It is obvious that the recoil cannot come into action until a shot has been fired. A handle is therefore provided on the right-hand side outside the casing, by means of which the bolt forming the axis of the recoil and percussion arms may be turned so as to imitate the action of the recoil. This handle must be turned to bring the first cartridge into the chamber, but this having been done, the handle returns to its normal position, and need not be moved again.
We may now watch a gunner at work. He chooses his position, opens out the supports, and pushes them into the ground so as to give the muzzle end a firm bearing. He then takes a magazine from the box he carries with him, and fixes it by a rapid motion into the magazine holder, then, resting his left hand on the stock to steady it, he pulls over the handle with his right so as to bring the barrel and all the moving mechanism into the backward position. He then releases the handle, and the recoil spring comes into action and drives the breech forward, when the controlling gear brings the front end of the breech-block into its downward position, admits the first cartridge into the breech and pushes it forward by the cartridge-feeder into the barrel chamber. The breech-block then rises to its central position at the back of the cartridge, and the gun is ready for firing.
If automatic firing is required, the gunner sets the swivel at the back of the trigger in the right position, sights the object at which he has to fire, and pulls the trigger, thereby exploding the first cartridge. The recoil then drives back the barrel and the breech. The breech-block is moved into its highest position, making room for the ejection of the empty cartridge-case, which is then ejected by the extractor. At the end of the recoil the block falls into its lowest position, the cartridge-feeder having then arrived at the back of the breech-block. The recoil-spring now drives the breech forward, admits the new cartridge on to the breech-block and drives it forward by the feeder into the chamber. The breech-block rises to its position behind the cartridge and is locked in that position. The percussion arm is then released automatically, strikes the hammer, and fires the second cartridge, the cycle of operations repeating itself till the last cartridge but one has been fired, when the magazine is charged and the cycle of operations is again renewed and continued till the second set of cartridges has been fired. The operations follow one another with such rapidity that the twenty-five cartridges contained in the magazine can be fired in less than two seconds. At the same time, the rate of firing remains under the control of the gunner, who can interrupt it at any moment by simply releasing the trigger. He can also alter his aim at any time and keep it directed on a moving object and fire at any suitable moment.