April 27-30, 2021 Extraordinary Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/29/2021
Manufactured in the closing year of World War I at the Erfurt Arsenal. The MG-08/15 was designed as a lightweight alternative to cumbersome MG-08, being utilized in a light machine gun role to enable equipped infantry units to have substantially more mobility while engaged in combat. This example is extremely faintly marked "2928/ M.G.08/15 / Gwf./ ERFURT/ 1918" on the top cover. Semi-automatic sideplate is marked "SEMI 08/15/ 2928". Matching numbers are found on the top cover, left side of the receiver, feed block, charging handle, receiver cover latch, and the rear sight assembly. Water jacket has been wonderfully painted in the appropriate German World War I disruptive type camouflage. Buttstock and grip are comprised of wood, with the grip being of contemporary manufacture. Complete with an original bipod. Semi-automatic sideplate is missing its screws. 1 brass tabbed 250 round cloth belt is included with this lot. CONDITION: Metal components retain the majority of their reapplied blue finish with areas of wear showing through to dull silvering in some areas and with areas of pitting visible beneath the bluing. Water jacket retains the vast majority of its reapplied painted camo, showing some wear and minor flaking in some areas. Bore is dark towards the muzzle, retaining well defined rifling throughout. Wood components show some scattered nicks and impressions, with the stock bearing a crack at the top towards the receiver. Bipod retains traces of its green painted finish, with the balance retaining a dark gray pitted surface. A very nice and attractive example of an MG 08/15 machine gun that has been converted to fire semi-automatic. -MLW-
Accessories
Bipod, Semi-Auto sideplate