Kalashnikov magazine received additional information about Odkolek machine guns
A series of articles by Rimma Timofeeva and Ruslan Chumak about the experimental machine gun of the Austrian Baron Adolf Odkolek for the Russian army raised the layer of a little-studied period of Russian arms history, presenting to the public only one of the samples unknown to Russian gun lovers. Suddenly, the period put in the series of publications “Arms adventures of two barons in Russia and its environs” turned into a comma…
Let me remind you that in 1890-1893, Odkolek patented in several countries the design of an automatic weapon (machine gun) with an original locking system with a tilt in the vertical plane of a special combat cylinder (lever) located at the rear of the bolt (patents: Germany, No 65953, 1890, Switzerland, No 4903, 1892, USA, No 486938, 1892, Denmark, No 686, 1893). A drawing from the German patent published can be seen in the subtitle illustration.
In 1894, he sold some of the patents to the French company Hotchkiss et Cie, whose employees L. V. Benet and H. A. Mercie used them in the locking mechanism of the Hotchkiss machine gun of the 1897 model, the design of which was patented in 1896 under their own names. This machine gun became one of the world’s first mass models of medium machine guns, was in service with the armies of several countries and was used on the battlefields until World War II inclusive.
Hotchkiss machine gun (mounted), in the design of which Odkolek’s patent was used. Shosha machine gun nearby
In 1900, the baron presented his machine gun to the Russian military department, which comprehensively studied the model, coming to the following conclusion, “… in its present state, it has such imperfections that it cannot represent anything interesting for shooting.” According to the Artillery Committee, the machine gun was absolutely unsuitable for arming the army.
However, as a result of Odkolek’s connections in the highest circles of the Russian Empire, it was decided to manufacture several prototypes, one of which was later transferred from the Sestroretsk Arms Plant to the Artillery Historical Museum (now the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer Troops and Signal Corps), where it is stored to this day. It was to him that a series of articles “The Arms Adventures of Two Barons in Russia…” was dedicated.
At the same time, in fact, the original model of the Odkolek machine gun for the German 7.92-mm rifle cartridge, which the baron brought to Russia for demonstration purposes, remained outside the scope of publications. A foreign reader of Kalashnikov, Jan Skramoušský, curator of the weapons collection of the Military Historical Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic, helped us continue the topic. The collection of this museum contains one of the machine guns of the same model. The Czech gunsmith provided the Kalashnikov magazine with photos of the characteristic parts of this machine gun, supplementing the illustrations with interesting information.
It turned out that only two samples of the Odkolek machine gun of the 1900 model have survived: a copy with the number “1” is in the weapons collection of the Military Historical Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic (Prague), and the second machine gun with the number “6” is kept in the collection of the Swiss Rifle Museum in Bern. Both Odkolek machine guns are practically the same from each other, so we will consider their design using the example of a machine gun from Prague.
In principle, there is no need to make any special descriptions in this case - a person who understands weapons will understand the essence of the machine gun design from the photos and the drawing from the patent.
Odkolek machine gun of the original model of 1900 No 1 from the collection of the Military History Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic
The initial model of the Odkolek machine gun differs from the “Russian” model developed and manufactured by the baron in 1901-1902 at the Sestroretsk Arms Plant in the location of the gas exhaust system - it is located under the barrel, and the design of the locking mechanism - with a skewed bolt, and, of course, the type of cartridge used (7.92-mm German rifle cartridge).
As you can see in the photo, the belt with cartridges is brought from the left side of the weapon and, being thrown over the upper part of the special hinged door of the receiver, goes down to the receiver window, through which the cartridges are sent by the bolt into the barrel.
The mobile system of the Odkolek model 1900 machine gun. The bolt assembly with the bolt carrier and the weapon control handle, which is the cocking handle of the movable system, are visible. Photo by the Military History Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic
On the left side of the breech of the barrel there is a handle with a round ball at the end. Obviously, it is an element of the forced water cooling system of the barrel and performs the function of a valve that shuts off the supply of water from the tank to the barrel bore during firing and releases water into the barrel when the shooter deems it necessary to start cooling the barrel.
The mobile system of the Odkolek model 1900 machine gun. Photo by the Military History Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic
A similar device was supposed to be installed on the “Russian” model of the machine gun, but only a platform on the barrel was prepared for it, and the crane itself was not installed.
Details of the bolt striking mechanism. Photo by the Military History Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic
The Model 1900 No 6 Odkolek machine gun, stored in Switzerland, differs from the No 1 machine gun only in the absence of a forced water cooling system for the barrel
Main types of the Odkolek machine gun of the original model of 1900 No 6 from the collection of the Swiss Rifle Museum (Bern)
Thus, on the basis of a face-to-face and correspondence analysis of the systems, we can say that the main difference between the Russian model of the Odkolek machine gun and the first version was a change in the design of the bolt locking mechanism - from the skew of its entire body to the distortion of a special cylinder (locking lever), which was definitely a more promising solution.
But, in turn, the optimized locking unit never became the basis of a truly viable design, remaining in history as an element of a curious and costly experiment for Russia.
The editors of the Kalashnikov magazine thank Jan Skramouszski
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