/00 Hotchkiss all found a home at one time or another in the Swedish army from 1895 to 1914. From 1914 the m/14 Schwarzlose was adopted and widely used. The first 511 Schwarzlose machine guns were imported from Austria but in 1917 Sweden began making them at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (GF) in Eskilstuna. A total of 753 Schwarzloses were built in Sweden between 1917 and 1939.

Enter the System Browning

Sweden had no separate Air Force prior to 1926; instead the Army and Navy each had their own sections of aviation. The Schwarzlose could not be configured to be synchronized to fire through the arc of the propeller and in the 1920s tests were conducted with the M1919 Colt aircraft Brownings that were deemed successful. This ultimately led up to Sweden purchasing a total of 185 M1919s from Colt from 1920 to 1930.

It did not take long for Sweden to recognize the value of Browning’s operating system. The Browning was a simple design, extremely reliable and very cost effective to produce. In 1930, the director of Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori noted that they could produce 50 water-cooled M1917A1-type Brownings for the same price as 30 Schwarzlose machine guns, which were still in production at GF. Thus, GF and Sweden embarked on manufacturing machine guns based upon the Browning system. This included the Kulspruta (Ksp) m/22 air-cooled aircraft gun introduced in 1930 and the first water-cooled Browning developed by GF in 1929 as the Ksp m/14-29. This gun was mounted on the m/14 Schwarzlose tripod. Thus, the m/14-29 designation identified the m/14 tripod and the m/29 as the designation of the gun. Between 1930 and 1936, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori produced 274 of the Ksp m/14-29s.

The Kulspruta (Ksp) m/36 mark (ground)

The m/14-29 Browning system water-cooled machine gun was upgraded in 1936 to fire the powerful 8x63mm sk ptr m/32 ammunition. With this powerful, hard-hitting, long range cartridge, the m/14 Schwarzlose mount was deemed unsuitable for long range indirect fire and a new soft mount Lavett was adopted. Gunnar Johnsson, Sweden’s foremost small arms designer, developed the soft mount Lavett. This heavy ground mount had a special cradle buffered by strong springs that guaranteed accuracy by reducing vibration as the gun fired. In conjunction with an elaborate traverse and elevation mechanism and a 5×25 power optical sight, the long range effectiveness for the purpose of indirect fire of the m/36 was phenomenal. Only active Army field units were issued the m/36 machine gun on Lavett soft mounts. Second line units had their m/36 guns mounted on the m/14 Schwarzlose mount because they were easier and cheaper to produce.

While the m/36 was based upon the operating principles of the Browning M1917A1 water-cooled machine gun, there were differences even though the guns appeared similar. The m/36 used spade grips rather than the pistol grip arrangement as found on the M1917A1. If the m/36 mark (ground) was mounted on the m/14 Schwarzlose tripod or the customary infantry tripod, standard spade grips attached directly to the gun were used. If the m/36 was mounted on the single or double buffered soft Lavett mounts then the grips were removed and the spring loaded buffer was added to the back plate. The Spade grips were an integral part of the of the side plates of the cradle. Additionally, the steam tube and valve arrangement, (patterned after the m/14 Schwarzlose system) was relocated to the bottom rear of the water jacket thus eliminating the long steam tube assembly that ran along the axis of the gun along the top of the water jacket as found on the M1917A1. On the muzzle of the m/36 there is an adjustable gas port that assisted in recoil that could be used to increase or decrease the rate of fire.

The Kulspruta (Ksp) m/36 lv dbl

An added benefit was the m/32 round had a range of 5.5km (3.4 miles, or nearly 18,000 feet. Thus, in the anti-aircraft role, it could reach high enough to damage aircraft at significant altitudes. This being the case, a twin gun arrangement (lv dbl – twin AA) was created for anti-aircraft work.

The twin anti-aircraft m/36 guns were not just a matter of mounting two guns in a special cradle on an anti-aircraft tripod. The guns were actually different and made as a pair with the left gun fitted for left-hand feed and the right gun fitted for right-hand feed. The cocking handle of the left-hand gun was on the right side and the cocking handle of the right gun was on the left-hand side. All sighting and aiming was done from the left gun only. The right gun had no sights whatsoever, whether anti-aircraft, front post or rear leaf. Each gun had its own special spring buffer assembly for the right and left guns that were different in that they contained the safety and trigger. The position of the safety and trigger in relation to each gun was different.

The twin Ksp m/36 lv dbl anti-aircraft arrangement was commonly used atop Volvo trucks and armored vehicles using a ring mount to provide convoy and emplacement protection.

1966 dated manual for the Swedish Kulspruta m/36 lv dbl twin anti-aircraft machine guns showing use on an armored vehicle on the front cover.

The trigger was a red vertical bar that was placed to the outside of the spring buffer tube of each gun, to be operated by the thumb of the right and left hand. Thus each gun was operated independently from each other. The left or the right could be fired alone or both together depending on target, ammo supply, operability, and operator preference. The safety was a spring loaded knob mounted on a ring to the inside on the spring buffer tube. By pulling up the knob and rotating the ring around the outside of the spring buffer tube, a stop was positioned in front of the trigger to prevent trigger depression. Again, each gun was operated independently.

Twin AA Cradle and Tripod

The Sammansättning anti-aircraft tripod accepting a single or double gun cradle is a special long-legged affair to allow for anti-aircraft fire while standing. Chains are used to lock the tripod down for extra rigidity during firing. If conditions were such that it was not feasible to use the chains to lock the tripod down (e.g. in snow), weights, such as rocks or full ammo cans, could be slung in the looped chains to gain some rigidity to the mount.

