RARE MAKER**WW1 1916 British WD Erith (Kent) MK 1Vickers .303 Calibre Heavy Machine Gun With Scarce Steel Ammo Feed Tray, Fluted Jacket, Matching 1916 Date MK IV Cradle/ Pintle By RH & S & Tripod**EARLY UK 1996 DEACTIVATION CERTIFICATED None Machine Guns

**RARE MAKER**WW1 1916 British WD Erith (Kent) MK 1Vickers .303 Calibre Heavy Machine Gun With Scarce Steel Ammo Feed Tray, Fluted Jacket, Matching 1916 Date MK IV Cradle/ Pintle By RH & S & Tripod**EARLY UK 1996 DEACTIVATION CERTIFICATED**Sn 20534 - 20534

The Vickers machine gun is a water-cooled .303 British machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more men to move and operate it: one fired, one fed the ammunition, the others helped to carry the weapon, its ammunition, and spare parts. It was in service from before the First World War until the 1960s, with air-cooled versions of it on many Allied World War I fighter aircraft. This WW1 MK1 fluted jacket .303 Vickers Heavy Machine gun is with cradle/ pintle and tripod. The machine gun has WD inspection marks and is marked with serial number 'L3943’ which identifies its maker as ‘Erith’ (L) and the number 3943 dates its manufacture to March 1916 (see page 58 of ‘The Grand Old Lady Of No Man’s Land’ by Goldsmith. The author describes Erith (the Vickers works, beside the Thames at Erith, Kent, England) as making ‘L’ series Vickers from 1911 through to 1916 and remarks that they are some of the scarcest Vickers). It is fitted with flip up long range sight and has excellent undamaged wood firing handles. The machine gun retains its original finish. Deactivated to early UK specification in 1996 the gun cocks and dry fires, its breech covers can be opened and the scarce to find steel ammo feed tray can be removed. The tripod is in excellent original condition with original green paint. The tripod has a graduated dial & designation markings (all illustrated). The cradle / pintle of the tripod has maker mark ‘RH & S’ together with 1916 date which matches the gun’s year of manufacture (all illustrated). The gun and tripod have other un-matching numbers. The price includes deactivation certificate & UK delivery Sn 20534

£8,950.00