Here are some pictures of my U.K. deactivated Hotchkiss SMG or as I like to call it "the folding-up SMG". U.K. collectors will know what I mean when I say that this item has been deactivated to the "old new spec" U.K. deactivation which when translated into plain English means that most of it has been welded up as part of the deactivation work apart from the folding stock and mag housing/mechanism, as can be seen from the pictures. At the time when this SMG was deactivated sometimes even the magazines got deactivated, by some dealers, and this is one such example. A deac stamp can seen near the base of the lower part of the mag in the close up picture. I purchased this deac in late April purely because of the interesting design of folding stock and mag housing, nothing more.
I don't really know too much about the Hotchkiss SMG other than the unique way that the stock and mag housing fold-up and I thought that any other Forum members who may have more knowledge of the Hotchkiss SMG may like to provide some further background information to the thread, please.
Information
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Last edited by Flying10uk; 06-16-2017 at 06:03 PM.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what would be the purpose of this shaped piece of metal attached to the muzzle, please? Would it be to protect the end of the magazine from damage in the "folded up" position? I don't know if I'm dreaming it or if I read somewhere that on a non deactivated version the barrel would concertina into the receiver a certain amount in the folded position?
Last edited by Flying10uk; 06-17-2017 at 06:46 PM.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what would be the purpose of this shaped piece of metal attached to the muzzle, please? Would it be to protect the end of the magazine from damage in the "folded up" position? I don't know if I'm dreaming it or if I read somewhere that on a non deactivated version the barrel would concertina into the receiver a certain amount in the folded position?
I found some data on the Hotchkiss "Type Universal" submachine gun. It was designed and manufactured by Hotchkiss in Paris in 1949, being intended as a semi auto police weapon later modified to full auto, it has
undergone a number of design changes (example Type 010 and Type 017). Used in early fighting in Indochina and Venezuela has purchased them in the 1950's.
It would be interesting to know from where Hotchkiss started with the design of this smg? Did the designers start with a blank canvas or did they, as I suspect, start with the MP40, grease gun and perhaps the the Sten in mind when design work began? The way that the stock and mag folded together with the way that the barrel retracted into the receiver must have been revolutionary and unique when it first came on the market.