A special soft twin cradle arrangement was used for the twin anti-aircraft m/36 guns. The cradle frame consists of two single soft cradles, one for each gun. The two cradles were held rigidly parallel to each other by the twin cradle head at the front that allows mounting to the tripod and elevation, and a bolted metal cross beam at the rear. Depending on whether a left or right hand arrangement, provisions to hold the ammunition boxes to each side gun cradle and the spade grips for each gun that also contained the remote trigger was determined by whether a right or left side set-up. The front of each cradle is attached to the tripod head so as to allow elevation. The tripod head socket fits into a pivot point on the tripod that allows unrestrictive 360 degree traversing.

In addition to the anti-aircraft tripod, the twin m/36s were also commonly placed on trucks or armored vehicles in a ring mount providing a 360-degree area of protection. These were often fitted on top of the driver’s cab on a number of different Volvo truck models. A ground infantry tripod, the Värnlavette m/41 tripod that accepted a single gun or a twin-gun cradle was also available though the twin anti-aircraft version of m/36 ground mount was rarely encountered.

Production

With the very real possibility of war looming on the horizon in the late 1930s, the production capacity of Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (GF) was pushed to its limits due to orders for weapons of all sorts of rifles, light machine guns and heavy machine guns. In December, 1939, negotiations were held with Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson (LME) concerning supplementing production of the m/36. LME was already involved in manufacturing some parts for the m/36 as early as 1938 and by early 1940 was manufacturing many m/36 components thereby easing the pressure on GF and by 1941 were producing 15 machine guns per day. In all, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (GF) produced 8,025 m/36s and L.M. Ericsson (LME) produced 5,361 m/36s.

The water-cooled m/36 was primarily manufactured by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (GF) from 1937 to 1944 while L.M. Ericsson (LME) produced guns in the three year period of 1940-1942.

• The m/36 mark (ground) MG: GF and LME produced 6,615 guns with the mount m/36. Another 973 were made by GF and LME without mount, used with the m/14 Schwarzlose mount.
• The m/36 lv (AA single) MG: GF and LME produced 406 guns.
• The m/36 lv dbl (Twin AA guns): Made in pairs, GF and LME produced 5,392 guns representing 2,696 pairs.

A unique aspect of the Swedish m/36 water-cooled machine gun is that both manufacturers applied a relatively large, ornate but different Swedish crest to the top of the water jacket. Guns made by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (GF) can be easily identified by the large intricate roll-stamped crowned shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, with two lions and two groups of three crowns each in the segments.

The m/36 as made by L.E. Ericsson also had a roll-stamped design on top of the water jacket but was completely different from GF and thus an easily identifiable variation. It consisted of a simpler crown atop a single shield with three crowns in it.

Ammunition and Feeding

The m/36 used cloth ammunition belts similar to typical Browning cloth belts. Each belt contained 250 rounds and was loaded into a metal ammunition box. The ammunition box had a metal top hinged at the end for full opening. Riveted to each end is a long leather strap that serves as a carrying handle. There is an ammunition box holder adapter that affixes to the left side of the cradle for a single gun, or a left and right for the twin m/36s for the ammunition boxes to affix to for the twin guns. These ammunition box holders have an adjustable leather strap that goes around the ammunition box to hold it securely in place during firing.

The m/36 was chambered in three different rounds in its lifetime, each time new barrels, bolts and cartridge stops being supplied as the rounds changed and improved. The m/36 was originally chambered in the m/94 round-nosed loading of the 6.5x55mm Swedish service cartridge. Then the m/32 8x63mm cartridge loaded with a 220gr bullet to the same overall length as the U.S. .30-06 with 56 grains of nitrocellulose powder that produced a muzzle velocity of 2,493 fps. This beefed-up .30 caliber cartridge allowed for accurate extreme long range shooting especially when mounted on the Lavett soft-mount single or double tripod. In the post-World War II years, the Swedish Army adopted the Belgian FN MAG in 1958 and the m/36 was then transferred to second-line units. Sweden then joined NATO and adopted the H&K NATO caliber G3A3 (AK4 in Sweden) and in 1966 the Swedish Army switched completely to NATO calibers. This included all the m/36s in secondary units and they were rechambered to the 7.62mm (.308) NATO round. The m/36 remained on active service in the Swedish Army until the 1990s when finally declared obsolete and retired from service in 1995.

Accessories

There were a number of accessories associated with the m/36 that included a tool and spare parts chest that contained just about everything needed to keep the gun running, a belt loading machine similar to the typical Browning-type of cloth belt loader, water jacket carrying strap to carry the gun when the water jacket is hot, wooden box containing the anti-aircraft sights, water carrying/condensing can, spare barrel, spare barrel carrier, cleaning rod, ammo box holder brackets that attach to the single or double soft mount cradle, leather support straps for hanging ammo boxes and an expended cartridge shell bag. A 5×25 power optical sight in a fitted leather case was also available. The optical sight was not used or issued with the twin anti-aircraft m/36s but was issued and used when the m/36 (single or double) was used on the soft ground mount.

The front and rear anti-aircraft sights at attached to the left gun cradle – not to the gun.

The leaf sight is adjustable from 300 to 3,000 meters and is also adjustable for windage. This sight is on the left gun only.

