An evolution of an Austrian design, the French-made Hotchkiss gun was a significant deviation from the Maxim and its copies and imitators, using a quick-detachable air-cooled barrel, a piston-driven gas operation and firing from an open bolt, all of which would go on to be common features in medium and light machine guns. Additionally, the feed mechanism used rigid brass plates instead of the canvas belts that became the de-facto standard until the disintegrating belt was introduced; a lone operator could feed in these plates on their own, with the bolt locking back automatically when the plate was empty, a loading team could link plates together as they were fired for continuous discharge, or a series of hinged, linked plates could be used for vehicle gunners. The Hotchkiss Mle 1914 officially became the standard French infantry machine gun in late 1917, and 7,000 of these chambered in 8mm Lebel were also used by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) overseas in France during World War I. As well as being an inspiration for the next wave of machine guns, the Hotchkiss itself would be licensed or copied by the Americans, Chinese and Japanese. Blade front and adjustable rear sights. The barrel is fitted with a set of 5 thick cooling fins at the breech and a hand-adjustable gas port assembly at the underside. The right side of the frame bears the serial number and "1918" production date, and the left is marked with the French nomenclature and patent markings. A brass pistol grip is fitted to the underside and a steel maneuvering spade grip on the rear. Absent bolt body and internals. Includes a tripod.