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Rare Wooden Ammunition Box For US Maxim Model 1904 Machine Gun
Guns International #: 101433415 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Military Collectible US - Gun Parts - Collectible US Military
Seller's Information
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Seller: Brent Wilburn
Company: Antique Arms, Inc.
Member Since: 11/19/15
First Name: Brent
Last Name: Wilburn
State: Georgia
Zip: 30052
Country: United States
Phone: (678) 471-1432
Phone2: (678) 471-1432
Premium Seller
Number of Active Listings: 35
Total Number of Listings: 577
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Money Order, Certified Check
Description:
Here is something you don't come across every day, it's an early wooden ammunition box for the US Maxim Model 1904 which was the first true machine gun adopted by the US Army. These were usually assigned in pairs to infantry and cavalry units for fire support and were used in 1916 along the Sothern Border when Pershing went into Mexico after Pancho Villa. There were only 287 Model 1904's made by Vickers and Colt Mfg. Today, there are only about 10 registered examples in private hands, the rest of the surviving example belong to museums or institutions. I've read that the 1904 Maxim is one of the most desirable and elusive fully automatic weapons a collector can acquire. The first 90 were built by Vickers, Sons, & Maxim in England or "VS&M" for short. The Army wanted the gun to be made in the US but personnel made so many changes to the drawing provided by Vickers, that it cause a 4 year delay but only after Colt went back to the original set of plans. The remaining 197 units were built by Colt starting in 1908. The lid of the box is stamped "VS&M" on the top of the brass hinge so this was one of the early boxes built in England. There is what looks like a US Inspector's initials inside the lid along with 3 faint painted cartridges on the bottom so the armorer knew which direction to place the 250 link belt. Incidentally, the original cartridge for the Model 1904 was 30-03....these original 90 units by Vickers were later converted to 30-06. What's incredible about this box is that it still has its original olive drab green paint which is about 60-70% remaining. The corners are dovetailed with the bottom secered by counter-sunk brass screws. The latch , handle, and hinges appear to be made of brass. The brass latch is a little bit stiff but works and secured the lid just fine. Unlike, the Model 1917 Browning Machine Gun boxes, this is was meant to sit beside the gun on the ground, not mount to the side...so its square-shaped without the slant cut-away. The handle is also unique in that it has a folding brass carry handle on the lid as opposed to the leather strap found on the later World War One Wooden boxes. Nice example of a rare untouched and unrestored US Military ammunition box. We could find a single example of a photo of this box pictured in a magazine article online (see last photo) and it is not in the original paint like this one.
SOLD