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LOT 371
British Birmingham Small Arms Model
1914 Lewis Machine Gun, Class III/NFA C&R
DEWAT Registered Machine Gun - Serial no. 37167,
303 British cal., 26 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Originally developed prior to World War I, the Lewis was one of the lightest machine
guns of the era, weighing in at about 28 pounds. The inventor, Lieutenant Colonel Issac Newton Lewis, established a firm in Belgium to license the design
to arms manufacturers, finding interested parties at Birmingham Small Arms of Britain and Savage Arms of the United States, and both countries would
take the Lewis into combat during World War I as infantry machine guns and in aircraft and vehicle mountings. The distinctive aluminum cooling fins and barrel shroud are present on this standard infantry Lewis. Blade front and folding ladder rear sights. Includes a detachable anti-aircraft sight and bipod
both mounted on the barrel shroud.
CONDITION: Very good as deactivated, retains 50% plus original blue finish, strongest on the receiver and front of the barrel shroud with smooth gray on
the balance and a few small patches of light pitting. Wood is good as re-oiled with numerous scattered scratches and dents, a few chips, and repaired and spliced sections at the top and bottom ahead of the buttplate. The barrel has been welded to the receiver, the chamber welded closed obstructing the
forward movement of the bolt, otherwise the complete bolt and gas piston assembly function mechanically fine. Included tripod is good, retaining
30% of its original green paint concentrated on one leg with some chips and smooth brown patina on the balance. NOTE: This is a registered DEWAT weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), as a National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon, that is fully transferable. It has been classified as a Curio or Relic as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.
Estimate: 7,500 - 12,000
LOT 372
Desirable World War I German Erfurt Maxim Model 1908/15 Machine
Gun with Bipod, Class
III/NFA C&R DEWAT
Registered Machine Gun
- Serial no. 1491A, 7.92 mm cal., 28 1/4 inch
round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock, walnut grips. This is an fine representative example of a deactivated World War I Imperial German Army Model 1908/15 Maxim heavy machine gun manufactured by the Erfurt Arsenal in 1918. The top cover is marked “1491/a/M.G.08/15/Gwf./ERFURT/1918.” Flip-up tangent style rear sight graduated from 400-2,000 meters, a simple inverted “v” front sight mounted on the large steel water jacket. It has been deactivated by welding a plug in the chamber of the barrel and welding it to the receiver. The maxim machine gun was originally developed by Hiram Maxim in 1883-1884 and was one of the most influential weapons of the 20th century, as it was the first self-sustaining heavy machine gun used by any country on the battlefield. It was adopted by the British Army in 1895, the Imperial German Army in 1899 and the Russian Army in 1905. It
was used by Imperial German Army throughout World War I as a ground mounted version in trench warfare, and earned
the nickname “Devils Paintbrush” due to the fact that it could mow down hundreds of men in a single engagement
during a large scale assault from the trenches. The large distinctive steel water jacket holds seven quarts of water to
cool the barrel which allows it to have long sustained bursts of fire of up to 500 rounds before the water starts to boil.
At 2,000 rounds of sustained fire the water boils off and the jacket has to be refilled. Includes a bipod.
CONDITION: Fine as deactivated, retains 60% dull arsenal refinished blue finish with brown patina and some
scattered patches of light pitting on the balance, and some dents on the water jacket. Wood is also very good
as re-oiled with some scattered dents and scratches, a few filled in repairs on the right of the buttstock, and cracks on either side at the rear of the buttstock. The barrel has been welded to the receiver, the chamber welded closed, the firing pin welded, the bolt assembly was welded previously and has been spuriously repaired to allow cycling. NOTE: This is a registered DEWAT weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), as a National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon, that is fully transferable. It has been classified as a Curio or Relic as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.
Estimate: 6,500 - 11,000
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