The muzzle booster of the m/36 is adjustable by exposing more or less of the gas escape holes. Adjusting allows a faster or slower rate of fire.

Pair of canvas and rope slings to facilitate carrying the water-cooled m/36s when they are hot replacing the need for asbestos gloves. The large loop goes through the smaller loop that then provides the means for carrying.

Illustration from the Ksp m/36 manual showing the proper method of using the water-jacket carrying straps.

Accessories for the Ksp m/36 included a belt loading machine, tool and spare parts box, 8×25 optical sight, box with spare anti-aircraft stadia and ring sights, ammunition box holders with leather support straps, water-jacket carrying straps and water condensing hoses.

The anti-aircraft sight box contains the mounting fixtures for the front and rear sights as well as extra ring and stadia sights.

The spare parts and tool box has just about everything you need to keep the Browning system Swedish Kulspruta m/36 machine guns running.

From the Kulspruta manual, three types of mounting for the Ksp m/36: ring mount (top), Värnlavette m/41 tripod (middle) and anti-aircraft tripod (bottom).

The 5×25 optical sight came fitted in its own leather carrying case and was issued to ground units only. There were at least three manufactures of the optical sights to include Navigation, Berlin; Spindler & Hoyer, Gottingen, Sweden and NIFE as shown here, dated 1941.

Over the past 15 years, many people have wondered who it was that was responsible for bringing their SAR to them every thirty days, just like clockwork. We’re not a big magazine, but we work hard to keep the integrity of the information we bring you, and to have a bit of fun in the process. Moose Lake Publishing LLC (MLPLLC) has been the publisher since the beginning, and that company is comprised of a number of Members who are long timers in the Class 3 community. We all hope that we’ve brought you a lot of enjoyment and filled in a lot of blanks for collectors and end users alike. Here are some pictures from our scrapbooks. (Richard “Stretch” Kennedy, Member of MLPLLC and great friend to the firearms community, has always politely declined having his photo put in the magazine.)

Jeff W. Zimba is a Member of MLPLLC, is an accomplished firearms writer and has done the layout of SAR for 15 years. Jeff has hammered out a new issue every 30 days, come hell or high water. Jeff’s new business ventures include Alpha Group, LLC which is an advanced firearms training center and licensed contract security company, and his discreet job that involves silencers and night vision in protecting rural and urban communities helps fill his freezer. In this picture, Jeff has just taken a Maine Black Bear with a .450 Bushmaster (Photo by Bob Howe, Pine Grove Lodge)

Technical consultant and noted author Dolf Goldsmith (standing) and SAR Senior Editor Robert Segel at the National Firearms Centre in Leeds, England, (on their own dime) with Sir Hiram Maxim’s “Forerunner.” Behind and around them are many prototypes, one-of-a-kinds, and issue weapons from the Great War and earlier. They were working on their collaborative effort that will produce the definitive book on the early machine gun designs. Noted early machine gun collector Robert Segel has been a contributor to SAR since the very beginning and for over half of the life of this magazine has been our Senior Editor, leading and guiding us along with gentle nudges to ensure we keep SAR’s dual focus on historical firearms intertwined with our modern weapons coverage. (Photo by Dan Shea courtesy the National Firearms Centre)

Deborah Shea is a Member of MLPLLC, who has sacrificed for 15 years as Business Manager to make Small Arms Review a viable business entity and to keep it running no matter what. Here she stands on Mount Nebo in Jordan, looking out from the spot where Moses looked on at the Promised Land over the Dead Sea. Debbie is well known around the world in the small arms community, having traveled “on her own dime” to over 30 countries. (Photo by Dan Shea)

In 1996 At the Yuma Proving Grounds on the Cibola Dust Range, MLPLLC General Manager and Member Dan Shea (in his Long Mountain “Murphy’s Law” Tee shirt) stands with “The Germans” from HK Oberndorf as they test the early GMG Grenade Machine Gun in 40x53mm. The Yuma tests were a tradition for any new-to-the-planet Secret Squirrel guns that HK would need environmental testing on every year, and Dan was usually there. Standing to the front is the late Volker Kurtz, a great friend to SAR. Dan has traveled to over 70 countries exploring small arms history and technology, “on his own dime.” (Photo by either Jim Schatz or Wayne Weber, none of us can remember who took it)

MLPLLC Member Kyle Shea with five-barreled Gardner Gun at the National Firearms Centre in Leeds, England. Kyle has been a member of countless SAR Expeditionary Force trips around the UK, Europe and Asia, “on his own dime.” Kyle’s interests lean towards uniforms, swords and early weapons like the Ferguson Rifle, which Major Peter Laidler was kind enough to let him photograph at Warminster. Kyle has been packing and shipping for MLPLLC since he was very young, as well as assisting the authors and photographers on their expeditions. (Photo by Dan Shea)

The “Angels with Charlie” picture from the “MG Angels” issue. Mike Dillon was talking with Dan Shea and Dr. Philip Dater and the idea of a “Machine Gun Angels” cover with girls who were actually in the Class 3 industry came up. Mike graciously offered to set up a “glamour shoot” at his facility with the Dillon team. Left to right: Megan (Shea) Sidon, Member of MLPLLC and longtime personality around the Class 3 community, who has been to many countries “on her own dime,” “Charlie” Dr. Philip H. Dater, Member of MLPLLC; Mary Jean Huebner – firearms attorney who specialized in the Class 3 community; Julie Dater, Gemtech employee and daughter of Phil and Jane Dater, who has graced the cover of SAR numerous times as well as appearing in many Gemtech ads. (Photo by Mike Smith & Nyle Leatham, Courtesy Dillon Aero)

