December 6-8, 2023 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/6/2023
Offered here are most of the parts of a German WWI MG-08 Maxim manufactured at Spandau Arsenal in 1917. No right sideplate present, but the remaining parts are fabulous and matching (540e), including: the left sideplate with optical sight bracket, bottom plate as an intact unit, the water jacket on trunnion, top cover with retention pin, fusee cover, fusee spring assembly, barrel, barrel extension plates with crosshead, connecting rod and handle, feed block (with lower arm broken off as is typical), and backplate with retention pins, are present and all are matching in serial number. The barrel is filled with and coated with preservative grease, as are most of the other parts. We left them as found. The Spandau Arsenal manufactured MG-08 Maxim is the scarcest manufacturer of this model to find on the collector's market. According to Dolf Goldsmith's book, Germany relocated the tooling for Model 1912 Maxim production from the Fabrique Nationale factory to Spandau after Liege was captured, and then opened a 3rd assembly line for production of the MG-08. The result was that approximately 40,000 MG-08 model guns were manufactured there in 1917. Production of the MG-08 at Spandau ceased early in 1918 in favor of MG-08/15 production. The Spandau 1917 produced MG-08 guns were fielded to the fronts and used, and hence their survivability was relatively low compared to the large number of later DWM produced guns. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is very good original finish thinning to a gray and brown patina on the water jacket with some dings, and some brown corrosion at the trunnion and on the optic bracket. The remaining parts, however, arrived coated in preservative grease, and they appear to be in very fine condition. The condition of the bore is unknown as we left the grease, but the chamber has never been welded. Wood handles of the backplate are extremely fine. The Maxim MG-08 is one of the most recognizable weapons of World War I, and remained in service albeit in a rear security role with the Germans through the end of World War II. This is truly a fabulous find for someone who desires to build up a display gun, has a registered sideplate, or who just wants some spare parts. JWK 2023-12-10