May 8-10, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/8/2024
This J.P. Sauer manufactured 1918 dated Maxim 08/15 machine gun retains its matching top cover, fusee cover, and feed block. Charging handle is unnumbered. The barrel, lock, buttstock, and drum hanger are non-matching. Muzzle booster, and water fill cap (with wood thumbpieces intact) are present, as is as a highly desirable original tubular steel bipod. Electronic NFA registry indicates “GERMANY” as the manufacturer. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is good, with significantly thinning original finish exhibiting a mostly gray smooth patina with some brown patina, particularly at the fusee cover and receiver sides. Lightly sanded buttstock is extremely fine. Barrel jacket has a couple noticeable dings and is mostly a gray and brown patina. Original muzzle booster is gray at the cone with much more blue finish on the body. Bipod is also a gray patina. Bore rifling is extremely fine, shiny turning a little dark in the grooves. Mechanics are fine, action moves smoothly, with rails recoiling appropriately under fusee spring tension. This is a full-auto-only machine gun. The 08/15 Maxim was the German “light” machine gun of World War I and remained in service throughout the Weimar era of the 1920s and 1930s, eventually becoming a rear echelon weapon through the end of World War II. This specimen with its drum hanger and tubular steel bipod has a couple of desirable parts which more than overcome its lack of feed block and lock. 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 AND RELIC ELIGIBLE. JWK 2024-05-015.
Manufacturer
J P Sauer & Sohn