Dr. Philip H. & Jane Dater on top of a Ferris Wheel in Thun, Switzerland. Phil and Jane are Members of MLPLLC, and they can frequently be seen traveling with the SAR crew around the world – “on their own dime” – to explore with us. Dr. Dater is one of the prime movers in Gemtech, and his company Antares Technologies consults all through the arms industry. The Daters were in Thun as part of a vacation in Europe and a visit to Brugger & Thomet, the Swiss suppressor manufacturer. Karl Brugger had kindly hosted us all for a visit to their facility, and some nice dinners at Interlaken. You can read The Interview with Dr. Dater in your back issues of SAR Volume 8 Numbers 9 & 10 for some insight into his amazing journey in our community and his effect on the suppressor community in particular. (Photo by Dan Shea)

P. Burke Fountain is a Member of MLPLLC, and an extremely devoted student of small arms. Burke has spent a significant amount of time between his interests in early machine guns, Lugers, and unit insignia from the Great War, and has traveled with the SAR Expeditionary Forces “on his own dime.” In this photo, Burke can be seen in his natural environment, surrounded by a forest of Brass Maxims, including the incredibly elusive Parapet mounts for trench or wall warfare. (Photo by Dan Shea)

Bill and Peggy Vallerand were MLPLLC Members, and after Bill passed away, their son John joined Peggy as owners of their MLPLLC shares. Bill would frequently travel the U.S. and to the UK “on his own dime” to do research into his favorite subjects – weapons from the Zulu time up to World War II. Bill mentored many people in the small arms community, and was a regular fixture at Knob Creek, The North Country Shoot, and the Hiram Maxim shoots, helping anyone who asked on fixing their old machine guns. Bill and his good friends Dolf Goldsmith, Larry Smith, and Bill Morrison, were involved in many of the legendary machine gun deals of the last 5 decades. (Dan- “This is one of my favorite pictures of Bill Vallerand, at the old MOD Pattern Room in Nottingham England. Bill would spend days wandering in what we called the “Field of Dreams” and occasionally come up for air and regale the rest of us with his discoveries amongst these bipod mounted treasures.”) We all miss Bill very much, and his contributions to our community will last forever. If you want to know more about Alphonse William “Bill” Vallerand, read The Interview with this Korean War veteran in SAR Volume 11, Number 1. (Photo by Dan Shea, Courtesy the old MOD Pattern Room, Nottingham, England)

In the fall of the year 2000, the rumor was that the old MOD Pattern Room Collection, which had started in the 1600s, was to be destroyed. Thankfully, the 13,000 plus pieces in the collection were only to be mothballed for several years while a new home was found. Numerous luminaries of the small arms community, who had spent decades around this collection, were all in Nottingham to do research and we gathered for a photo in the old upstairs. Richard Jones scattered out of the area immediately so he wouldn’t be on film (we suspect his reflection might not be captured), and camera-shy Herbie Woodend volunteered to take the picture. Left to right: Warren Wheatfield, Dr. Philip H. Dater, E. Daniel Shea, Bill Vallerand, Dolf Goldsmith, P. Burke Fountain, and Ian Skennerton. (Photo by the late Herbert J. Woodend, MBE)

On April 29 through May 1, 2011, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its 140th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The official attendance of 71,139 is the second largest NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on record for the longest running shooting and hunting show in the world. With a record braking 559 exhibitors, the exhibit hall was packed with NRA members the entire weekend, many of whom traveled from all over the country to attend the event. Additionally, most seminars and workshops were standing room only.

In addition to the industry display booths, and in conjunction with the show in their own exhibit area, are displays of rare, historic and interesting collector firearms sponsored by NRA affiliated clubs. This year, there were 26 gun collector affiliates that participated with displays in this 51st year of awards competition. These gun collector groups take great pride in their displays in not only presenting weapons of rarity and historical note, but in the professional looking displays as well. While the NRA primarily focuses on shooting and hunting, they are well aware of the value of collecting and displaying significant weapons to the public to educate them on the history and the roll collecting plays within the gun culture. The competition between the affiliated clubs and their displays is intense.

In recognition of this, the NRA awards medals and certificates in a number of different categories. These include:

• Best Arms Awards – Each year a maximum of ten sterling silver numbered medallions are awarded to those collector arms judged best on display (and not necessarily will ten be awarded). Firearms are judged on their individual quality, condition, originality, collector importance and historical value.
• Certificates of Recognition – In 1981, the NRA Gun Collectors Committee authorized an award for unique displays of items related to firearms. Up to ten certificates are normally awarded in any one calendar year. An item which has received a Certificate of Recognition is not eligible for this award in subsequent years.
• Best Educational Display Awards – In 1962, the Gun Collectors Committee authorized the Best Educational Group Awards to recognize outstanding displays that creatively and effectively present a well-organized theme. The committee has divided the Best Educational Display Awards into four categories: Antique Arms (pre-1898), Classic Arms (1898, 50 years prior to the show), Contemporary Arms (50 years prior to the show to current) and Combined Arms (collections that represent a mixture of more than one category.) Emphasis is placed on recognition of those exhibits that best inform the NRA members and general public of the historical, technical and cultural aspects of firearms and related items.
• The National Firearms Museum’s Spirit of Collecting Award.
• The Best Miniature Arms Awards – Each year, since 1987, sterling silver numbered medallions have been awarded to those miniature arms judged best on display. In 1998, the Collectors Committee decided to heighten competition for this award by presenting only three medals each year.
• The NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy – This sterling silver bowl is a perpetual trophy awarded for the display judged best of each year’s Annual Meeting and Exhibits. The winning organization’s name is engraved on the trophy and the organization receives a miniature of the trophy to retain. This is the top honor and the award all strive for.

