May 28 & 29, 2020 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/28/2020
This Spandau manufactured 1918 dated Maxim 08/15 machine gun was a client amnesty registered DEWAT which has been reactivated by U.S. Armament Corp, Ephrata, PA and is so marked on the bottom of the receiver bottom plate just forward of the buttstock hardware. The reactivation was a straightforward repair of the lower feed arm of the feed block. Otherwise this is about as a nice and original World War I Maxim as one could hope to find. Visible numbers are matching including top cover, feed block, barrel, receiver, crosshead, charging handle, buttstock hardware, and buttstock. Lock, and fusee cover are non-matching. Original bipod present. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is fine original finish with about 20% original olive green paint water jacket. Water jacket has a couple light unobtrusive dings. Thumbpieces on water fill cap not present as is typical. One prong of steam exhaust fitting broken off. Buttstock slightly loose in socket. Mechanics are fine. Fusee cover has numerous dents and dings as one would expect from a Veteran machine gun. Wood is very fine with some small chips and dings. Bore is dark with strong rifling. Lock has been renumbered multiple times. The 08/15 Maxim was the German “light” machine gun of World War I and remained in service throughout the Weimar era of the 1920’s and 1930’s and remained in rear echelon service through the end of World War II. No World War I machine gun collection is complete without an example of a German Maxim, and these guns are great fun to shoot at the range as well. THIS IS A NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEM AND REQUIRES BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. THIS ITEM IS FULLY TRANSFERABLE ON AN ATF FORM 3 OR 4 AS CURIO & RELIC ELIGIBLE. JWK 2020-05-085