May 8-10, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/8/2024
Extremely attractive shooters ensemble of a Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) manufactured Lewis Model 1914 with numerous accessories, spares, and ammunition. This is one of the 801 guns imported in 1959 by INTERARMCO. In addition to the gun, this lot contains the following: clamp-on bipod, Leather lined clamp-on appliance for mounting this gun on the German MG-3 AA tripod, MG-3 tripod for same, spare .303 bolt, 2 space mainspring assemblies (one apart and incomplete), broken case extractor, spring tension gauge, 2nd spring tension gage with added screwdriver and pointed punch, 2 charging handle knobs, one spanner, gas port nut retention key, original British marked one-piece steel/brass cleaning rod, one wooden cleaning rod, cleaning brushes and swab, carbon cleanout tool, 2 pan loading tools, seven British 47-round pan magazines, one pan magazine release latch, and one small parts tin with 6 short extractors, 2 long extractors, 6 leaf springs, one feed pall, 3 "fishhook" springs, 2 mainspring retention pins, and 3 feedway tension springs. Also included is about 96 rounds of copper-washed steel cased .303 ammunition, 500 rounds of FN 1950s .303 ammunition, and 200 rounds of clean British Mk VII .303 ammunition (about 800 rounds total). Two U.S. plastic first aid kit boxes contain the pan magazines. Typical BSA markings on action cover. Rear sight marked for .303 MK VII ammunition. Caliber of bolt and barrel in gun verified as .303. Electronic NFA registry indicates “B.S.A. LEWIS CO. ENGLAND” as the manufacturer. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish are good the very good original finish with the shroud mostly a gray patina with more finish closer to the muzzle with some areas of brown patina. Original finish on the receiver is actually extremely fine and quite attractive with some loss of finish at the high edges. Bottom of pistol grip has pitting and otherwise is a gray patina, with fine wood grips. Metal of stock also a gray patina with the wood showing quite a bit of handling and some loos of wood at the toe, not affecting serviceability. Although this gun is an excellent running gun, according to the consignor, there is some evidence of old weld in the receiver just to the rear of the chamber mouth, indicating this is a reactivated DEWAT (almost all of these are). Bore is near excellent, shiny and bright. Bolt face is near excellent. Mechanics are crisp and smooth. This is a full-auto-only machine gun. The Lewis machine gun was a preferred model light machine gun of World War I. Reliable, portable, and relatively light in comparison to the water-cooled guns then employed. This is about as nice a shooters ensemble as one could hope to find. The spare parts and accessories included in this lot more than make up what one might find lacking in original finish. This cataloger has a preference for known good running guns. 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 2024-05-33
Accessories
Case, Tripod, 2 plastic G.I boxes W/pans, 800 rounds of ammunition
Manufacturer
B.S.A. Lewis Co. England