World renowned Thompson submachine gun collector and author Tracie Hill is the force behind bringing the validity and legitimacy of collecting and displaying historic machine guns to the forefront of the NRA community. For so many years, machine guns were taboo at the NRA show and considered “evil” within the NRA hierarchy and by many even within the general NRA membership. His efforts have truly enlightened all that collecting historic classic machine guns is just as legitimate as collecting any other historical firearm and he has done it in a most profound and professional way.

He broke the ice within the NRA and the NRA Collectors Committee with exhibits of the iconic Thompson submachine gun winning awards from the judges, and the public, and winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy and a number of Best Arms awards beginning in 1998. Under the sponsorships of several NRA affiliated organizations over the years that include the Thompson Collectors Association, the Dallas Arms Collectors and The American Thompson Association, he has been responsible for winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy six times.

With the success of having displayed, and winning multiple awards, for Thompson exhibits, it was decided to become ambassadors of the Class III world and bring to display some of the other wonderful and historic collections that exist. The first foray into other machine gun exhibits was in 2006 when the Thompson Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors sponsored a Maxim machine gun exhibit at the NRA show in Milwaukee that won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver Best Arm medallion for a Colt Model of 1904 Maxim. (See Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 12, September 2006.)

In 2011 in Pittsburgh, under the sponsorship of The American Thompson Association, they presented an exhibit entitled The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning. The 30×10 feet exhibit featured a Colt Automatic Gun Model 1914 on a Marine Light Landing Carriage, a New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun on a Model of 1917 tripod mounted on an M1 machine gun cart, a Winchester Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) Model of 1918, a Colt Browning M2 .50 caliber water-cooled mounted on an M3 anti-aircraft mount, a Buffalo Arms .30 caliber ANM2, an Inland Arms M1919A6, a GM/Frigidaire .50 caliber M2 HB on a M3 tripod and a twice-size cut-a-way of a .30 caliber Browning. Accompanying the display of the firearms were lighted display cases that contained tools, manuals, accoutrements, medals, awards and ephemera relating to the guns with explanatory signage for everything present. Additionally, a professionally printed 8-page handout describing all the weapons on display was freely distributed to all show attendees that expressed an interest. The response by those attending the show was overwhelmingly positive with many thanking us for bringing such a collection and making it available for close-up viewing.

These displays are not slapped together at the last minute. A full year of planning is required to establish what and how the display will be presented: what guns, accessories, accoutrements, historical information, signage, handouts, glass cases, lighting, overall theme, etc., all has to be thought through and decided upon well before the start of the show. This collection of Browning machine guns came from the Robert Segel collection with additional pieces from David Albert and Phil Askew. Helping set up the display and staffing it during the show answering questions and highlighting the historical aspects were David Albert, Richard Vensel, Jackie Vensel, Tom Davis, Phil Askew, Bill Yenglin, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel, Tom Rasch, Tracie Hill and Thomas Hill. The human element and the truly enthusiastic volunteers set a high standard for that very much helped guarantee a successful presentation to the public.

The exhibit of The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning won the top honor of the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver medallion for one of the Best Arms at the show for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun, serial number 6, on a Model of 1917 tripod. The medallion is numbered and registered to the gun and stays forever with the gun should it ever be sold.

It should be noted that as sponsor of the exhibit, this is the third time The American Thompson Association has won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy. But even more importantly, with the displays of Thompsons, Maxims and Browning machine guns over the last 13 years, machine gun collecting has been recognized and accepted within the main stream gun collecting fraternity as the historic, relevant and legitimate endeavor that it is with the stigma of being “evil” finally disappearing.

Miniature 1/3 Scale MG 34

Another machine gun also won an award at the 140th NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh. The Miniature Arms Society, a recognized NRA collector affiliated organization, had a display showing many fine examples of the art and craft of miniature arms makers. These are not toys but a testament to the skill of making actual working miniatures that fully represent their full-size brethren except in a diminutive size. The judges award just three sterling silver medallions each year to those miniatures that represent the height of the art. Robert Segel, a Miniature Arms Society member, submitted a fully functional 1/3 scale German MG 34 light machine gun on fully functional Lafette, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006, and won one of the Best Miniature Arms sterling silver medallions. The medallions are numbered and registered to that gun and if the gun is ever sold, the medallion must go with it.

Miniature Arms Society (MAS) president Wayne Driskill (left) and MAS member Robert Segel display the 1/3 scale MG 34 that was submitted for judging.

The fully functional MG 34 in 1/3 scale, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006 on fully functional Lafette is displayed with the numbered and registered NRA sterling silver medallion for Best Miniature Firearm. It is one of three awarded to miniature arms.

Tracie Hill, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel and The American Thompson Association president Tom Davis accept the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and silver bowl during the NRA Gun Collectors Committee awards presentation ceremonies. (Lloyd Hill)

Back at the display after the awards presentations, (left to right) Tracie Hill, Phil Askew, Tom Davis, Jennifer Segel, Robert Segel and David Albert proudly display the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy, silver bowl, and silver Best Arm medallion.

