FIVE‑BARREL 37MM “ONE‑POUNDER” HOTCHKISS REVOLVING CANNON ON ORIGINAL FIELD CARRIAGE

ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES EVER OFFERED AT AUCTION

Hotchkiss & Cie, Paris, c. 1872

Bronze and steel construction, crank‑operated five‑barrel cluster; original Hotchkiss oval brass maker’s plaque to the receiver “SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES ANCIENS ÉTABLISSEMENTS HOTCHKISS & C° / PARIS / No. 481”; mounted on a period Hotchkiss field carriage with double 14‑spoke wooden wheels, elevating screw and traverse gear.

Barrel Length: 29 in. Barrel and Receiver: 46 in. Wheel Diameter: 41.75 in. Overall Length: 92 in. Width: 48 in. 

This classic Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon represents the first successful marriage of machine‑gun style operation to true artillery‑class fixed ammunition. The gun comprises five rifled barrels rotating around a central axis; unlike the Gatling, it employs a single reciprocating bolt against an immovable breech block, the barrels serving in turn as chambers as the crank is worked. Designed for fixed 37mm “one‑pounder” shells, the system offered 60–80 rounds per minute with an effective range to about 1,800 m (maximum in excess of 4,000 m) and, with virtually no recoil, was prized for reliability and accuracy. Sights, feed system and gearing are of polished Hotchkiss pattern, the bright bronze receiver retaining an appealing patina.

American engineer Benjamin B. Hotchkiss (1826–1885), trained in Connecticut’s premier arms industry, settled in France after the U.S. Civil War and founded Hotchkiss & Cie. Conceived as the Franco‑Prussian War began, the revolving cannon entered production in the early 1870s and quickly attracted international trials. Adopted by the Marine Nationale in 1877, it was soon in service as a light battery ashore and as a shipboard anti‑torpedo‑boat gun from Europe to the Americas and Asia. By 1880 Hotchkiss revolving cannon (and its quick‑firing descendants) armed ships and fortifications of the United States, Russia, Brazil, China, Holland, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Denmark and others, marking the transition from hand‑cranked machine guns to the small quick‑firing guns that dominated the 1880s–1890s.

Early, Paris‑made examples retaining their manufacturer’s plaque and mounted on a field carriage are increasingly scarce. Serial No. 481 is a particularly handsome survivor that showcases the firm’s blend of fine bronze founding and practical engineering a museum‑level artifact from the formative decade of quick‑firing artillery.

Note: This artifact is classified as an antique under U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(16)) and is not considered a firearm for federal transfer purposes; no FFL is required. State/local laws and any export/import restrictions (including ITAR/EAR) may still apply. Buyers are responsible for compliance and for arranging any permits or shipping approvals.

BUYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PICK-UP/SHIPPING ARRANGEMENT. 

[Relics, Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms] [Cannon, Ordnance, Artillery] [Late Indian Wars]