Let's go back to the year 1918

WWI is coming to a close, The Russians are going red, France wants Germany to pay, the Italians are afraid that they might not get all of the spoils of war that they want, Britain is scrambling to hold their elections before the veterans get home and vote everyone out/tell everyone how terribly mismanaged the war was. Americans had their first big taste of foreign intervention and liked it; only to have Woodrow Wilson and the treaty of Versailles set the timer on the bomb that will be WWII. But let's not dwell on all of the negatives of that era. Let's focus on a single positive: the year one of my favorite rifles was born.

It's a Gewehr 98, and its story is "Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G Oberndorf 1918" Decided to play with it again today after it spent a couple of years in the gun safe, probably bored out of its mind. That's definitely going to change though, because it shoots even sweeter than I remembered and it's addicting. Going to order a case of Privi Partisan 8mm tomorrow because it shoots best with that and I see myself wanting to shoot this rifle a lot more. I'm sure that my friend won't complain about all the reloadable brass that he'll get out of my new addiction.

VIDEO

I got your back

RIGHT ON

Would that be a Maxim MG08 with Maxim telescopic sight? If so, I literally just finished reading about that exact same setup in GUNS Magazine surplus edition.

I can offer up a period correct Luger and Berthier
Someone show up with an MP18 and we can take Paris!

My grandfather brought these back from WWI

Ill bring the 1916 Enfield Mk 3* SMTLE

Lets exterminate all of those red traitorous bastards. It's the only way to ensure Finland will be free.




I wonder if this rifle was actually used to murder captured reds...

The firearms from this era are some of my very favorites!

I'll join the fight with my Pattern of 1914 Enfield

Looks like we'll be a well-equipped expeditionary force!

Anyone need to borrow an SMLE?



Got ya covered.

Show off....

Lovely SMLE collection.

I really want a nice Mk III with volley sights. I may try to find a Mk III that Bubba got a hold of and try to return it to its proper configuration.

Very cool thread!

I have an artillery Luger and a commercial Pre-War Broomhandle Mauser, but I would love to have one of the WWI Mausers rifles. My friend has more than a few but I can't get him to part with any of them.

Actually was issued to rear echelon US soldiers. Who knows, maybe mine.

I do
Only got the No. 4 and its not period correct.

Forgot, could throw my '91 Carcano into the fray, its a 1913 production

<–––– love my 1917

I'll be along with my M1903.



Got a 1917 too, but no pics at the moment...

Matt

I'll bring my 1916 Erfurt Kar98a.

I've got a few other 1918 and earlier firearms laying around...

Here are couple more of mine.

For the well kitted out officer.

I can add a further three SMLE rifles to the unit.

This is a great thread, I love seeing pictures of old military weapons!

Keep them coming guys!

A Savage Lewis in .30-06 is on my want list.

I got the High Caps!

Two more, and I promise I'm done, really!

Man you guys are showing some beautiful rifles, making me jealous
The only thing i have that is old enough is a 1894 Spanish Mauser carbine, And it wasn't used in WW1.
I am a loser for now...................

J.M.B. approves!


Spain stays neutral


Alvin's happy!


Who says low-numbers are bad?


Krags for the homeguard

Wow! Where did you get that BAR?

Thats a WWII gun.

If that old, even. If I remember right, the synthetic buttstock was adopted during the war, meaning it wouldn't have made its way overseas until mid-war at the earliest. And according to this writeup, plastic buttstocks weren't even seen in any serious numbers until the 1944 pre-invasion buildups.

Sure about that????
From the Wiki article:
"By July 1918, the BAR began to arrive in France and the first unit to receive them was the U.S. Army's 79th Infantry Division, which took them into action for the first time on 13 September 1918.[7] The weapon was personally demonstrated against the enemy by 2nd Lieutenant Val Allen Browning, the inventor's son.[7] Despite being introduced very late in the war, the BAR made an impact disproportionate to its numbers; it was used extensively during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and made a significant impression on the Allies (France alone requested 15,000 automatic rifles to replace their notoriously unreliable Chauchat machine rifle." [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1918_Browning_Automatic_Rifle]

i like your man cave

Holy crap.

I'm massively jealous.

That particular bar has wrong furniture for ww1, even if it's from 1918.

While it gained fame in WWII the BAR was first fielded in France on 13 September 1918.

There are different versions. This is what an M1918 looks like. warpusher's is not a WW1 gun.

THIS!

Jeez, guys, some of you are posting an analogous line to: "Why isn't this M4 a Vietnam weapon? The M16 was adopted in the 1960s and definitely was used in 'Nam!"

The BAR went through a series of revisions between 1918 and 1957. The WW1 version is noticeably different from the early-WW2 version, which itself is noticeably different from the end-of-WW2/Korea version.
Kinda like XM16E1-M16A1-M16A2-M16A4. Same basic rifle, yes. Different firearms though.

It also has the 3rd pin indicating its an OOW semi auto. This is a cool thread, lets keep it going with guns which may have actually been used in WWI.

* CLANK *

Screw teh French rifle, but I like the MLE. Is it missing the dust cover? Those seem to be missing a lot.

Nope. Dust cover is still there.

DAMN YOU!!!! ;)

That's very nice. Every MLE I seem to come across is either CLLE or had the dust cover and lugs removed. Makes me wanna cry. Love looking at your wonderful L-E's. Don't care much for the No. 4's, but everything else....

Gun show find today

Toledo?

I bagged an Ishapore 2A1 there on Saturday morning.

Toledo/Maumee show.

Always some good collector things there.

If you get there early, that is.



Honestly, the majority of my British Empire collection came from stalking the MVGCA shows.

Thanks for sharing guy's.

More details needed. Turk? Converted for S ammo?

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