Robert Segel accepts a numbered and registered sterling silver medallion for one of the ten BEST ARMS on display during the awards ceremony for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 Browning water-cooled machine gun.

August 5-6, 2011 marked the truly special occasion of the 20th annual All Thompson Show and Shoot, in association with The American Thompson Association (TATA), as hosted by the Tracie Hill family in Granville, Ohio. The 20th anniversary mark is an achievement that few events reach and is a testament to the passion of collecting, studying, researching and shooting the venerable and historic Thompson submachine gun (just for the sheer enjoyment of it) by the forever dedicated and faithful. Over 100 members and friends of TATA registered for the event traveling from such diverse compass points as Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and Kentucky to attend the event to display, talk and shoot Thompsons.

On Friday the 5th, the show began at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center, hosted by world renowned collector and author Tracie Hill and his family, with over 50 tables of Thompsons and related equipment on display. With the doors opening at 10 a.m., Friday is devoted to a show and tell display of the registrant’s guns and accessories respectfully exhibited on display tables throughout the conference center. All makes and models of Thompsons were present as were a wide assortment of accessories, spare parts, stick and drum magazines, web gear, manuals and historical documents – many of which were for sale. The array of Thompsons and the devotion to the subject is exceptional from the earliest prototype models through the Colt production models, through the World War II production models through to the Numrich and West Hurley models.

At 1 p.m., approximately 60 attendees filed into the library to attend a presentation by Lt. Michael Kline of the Berrien County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Department on the two Thompson guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and how they were discovered and then forensically linked to the mass killings. Lt. Kline travels all over with these two historic Thompsons relating not the gory embellishment of the actual crime, but the then advanced and new technology of forensic science as applied to law enforcement to help solve crimes. While no one was ever arrested and convicted of perpetrating the St. Valentine’s Day massacre, there is no doubt that these two Thompsons were the guns used that infamous day and have been proven so by scientific forensic methodology.

The Shoot

Saturday the 6th was devoted to shooting Thompsons at a beautiful nearby range in Newark. The weather was hot and humid with temperatures and humidity both in the 90s; it was a beautiful summer day with no rain. There were two structured shooting competition events and then free range shooting time after that. Thompsons used in the competitions must be in original factory configuration.

The morning event had over 40 shooters registered and began at 7:30 a.m. Five shooters at a time would shoot with each shooter having a range officer supervising his or her actions.

• Stage 1. From a distance of 50 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on one target using semiautomatic fire only.
• Stage 2. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 3. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 20 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 4. From a distance of 10 yards (30 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 15 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 5. From a distance of 7 yards (21 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 4 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.

Total rounds fired is 100 rounds. Less time is allotted to the shooter the closer they got to the target requiring speed as well as accuracy. Each target had to be engaged separately and sweeping the three targets in one long burst was not allowed.

Targets used were the standard OPOTA combat silhouette type. Hits inside and cutting the outer silhouette line counted as hits. The shooter with the most hits was the winner. Hits in the INZ (Instant Neutralization Zone – a T shaped area covering the brain and spinal column down to the middle of the chest) were recorded for use in the event of a tie.

Immediately following the first competition, the second competition took place consisting of metal “pepper-popper” knock-down targets. Over 30 shooters registered for this event. Two shooters would compete against each other in a two-out-of three engagement. A shooter had to knock down his six metal targets before the other shooter knocked down his six targets. The last, center targets, were set at a slight angle so that one would fall over the other in a closely contested event. After all the initial pairing of shooters took place, the winner of each heat then competed against the winner of another heat. New this year was a mandatory mag change during the final heats. This elimination process continued until there were only two shooters left to determine first and second place.

Free range shooting time was available on the main range during the metal target events located on a side range.

All shooting ended at 3 p.m. and everyone went back to their hotel to shower and freshen up for the buffet banquet dinner that was held back at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center at 5:30.

A delicious buffet dinner of tenderloin, chicken breasts and all the sides and trimmings were served along with a dessert selection that would please any palate. At each dinner place setting was a bronze and enameled medallion commemorating the special occasion and honoring the 20th anniversary of the All Thompson Show and Shoot. Every attendee received one as a gift. At the end of dinner, the winners of the day’s contests were announced. The morning shoot winners were: Paper target competition 1st place winner – James Gilronan with a 94 with 2nd place to Eric Wank with a 90. In the very closely contested and exciting steel knock-down competition, the 1st place winner was Tom Davis with 2nd place going to C.J. Roberts.

The camaraderie and gathering of like-minded people in a casual setting such as this two-day event is a testament to the diversity of interests that people are more than willing to share. This two-day event is actually a perfect microcosm of a perfect blending of subject, time and functions. The first day of show and tell is all about meeting up with friends and making new friends and sharing your interest and passion for the Thompson. Day two is the perfect culmination of actually shooting the Thompson in a competitive or non-competitive way to your heart’s content. How does it get any better?

The 21st annual All Thompson Show & Shoot will be held in August, 2012. Check the The American Thompson Association website for the dates and details.

The American Thompson Association
P.O. Box 8710
Newark, OH 43508-8710
Website: www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/tata

“Utterly useless!” So wrote a frustrated U.S. Army Captain in a letter to the Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army in late 1916, requesting to exchange his Automatic Machine Rifle, Model of 1909 light machine guns for the new Lewis gun. “We have been using these guns for four years and have never been able to get more than two shots out of any of the guns without a jam.”

