WWI FRENCH CHAUCHAT MACHINE GUNNER BY DOUG AITCHISON (ZEBRATEN)

The Chauchat machine gun is a much aligned weapon.  Considered by many experts to be one of the worst machine guns ever made.  Still, there were over 260,000 of them made during WWI and they were used by many countries.  This is not a weapon suited for the muddy trenches of Western Europe.

The Chauchat machine rifle was one of the first light, automatic rifle caliber weapons designed to be carried and fired by a single operator and an assistant, without a heavy tripod or a team of gunners.  It set a precedent for several subsequent 20th century firearm projects, being a portable yet full power automatic weapon built inexpensively and in very large numbers.  The Chauchat combined a pistol grip, an in-line stock, a detachable magazine, and a selective fire capability in a compact package of manageable weight (20 lbs) for a single soldier.  Furthermore, it could be routinely fired from the hip while walking.

Check out this amazing custom figure by Doug Aitchison (Zebraten) and more this October!