Original Item: Only One Available. This is an incredible German Maxim Maschinengewehr (Machine Gun) 08 parts set, fully BATF compliant with the right side plate completely removed. More commonly known as the MG 08, this was one of the most legendary weapons of the first world war, and for the most part this example has been broken down into its component parts. As such this is a 100% legal Machine Gun parts set, totally legal to own without a license of any kind in most locations in the United States.

The parts set is in great shape, and looks to contain the lions share of the original components of the machine gun. The parts all appear to be un-altered, with the barrel being original German manufacture with a great bore, bright with crisp lands and grooves. The lock is included as well and is complete, though it is a bit gummed up and will not dry fire without a little help by pushing on the cocking lever. The feed block moves correctly, and the rear sight and other parts of the top cover work great as well.

We checked the spade grip, and the trigger still works correctly, and BOTH of the original oil brushes are still intact, stored inside of the lovely wooden grips. The water jacket is in great shape, still retaining a good amount of the wartime camouflage paint that had been applied. The left side plate still has the fusee cover mounted, and the spring is still inside, though we do not know if the crank connector is present.

This great example is covered with markings and proofs, and is nicely marked on the top cover:

This indicates production in 1918 by the legendary Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktiengesellschaft (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), usually shortened to D.W.M. AG or simply DWM. This company was created following the death of Ludwig Loewe, when his younger brother took over Ludwig Loewe & Company. This company had grown in size during the 19th Century, and by that point was owner of Mauser Waffenfabrik. The decision was made to unite the weapons and ammunition production facilities within one company, with a munitions plant in Karlsruhe (Baden), formerly Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik Lorenz, and the weapons plant in Berlin. This company would produce many legendary designs during the late 19th and early 20th century, including the Gewehr 98, the Pistole Parabellum (Luger) 08, and the MG 08.

This parts set was made from parts matching machine gun, and almost all the components that would normally have the serial number are marked with 44067 d, 4067, or shortened number 67, in typical German fashion. The only notable non-matching part is the lock, which bears serial number 5749 / 3, probably swapped out during long service, as the barrel was. There are lot of markings and proofs on this example, typical of WW1 German production.

Perfect for advanced collectors, ones this nice rarely come to market, especially with an original lock and live barrel! Please consult the pictures to see the exact items included with this set, as some pins, screws, and rivets are definitely not present.

Ready to be the centerpiece of your German WWI collection!

History of the MG 08-

The Maschinengewehr 08, or MG 08, was the German Army's standard machine gun in World War I and is an adaption of Hiram S. Maxim's original 1884 Maxim gun. It was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 served during World War II as a heavy machine gun in many German infantry divisions, although by the end of the war it had mostly been relegated to second-rate fortress units.

The MG 08 - so-named after 1908, its year of adoption - was a development of the license made Maschinengewehr 01. It could reach a firing rate of up to 400 rounds per minute using 250-round fabric belts of 7.92x57mm ammunition, although sustained firing would lead to overheating; it was water-cooled using a jacket around the barrel that held approximately one gallon of water. Using a separate attachment sight with range calculator for indirect fire, the MG 08 could be operated from cover. Additional telescopic sights were also developed and used in quantity during the war.

The MG 08, like the Maxim gun, operated on the basis of short barrel recoil and a toggle lock; once cocked and fired the MG 08 would continue firing rounds until the trigger was released (or until all available ammunition was expended). Its practical range was estimated at some 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) up to an extreme range of 3,600 metres (3,900 yd). The MG 08 was mounted on a sled mount (German: Schlittenlafette) that was ferried between locations either on carts or else carried above men's shoulders in the manner of a stretcher.

Pre-war production was by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) in Berlin and the government arsenal at Spandau (so that the gun was often referred to as a Spandau MG 08).

A lightened and thus more portable version - by "stepping-down" the upper rear and lower forward corners of the original MG 08's rectangular-outline receiver and breech assembly - was tested as a prototype in 1915 by a team of weapon designers under the direction of a Colonel Friedrich von Merkatz - the MG 08/15. The MG 08/15 had been designed to be manned by four trained infantrymen spread on the ground around the gun and in the prone position. To accomplish that purpose the MG 08/15 featured a short bipod rather than a heavy four legged sled mount, plus a wooden gunstock and a pistol grip. At 18 kg, the MG 08/15 was lighter and less cumbersome than the standard MG 08 since the MG 08/15 had been designed to provide increased mobility of infantry automatic fire.

It nevertheless remained a bulky water-cooled weapon that was quite demanding on the quality and training of its crews. Accurate fire was difficult to achieve and usually in short bursts only. It was first introduced in battle during the French "Chemin des Dames" offensive in April 1917 where it contributed to the very high casualty count among the French assailants. Its deployment in increasingly large numbers with all front line infantry regiments continued in 1917 and during the German offensives of the spring and summer of 1918.

The MG 08/15 became, by far, the most common German machine gun deployed in World War I (Dolf Goldsmith, 1989) since it reached a full allocation of six guns per company or 72 guns per regiment in 1918. By that time, there were four times as many MG 08/15 light machine guns than heavy MG 08 machine guns in each infantry regiment. To attain this goal, about 130,000 MG 08/15 had to be manufactured during World War I, most of them by the Spandau and Erfurt government arsenals.