The Hotchkiss Model 1909 as made in France by the Hotchkiss Company was known on the European Continent as the Hotchkiss Mle 1909. Copied and made in the United States, it was designated as the Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909, or colloquially as the Benet-Mercié after the two men at Hotchkiss responsible for its development. The gun had a cyclic rate of fire of about 400 rounds per minute with an actual deliverable rate of fire of about 150 rounds per minute.

Laurence Benet was an American engineer who worked for the Hotchkiss Company in Paris, France. He, along with another Hotchkiss engineer name Henri Mercié, collaborated to develop an air cooled, gas operated, light weight machine rifle based on the Hotchkiss Mle 1900 and Mle 1907 heavy machine gun design. The Mle 1909 differed from these heavy machine guns in that it weighed just 30 pounds and was fitted with a wooden stock with elevation gear and a bipod. The main modifications mechanically were the means by which the breech closed and changing the feedway from the left to right side of the gun and redesigning the feed mechanism to accept the horizontal 30-shot feed strip with the cartridges held on the underside of the feed strip rather than resting on top of the feed strip. Being a simply designed gun reduced the number of parts of the gun to just twenty five. Located in the forward part of the receiver directly behind the breech is a cylindrical device known as the fermature nut. The function of the fermature nut is to lock the breech closed before firing and unlocking when the gas pressure has dropped to a safe level. A unique aspect of this gun is that it is capable of changing barrels quickly. When the gun was used in sustained fire the barrel would get very hot. The barrel can be removed and a cool barrel replaced in a very short period of time.

In 1909, the French Army adopted the Hotchkiss Mle 1909 gun chambered in their 8mm Lebel cartridge. It was also manufactured in Great Britain by Hotchkiss and was adopted by the British and designated as the Hotchkiss Mk I and Mk II Portable chambered in .303 caliber. (The Mk I had a wooden stock and was strip fed, while the Mk II was the tank or cavalry version with a removable L-shaped metal stock and could use a strip or a special articulated metal belt.) Also in 1909, the United States adopted it as the standard U.S. machine gun chambered for the .30-06 cartridge and, after a lengthy set of trials, an order was placed by the U.S. Army with the Hotchkiss Company for 29 guns. Funding was so tight in those days that that was all the Army could afford to buy. However, the rights to manufacture the gun in the United States were secured and the Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company and the Springfield Armory were contracted to produce the Hotchkiss as the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909. A discernable difference between the two manufacturers is that the Colt has a smooth barrel in front of the cooling fins whereas the Springfield Armory has sharp-point checkering around the barrel in front of the cooling fins – presumably to assist in better gripping during barrel changes. It has been reported in the past by many sources (possibly merely repeating the same information) that both manufacturers combined produced a grand total of 670 guns. However, higher serial numbers have been encountered (i.e., a Colt in the 900 range with Navy markings) so more were clearly made and it is possible the 670 number applies to those purchased by the U.S. Army rather than the number produced; as one source notes that another 400 were made for the U.S. Navy and Marines. Unfortunately, production records have not been encountered to determine if the serial numbers from each manufacturer were mixed, or if each manufacturer started with 001.

The stock of the U.S. Model of 1909 is made of well-seasoned black walnut, cut down in front so as not to interfere with the sighting and a pistol grip. On the upper end of the butt plate is a long tang for supporting the weight of the weapon on the shoulder when firing without the elevating mechanism.

The Model of 1909 had a unique rear monopod elevation system that fits into the rear of the wood butt stock and employs a double elevation screw and a foot plate that slides on a bar attached to the elevation screw. When in the closed position, the elevation screws screwed up into the buttstock and the foot plate rotated along the axis of the gun and locked into place with a metal catch. When the foot plate was unlatched, the elevation screw could be extended by an elevation wheel. When the desired height was obtained, the elevation wheel could be locked into position and the foot plate rotated to be perpendicular to the axis of the gun.

The gun was also fitted with a bipod that is attached underneath the front sight barrel band. The bipod is rather flimsy and an often field expedient solution to help prevent the bipod from collapsing was to run a length of leather strip from one front leg through the trigger guard and back to the other side front leg. The legs can be folded back and secured to the hand guard during transportation.

The front sight for the Model of 1909 consisted of a thin blade slightly beveled to the front, and on each side is cut a circular groove to better define the sight proper. The lower portion has a dovetailed lug and engages the dovetail groove of the front-sight carrier allowing for adjustment for deflection. The front sight is protected by a hood.

The rear sight has an adjustable leaf that is graduated from 0 to 2,800 yards. The drift slide moves forward and back on the leaf and on the top is small open sight. There is also a circular aperture disk containing five sight openings: four peepholes, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 inch in diameter, and one large aperture which contains an open sight. The entire rear sight in on a movable base that by turning the windage correction knob moves the base left or right for windage corrections. There is a scale on the base with wind-gauge graduations, each point of which corresponds to a lateral deviation of 4 inches for each 100 yards.

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 was issued for service with the Model of 1908 Warner & Swasey telescopic musket sight, which was originally used for sharpshooter use with the Model of 1903 Springfield rifle. The sight was mounted on a dovetail bracket on the left side of the receiver rather than directly above the centerline of the weapon. The rationale behind this was that the barrel heated up during firing and produced heat mirages that distorted the sight picture. Mounting on the side of the receiver enabled the firer to avoid the heat mirage and keep proper target acquisition. The sight also aided in target recognition and allowed the gunner to observe his strikes. The sight is 6-power and has a field of 4 1/2 degrees. The glass reticule is etched with vertical and horizontal cross lines and a stadia line, the latter being so placed that it spans the height (5 feet 8 inches) of an average man standing at a distance of 1,000 yards. Located on the top of the telescopic sight is a brass placard with wind and range tables and a drift table.

