The Hotchkiss M1909 Benét-Mercié is a French light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It is based on a design by an Austrian officer, Adolf Odkolek von Ujezd, who sold the rights to Hotchkiss in 1893, which then had two of its own engineers, Lawrence Benet and Henri Mercie, improve it. This weapon is gas-operated and air-cooled, and was originally chambered in .303 British, .30-06 and 8mm Lebel. It feeds from a strip or a belt, and has a rate of fire of 400 to 600 RPM. The Hotchkiss M1909 has a bipod or a small tripod for support. Most of Oceanyka's existing stock came from a number of disgruntled veterans, who left France in droves with their weapons in hand, hoping to one day take revenge against Germany.