Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very unusual and extremely rare. This genuine World War One aircraft Vickers gun is one only 1,700 units! Yes, this was part of the very limited production contract from the Colt Firearms Company supplied in 1918.
The right side plate has correct been dimilitarized, with almost the entire rear section removed, retaining only the lever latch and removing the cam portions. That makes this a very nice BATF compliant non-firing display machine gun, 100% legal to own without a license of any kind.
Air cooled with a ventilated barrel jacket and fitted with 11mm barrel assembly intended to shoot 11mm Vickers cartridges, also known as 11×59mmR Gras, the same bullet used by the late 19th century French rifle. These cartridges were loaded with Desvignes Mark XI incendiary bullets, which were actually long-burning tracer rounds. This increased the devastating incendiary effect on all German observation balloons, Zeppelins and fighter aircraft fuel tanks.
It had been found that standard rifle cartridges were less than successful at downing observation balloons ("Balloon Busting") than larger calibers carrying incendiary or tracer bullets. France originally tried this with their Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun, however the Vickers platform proved far easier to synchronize with the propeller of the airplane.
With a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute and a range of nearly 2,000 yards these played a great part in the air war during the final year of The Great War.
Obsoleted in 1931 most were officially destroyed during the scrap metal drives of WW2. Our example was, as all others were, electrically fired, which utilized an actuator mounted to the top cover, which we unfortunately do not have. It still retains much (all?) of the synchronization assembly which prevented rounds from striking the plane's propeller.
Offered in excellent display condition still retaining much of the heavy blue/black finish on the receiver. It still bears all of the original manufacture and patent markings at the very front of the ventilated barrel jacket, which read:
11M/M CALIBER
VICKERS AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN
MODEL OF 1918
COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.
VAC V4893
1918 INSPR.
The bottom of the barrel jacket lists all of the U.S. patent numbers involved with the machine gun, and there are several other numbers marked on the gun, but they are not matching. Most likely the parts used to complete the display gun were not original to it, and the barrel also definitely looks to be a .303 example, placed inside to help with the display potential. We also noticed that the serial number may have been stamped over at some point, with the VAC being very interesting, as that is the abbreviation for the "Vickers Armstrong Company", which made Vickers during WWII. Was this rare aircraft Vickers used in some form during the pre-war years, or maybe even during WWII? Definitely some interesting research potential!
This is truly a magnificent display piece, and only the fourth example of one of these exceedingly rare display guns that we have ever been able to offer. Ready to hang on the wall and display!
- This product is not available for international shipping.
- This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America. Every display machine gun and machine gun parts set and gun sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF). Please note that the requirements for each display gun are decided on a per case basis by the BATF, and may require deactivation or omission of some internal components. For more information on this display gun, please contact us. Not available for Export.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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