Draft:Škoda M1909 machine gun

The M1909 is a machine gun manufactured by Škoda during the Austro-Hungarian era, based on the Salvator Dormus M1893. It operated on a delayed-blowback mechanism and was belt-fed, using the 8x50mm R round. Despite its adoption alongside the more reliable Schwarzlose m/07, it saw limited use primarily among reserve and home guard units of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces. The M1909 underwent redesigns in 1909 to enhance its competitiveness, removing the rate reducer and improving the breech mechanism while adding a cartridge lubricator to increase its rate of fire to 425 rpm. However, the belt-fed system it used, with a 250-round fabric belt feeding from the left side of the receiver to the top, did not completely resolve its feeding issues, contributing to its lower performance compared to recoil-operated guns like the Maxim. It was commonly used along with a metal shield in order to give some protection from bullets, although it was mostly used to defend against artillery shrapnel. The shield was also adapted to fit other LMG's of the era such as MG08's.