Hotchkiss Universal SMG

The Hotchkiss “Universal” submachinegun was put into production in 1949, and saw only very limited sales. It was originally designed in 1949 as a semiautomatic-only police carbine, but after being released it was quickly refitted as a select-fire submachine gun. We don’t know for sure, but suspect the Universal competed with the MAT-49 for a French military contract (which it did not win.

The overriding design intent was to make a very compact folding carbine, and Hotchiss certainly met that objective. However, the gun ended up being too expensive and complex to achieve any real commercial success. Some wound up in Indochina, and some sales were made to Venezuela and Morocco, but that was about the extent of the Universal’s production. There are a few of these guns that were imported into the US as live semi-auto carbines, interestingly.

Reference: http://www.forgottenweapons.com/submachine-guns/hotchkiss-un iversal-smg/

Hotchkiss Universal SM, is one of the best designed, folding firarms, and was built as a SEMI-AUTO (carbine) as well as a FULL-AUTO (sub machine gun).

Frankly, if there was one weaponeer community firearms project, to figure out, and build a full set of plans for (Blueprints/CAD) and potentially even having members offer parts for. (or better yet, to have several members build sub assemblies for, so we would have all the major parts built, or mostly completed, so members without the mills, lathes etc, also have the ability to build the project gun.

The design would be an updated semi-auto carbine design, having the same folding configuration, and potentially built as lightly as possible (alloy, aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber etc).

I see the design, as being a great camp gun, survival carbine, aircrew survival weapon or an emergency car firearm, or even a compact ready bag folding carbine.

** There may be zero interest in it from anyone but me, but if I was of the super rich, I would be hunting down the original for my personal collection. with the folded firearm, being placed in a nice leather case, with a couple spare mag's, in attached leather pouches.  (guess I'm old fashioned).

The internal FCG and bolt are really not that big of an issue. it's the outer parts that need to be figured out.

It's even possible to redesign and make it a rifle, or a shotgun (limited by the size of the magazine size, which limits the caliber). but frankly I see this design as being far better than the AR7, and the other folding survival rifles of the past (22lr and higher) and I would have made for a very nice aircrew survival rifle, and could have even fit in the ejection seat survival kit seat pan.









so, what are your ideas, comments and suggestions?


Links:
http://world.guns.ru/smg/fr/hotchkiss-universal-e.html

I was recently trying to buy a kel tec sub 2000 when I was told the're back ordered for 12 to 14 months!  

So now I'm thinking about making one.

This gun looks vary intriguing. It's shorter but thicker. It would be stronger but heavier. (I think.) 

Certainly some food for thought.