British Vickers MMG Fluted Display Gun & AA Tripod: Dated 1916 (One Only) Original Items

Original item: One Only! Serial Number L3518 which indicates manufacture in February of 1916 this is a now increasingly difficult to find WW1 era Vickers Water cooled Display Machine Gun.

Totally inert, rebuilt from original parts (less receiver plates) this Display item is totally free of restriction to own by Federal Law and is classed as a “Non Gun”.

This weapon cannot be made to fire however it simulates the cycling action when cocking lever is retracted. Heavy blue/black finish with deep green paint on the water jacket as was used on the Western Front. Of particular interest is the “Flat Nosed Muzzle Gland” only found on really early Vickers Guns which were soon superseded by the “Pointed Nose” variety of the later WW1 and continued up through the WW2 years.

This Vickers comes on it’s extremely rare WWI1 era Anti-Aircraft mount consisting of standard heavy duty tripod with sand painted legs and brass central socket complete with the anti-aircraft extension with it’s brass head and leather lined securing bracket that locks around the rear of the water jacket, (the circular “Traversing/Directional Dial Mark 1 adopted on October 17^th 1915 was removed for use with the AA Extension and is therefore absent.). The extension also features a ball headed “stop” that balances the weapon when not in use and a bracket onto which a special ammunition case can be mounted. In all; this is a very rare early AA Set-up.

1916 saw the WW1 air war reaching its climax, a taste of things to come. No doubt with its manufacture date established at February 1916 there is every possibility that that this actual weapon saw combat perhaps even on the Western Front.