is this interesting? 37 mm Hotchkiss revolving cannon

[former user]

As many of us I presume, I am too a fan of multi-barreled Gatling type firearms.
I always found it odd not to be able to use them in WW1 and after.
Luckily, I stumbled upon the 37mm Hotchkiss revolver cannon, which was in use as a deck cannon and retired prior to WWI.
Now imagine my excitement when I found this one:



here is the text that accompanies it:
Letter on reverse (see next picture) with postage cancelled 2.12.15.

Commercial postcard, meaning the sender probably isn't in the picture. The men depicted above are from an unidentified Landsturm battalion. Indicators on the postcard's reverse, suggest the sender is from a reserve infantry regiment (12?).

Théâtre du Nord is a theatre located on the Grand Place de Lille in France. The building was erected in 1717, two years after the death of Louis XIV who had conquered the city in 1667. It then served as a garrison for the city guard, whose first mission was to establish order.

The Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon, a revolving barrel machine gun invented in 1872 by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss (1826-1885), founder of Hotchkiss et Cie.

It was a built-up, rifled, rapid-fire gun of oil-tempered steel, having a rectangular breech-block which moved in a mortise cut completely through the jacket. It was designed to be light enough to travel with cavalry, and had an effective range beyond that of rifled small-arms.

The revolving-cannon had five 37 mm barrels, and was capable of firing 43 rounds per minute with an accuracy range of 2,000 yards (1,800 m). Each feed magazine held 10 rounds and weighed approximately 18 pounds (8 kg).

The cannon was accompanied by a horse-drawn ammunition limber, which held 110 rounds plus six loaded magazines, totaling 170 rounds.

[commissarmoody]

I want one

[former user]

I also knew that Lettow-Vorbeck had a battery of revolver cannon, but did not know it was this one


now I can use my dinosaur drawn revolver cannon in a steampunk BoB scenario!

[Helen]

Great photos, thank you.

Helen

[Plynkes]

I want one

I already got two!



 

[former user]

who made them?

[Plynkes]

I got them from Richard Houston, so I presume they came from the range of colonial guns he did that used to be sold by The London War Room. As that outfit has closed I figure the guns are no longer available (I haven't heard of anyone else picking them up), but I may be wrong.

[former user]

pity.
now I'll have to make some myself...

[Plynkes]

Yes, it is a real pity. Those Houston ranges had just about every colonial gun a gunboat nut could want (on naval mounts plus some on wheeled carriages), not to mention dozens of cool cast ship fittings (doors, hatches, vents, anchors, you name it) that were a scratch-builder's dream.

[archangel1]

Old Glory 25's carries the Houston guns and they list the Hotchkiss.

http://oldglory25s.com/index.php?cat_id=97&catname='Houston 25mm Colonial Artillery and Colonial Wagons'

[HerbyF]

Just looked. Unfortunately most of the machine guns in cluding the Hotchkiss are n/a. I am not sure just what guns are available but riveresco does a number of colonial era guns with both carrage 7 navel mounts.

[archangel1]

HerbyF, I think you're reading it wrong.  The description of the mini is N/A, not the actual model, as far as I can tell.  Just email Theresa and ask.

[former user]

the 3 lb quickfiring Hotchkiss gun is something else. not the 1lb revolver cannon.
But thanks for the link, mybe they have the moulds

[Plynkes]

Interesting. I didn't know about this. Appears to be just a fraction of the original range though, unfortunately. I recall there being lots more than this. Things are still better than I thought they were, though.

[TadPortly]

Here is a ground mounted version (looks like the one in the originalpicture), this one served in the US Army in 1890: