June 9-10, 2017 Premier Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/10/2017
Due to the geopolitical situation in the 1890's, the British had supplied the Nepalese army with a large amount of rifles and ammunition, but no machine guns. Nepalese General Gehendra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana decided to make his own, based on the British Gardner machine gun. Keep in mind that the British, having moved on to better Boxer rounds, were supplying the Nepalese with vast amounts of military surplus, including the notoriously sketchy .577 x 450 Martini-Henry rounds of ammunition. Enter the Bira Gun. The General's design had a top mounted, drum style magazine that held 120 rounds like a two-layer cake and barrels that could be quickly removed with the chains when hot and cleared when a cartridge failed, as they often did. Interestingly, Gehendra also felt that a counter-clockwise crank to fire the gun was a more natural movement. These weapons were hand made, one at a time, so parts are not interchangeable between guns, and even a particular screw may only fit that particular hole. The Bira is mounted like an artillery piece, with a painted steel pivoting mount on stout, steel rimmed wagon wheels. The Bira offered here has "99" engraved many times throughout, with some other numbers scattered about. The 41" double barrels, body with chains and pins, and drum all have a beautiful brown patina. The left side of the body has a brass elevation arc with a freely hanging iron arrow. In front of the hand cranked bolt, the right side of the body features an embossed brass medallion with red inpainting and a combination of English and Nepalese writing.
Condition: (Very Good).