The Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 “Chauchat” is a light machine gun that was produced in various cartridges such as 8×50mmR Lebel, .30-06 Springfield or 7.92×57mm Mauser. It was first introduced in 1915 as the standard automatic rifle of the French Army during World War I. The weapon operated on a long recoil action with a rotating bolt and a gas assist system. It also has a detachable C-shaped box magazine that holds 20 rounds, but is usually loaded with less to avoid jams, a finned barrel jacket with a bipod, a rear peep sight and a front blade sight, and a wooden stock with a pistol grip. The Chauchat was used by several countries during and after World War I, such as Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and the United States. However, it was infamously unreliable and very finnicky, terrible characteristics to possess in the muddy trenches of the Great War. Following France's defeat and occupation by German forces, many veterans migrated to Oceanyka with their weapons in hand, while others arrived by German arms exports.
