Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 596 mm
- Weight, empty
- 12.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1909
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Hotchkiss M1909, known in US service as the Benet-Mercie Machine Rifle and in Britain as the Hotchkiss Mark I, was an early light machine gun developed by Hotchkiss et Cie. Its locking mechanism was designed by Laurence Benet and Henri Mercie, building on Adolf Odkolek's patent. Gas-operated and air-cooled, it fed from rigid metallic feed strips and was produced in 8mm Lebel, .303 British and .30-06 Springfield. It saw wide use in cavalry, fortress, aircraft and early tank roles during and around World War I.
At the 1916 Battle of Columbus four M1909s fired some 20,000 rounds against Pancho Villa's raiders; the 'daylight gun' reputation later led Major Julian Hatcher to conclude the reliability complaints stemmed largely from poor training rather than the design itself.
US troops nicknamed it the 'daylight gun' because broken pins were hard to replace in the dark and feed strips were easily inserted upside-down at night. Sources vary on barrel length (596-640 mm) and overstate muzzle velocity in places (8mm Lebel realistically ~730 m/s).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Hotchkiss et Cie
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- France
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1909 to 1918
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 596 mm
- Overall length
- 1187 mm
- Weight, empty
- 12.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Full auto only
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Stripper clip
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 730 m/s
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Maximum range
- 3800 m
- Rate of fire
- 500 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Air cooled- Metallic feed strip
Bipod
Long stroke gas piston
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 261 machine guns | 12.00 kg | 10.50 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1187 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 596 mm | 605 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 30 | 50 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie
How much does the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie weigh?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie weighs 12.00 kg (26.46 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie is chambered in 8x50mmR Lebel, .30-06 Springfield, and .303 British.
How many rounds does the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie hold?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie holds 30 rounds, fed from a stripper clip.
How long is the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie is 1187 mm (46.7 in) long overall, with a 596 mm (23.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie is made by Hotchkiss et Cie (France). It was designed by Laurence Benet and Henri Mercie.
When was the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie introduced?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie was introduced in 1909 and discontinued in 1918.
How does the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie operate?
The Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- French Army
- 1909
- United States Army
- 1909
- British Army
- United Kingdom
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/hotchkiss-m1909' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hotchkiss-m1909", "name": "Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie", "manufacturer": { "id": "hotchkiss-et-cie", "name": "Hotchkiss et Cie", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": 1867, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "updatedAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "version": "fec1aab594d80a8a47cd246ae072f3ad17e573758a3584663b16d9a8b67ff5b0" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 1909, "barrel_length_mm": 596, "weight_empty_g": 12000, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}