Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
Country: 
FranceManufacturer: Hotchkiss et Cie (Saint-Denis, Parigi)
Five-barrelled 37 mm rotating cannon designed by Benjamin Hotchkiss: hand-cranked Gatling-style, firing 1-pound explosive shells at up to ~80 rpm, used as a naval anti-torpedo-boat gun and as a mountain piece on a wheeled carriage.
Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
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Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
- Alias
- Canon-revolver Hotchkiss / Hotchkiss 37 mm 1-pdr
- Manufacturer
- Hotchkiss et Cie (Saint-Denis, Parigi)
- Country
- France
- Year
- 1873
- Category
- Heavy machine gun
- Status
- Historic
Ballistics
- Caliber
- 37 × 94 mm R (1-pounder)
- Muzzle velocity
- 442 m/s
- Rate of fire
- ~80 rpm
- Effective range
- 1800 m
- Maximum range
- 3200 m
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 740 mm
- Overall length
- 1240 mm
- Empty weight
- 209 kg
- Loaded weight
- 380 kg
Mechanics
- Operating system
- Canne rotanti azionate a manovella (Gatling-type)
- Bolt / action
- Blocco rotante a 5 canne, percussione meccanica
Feed
- System
- Caricatore verticale a gravità da 10 colpi
- Standard capacity
- 10 rounds
Fire modes
Historical profile
Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, an American engineer based in France, patented in 1873 a five-barrel hand-cranked cannon that pushed past Gatling-gun limits by firing 37 mm explosive shells instead of rifle rounds.
Adopted by the French Marine Nationale, Royal Navy, US Navy and Imperial Russian Navy as a secondary weapon against the new steam torpedo boats, it served in every major conflict between 1877 and WWI.
Its land version, on a two-wheel wooden carriage with iron tires (Hotchkiss Mountain Gun M1875, 1.65"), accompanied French, British and US colonial campaigns and was also used by the US Cavalry against Native Americans.
Variants
Main users
France · United Kingdom · United States · Russian Empire · Italy · Japan
Key components
- ●Stock — Shoulder rest.
- ●Receiver — Weapon body with internal mechanisms.
- ●Grip — Primary grip.
- ●Magazine — Cartridge feed.
- ●Barrel — Guides the projectile.
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