Scarce WWI M.A.N. M.G. 08/15 Maxim Machine Gun Parts Kit

Description

9/22/26 - This is a parts kit of a 1918 M.G.08/15 used by the imperial German army at the end of WWI, manufactured by Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG, (M.A.N.). While M.A.N. was best known for heavy machinery, it was one of several private contractors employed produced the MG08/15 during the First World War. Although there were seven total manufactures of this weapon, the majority of these came from the Spandau and Erfurt arsenals. M.A.N. produced examples are significantly more scarce, accounting for only about 14,000 of the approximately 130,000 total manufactured. The top cover of the receiver is stamped "M.G. 08/15 M.A.N. NÜRNBERG 1918". The gun is all-matching, including all of the small parts, as well as the rear sight, front sight, top cover and latch, feed tray assembly, accelerator, cocking lever and more. The gun is in great overall condition for its age, retaining most of its original finish, with some mild patina and light discoloration here and there on the metal, expected for a gun over 100 years old. Bore is bright with sharp rifling, but does show some surface rust in the channels. Stock is in excellent overall condition, but there is a small (~3") crack on the right side by the shoulder rest. This parts kit comes with the water jacket assembly, receiver assembly, recoil spring housing, feed mechanism, barrel, wood buttstock, receiver frame lid, receiver side plate, trigger & operating components, trigger housing, recoil booster, receiver side plate, internal linkage, and more.

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"This machine gun was originally developed by Hiram Maxim in 1883-1884 and was one of the most influential weapons of the 20th century. This model became the standard German heavy machine gun in 1899 and was used by Imperial German forces throughout WWI as a ground mounted version in trench warfare. These were actually the first self-sustaining heavy MG used in any sizeable numbers on the battlefield. They were able to lay down a sustained suppressive fire without any other external means other than by the energy generated from the force of firing a round. It was adopted by the British in 1887 and Russian prior to WWI. During WWI, it earned the nickname the "Devils Paintbrush" due to the fact that it could literally mow down hundreds of men in a single engagement. The large distinctive steel water jacket, could hold seven quarts of water to cool the barrel which allowed it to have long sustained bursts of fire. It was capable of firing approximately 500 rounds of sustained fire before the water started to boil and up to 2,000 rounds of sustained fire before the water would all boil off and the jacket had to be refilled."