1020

WELL ACCESSORIZED BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS LEWIS

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:9,000.00 USD Estimated At:18,000.00 - 27,000.00 USD
WELL ACCESSORIZED BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS LEWIS
CURRENT BID
0.00USD
ENTER YOUR MAXIMUM ABSENTEE BID[?]
You must bid at least
9,000.00USD
USD
9,000.00 x 1 unit = 9,000.00USDApplicable fees & taxes are added at checkout.
[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2026 Nov 06 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
MODEL 1914 LIGHT MACHINE GUN. Cal. 303 British. S# A201. Bbl. 26". Designed just prior to the Great War, was a notable and unconventional innovation during the period. While contemporary machine guns heavily relied on water-cooling jackets in order to dissipate from extension firing, the Lewis featured an air-cooled design. Though the Lewis cost a notable sum more to mfg. as compared the Vickers machine gun, its comparatively light weight and portability, paired with its distinctive 47-rd. "pan" mag., proved instrumental on the Western Front, where German captured examples were frequently fielded in turn against the British. This example is marked "Manufactured by/ The Birmingham Small Arms Co. LTD./ ENGLAND/ For/ Armes Automatique's Lewis/ BELGIUM", as well as "Lewis Automatic Machine Gun/ Model 1914 - Patented" on the top of the receiver cover. Left side sliding charging handle locking plate is marked "LEFT", followed by a star. Top of the bipod jacket band is marked "MOUNT FIELD 303/ LEWIS GUN MARK III/ C P LTD MAKER/ COVENTRY". Metal components exhibit a reapplied blue finish overall, save for on the bolt, which is properly polished in-the-white, and the aluminum radiator, which is in-the-white. Bipod exhibits remnants of a green painted finish. Standard 2-piece smooth wood grips with plain wood buttstock featuring an integral oiler and a plain steel buttplate marked with patent information. Grips appear to have been sanded and refinished at one time. Stock and jacket are fitted with a khaki canvas sling, marked "M.H.W (LD)/ 1915/ W (BOARD ARROW) D". Standard blade front sight and elevation adj. flip-up aperture rear sight. No matching numbers are present, which is not uncommon. Chamber area exhibits some porosity, little indicating a prior dewat. NFA Registry indicates "Birmingham Small Arms Co. in the mfg. block. MAGS: x9 47-rd. pan mags. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: quality contemporary wood transit chest containing x1 6th Edition "Lewis Gun Mechanism Made Easy" manual, x1 "The Complete Lewis Gunner by an Instructor" manual, a spare bbl., spare gas tube, spare piston, spare buttstock socket, as well as a wood cleaning rod. Additionally, this example is accompanied by a canvas maintenance roll kit mfg. by Holdall in 1931, containing another piston assembly, brass handled steel cleaning rod, an original brown leather spare parts / tool wallet, drum mag. loading tool, a BSA wrench and several small parts, a small stamped steel container containing x2 spare charging handles, a rope bore snake and cleaning brush, a brass capped stamped steel oiler bottle, as well as a 2-piece wood cleaning rod. Furthermore, this example includes an additional spare gas cyl. tube, a broken piston assembly, an original khaki canvas 4-drum mag. carrier, x4 2-mag. khaki canvas carriers, as well as x1 original 2-compartment steel Lewis mag. box containing 2 mag. loading tools, as well as x3 of the aforementioned 2-mag. canvas carriers. CONDITION: metal components retain the majority of their reapplied blue finish, exhibiting some patches of light wear and thinning, scattered superficial marks from handling and storage, scattered patches of light surface oxidation, as well as scattered spots and patches of pitting beneath the bluing. Bipod retains traces of its green painted finish, with the balance having faded to a gray patina. Very bright bore, exhibiting a consistent scattering of light pitting, while retaining well defined rifling throughout. Proper manual mechanics. Wood furniture shows scattered marks and impressions from handling and storage, but otherwise remain sturdy and sound. Holdall canvas maintenance kit exhibits discoloration, but otherwise remains sound. Steel mag. box exhibits scattered spots and patches of mild surface oxidation, but otherwise remains sound, A beautifully accessorized Lewis Model 1914 machine gun. PROVENANCE: From the Harry A. Baldwin Estate Collection. NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT MG REQUIRING BATF TRANSFER BEFORE TAKING POSSESSION. FULLY TRANSFERABLE. (03-2314/MLW). CURIO. CLASS III. $18,000-27,000.