Each rifle was furnished with feed strips made of sheet steel, spring tempered, by means of which the cartridges are fed into the rifle. Each feed strip is designed to hold 30 cartridges. The ammunition box is designed to hold 10 loaded feed strips (300 cartridges), and is made of seasoned white oak or ash. It is about 18 inches long and nearly 8 inches wide. The end and sides are dovetailed together, and the bottom is secured by screws. The body contains five longitudinal partitions, in each of which can be placed two feed strips. The lid is held closed by the lid catch. On the left end of the box and the front side are leather handles. The seats for the handles are recessed so the handles will be flush with the sides of the box.

The machine gun and its tactical use were new and unproven in the first decade of the twentieth century. Major General Julian Hatcher, in his book Hatcher’s Notebook, best describes the tactical role of the machine gun and how it was put into service. “Now if at that time we had known the least thing about the tactical role of machine guns, we would have realized that we ought to have two kinds in the Army at the same time; the heavy type for one kind of action and the light type, for a totally different use. We didn’t, however, realize this or anything else much about these matters, so we adopted this light gun as THE machine gun of the Army. In those days, every regiment had a machine gun platoon, made up by detailing men from regular companies for temporary duty in the machine gun platoon. This platoon had four guns. It was a regular authorized company, but just a scraped together aggregation of men who could best be spared from their places. Many times the temptation to get rid of unwanted problem children was solved by company commanders by sending them to the machine gun platoon. A pretty sorry outfit it was, as a rule.”

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 was not a bad gun but was ill suited to be the main machine gun of the U.S. Army, though this was the historic roll it played from 1909 to 1916. It was finally realized that different types of machine guns were needed for different tactical roles. The Model of 1909 was relegated to training use during World War I being declared obsolete in 1918 and ultimately superseded by the far superior Model of 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

The Model of 1909 saw limited use in a tactical role at the landing at Very Cruz in 1913. Then one day in 1916, all hell broke loose and the gun acquired a reputation for unreliability that to this day has cast a dark shadow over the gun.

In April, 1916, the Mexican bandit Pancho Villa staged a sneak attack across the U.S. border, raiding the small town of Columbus, New Mexico three miles north of the U.S. and Mexican border. The raid on Columbus occurred in the middle of the night and caught the sleepy town completely by surprise. No one was expecting an attack. There was a small garrison of U.S. Cavalry stationed in Columbus with a machine gun platoon consisting of four Model of 1909 machine guns which, when routed from their sleep, managed to collect themselves and their guns along with ammunition and began to take defensive positions.

Some civilians and soldiers were killed in the ensuing battle and reports emerged stating that none of the Model of 1909s were able to operate reliably during the course of the fight. Afterward, the excuse given by the machine gun crews was that the night was so dark they had trouble with the complicated loading and feeding of the weapon.

The newspapers of the day, already horrified that the attack even occurred in the first place, jumped on this information and raked the U.S. Army and the Chief of Ordnance over the coals declaring that the rules of warfare should be changed so that battles would only take place during daylight hours so that our machine guns could take part in the action. The newspapers called the Model of 1909 the “Daylight Gun” for this reason and wrote many scathing and satirical articles on the subject.

However, in an article published in the November 10, 1917 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, Hatcher, then a Captain, made the following statements. “The night was dark, and naturally some trouble was experienced with the guns. Occasional jams occurred; but in each case the trouble was overcome and the guns continued in the fight. At least two of the four guns were always in action. These guns were not always firing though, as they frequently had to stop for lack of a suitable target.

“To fire machine guns in the dark streets of a town without a well defined target,” Hatcher continued, “is to risk killing friend as well as foe.

“There were many highly excited people present, however, and to these it no doubt seemed that all the guns should be firing, regardless of whether an enemy was in sight or not. Thus, it happened that a report started that the machine guns were not a decisive factor in saving the town; and in spite of occasional jams, they fired nearly 20,000 rounds of ammunition in the fight.”

The result of this controversy resulted in the Army re-evaluating the heretofore haphazard methods of training and then establishing a proper machine gun school. The former machine gun platoon comprised of misfits and trouble makers was replaced and a machine gun company was formed in each regiment.

The machine gun school was established in Harlingen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. The machine gun instruction school taught the proper training for the Colt Automatic Gun Model of 1895/1914, the Maxim Model of 1904, the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 and the Lewis Gun Model of 1916.

The school ran for nine months until war was declared in April 1917. The men who went through the school became the backbone of the U.S. Army machine gun corps during World War I.

They were desperately needed because the United States was truly ill-equipped to enter the war. The total inventory of machine guns in the U.S. when war was declared consisted of 670 Model of 1909s (for the Army), 282 Colt Maxim Model of 1904s and 143 Colt Automatic Guns Model of 1985/1914s. There were also 353 Lewis guns but they were chambered for the British .303 cartridge.

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909, for better or worse, has its place in early machine gun development and history. Due to lack of training of the troops it failed to live up to expectations. Yet, both the French and British versions of the same gun went to war and served admirably and with distinction.