The Lewis gun

[Diomed]

I had a friend who can actually use a camera take some pictures for me today. One of the subjects was the Lewis gun.

They're fascinating pieces of technology and history. And somewhat unusual, hence the many pictures for those of us who may not have had a chance to look at one before.

Without further ado:

[Taggure]

WOW now this is some kind of gun thanks very much for shareing and your friend did a great job with the Photography.

Vern

[rromeo]

That is great. "GET OFF MY LAWN!"

[zephyp]

Wow. Very sweet...I'd love to have an auto weapon...if I could somehow hide or sneak a few grand from Young I'd be good to go. Now to find a few grand to sneak...yeah right

[Eutaw]

Nice detailed shots on a wonderful piece of history. Thanks for the pictures!

[M1A4ME]

One of the parts of a book (Years of the Sky Kings, I believe it was titled) that I sometimes remember was a story he told about one of the fighter planes in WW1. It had a single Lewis Gun mounted on top of the upper wing (to clear the propeller). The pilot was trying to shoot down a German observation plane which could fly a few thousand feet higher than his fighter. He would fly along horizontal and build up his speed and then attempt to turn that speed into altitude by making a steep climb towards the German plane. As he reached his plane's limits he would fire the Lewis Gun at the German plane. After several failed attempts the Lewis Gun ran empty. The procedure for changing the magazine (spare was kept under the seat) was to unbuckle the belt (seat belt/harness), stand on the seat in a squatting position so you could hold the stick between your knees and using both hands unscrew the nut holding the magazine on while gripping the magazine. Then replace the empty magazine with the spare.

Anyway, he got the retaining nut loose and the magazine would not come off the Lewis Gun. As he jerked, twisted, and cursed at the magazine the stick slipped out from between his knees and the plane rolled over into an inverted dive. At that point he was hanging by a death grip from the magazine and praying the magazine would not release. He finally got twisted/turned back around into the pilot's seat and leveld the plane out. He again attempted to replace the magazine and again he found himself cursing the stuck magazine and while pulling and jerking on it the stick came out from between his knees again. For the second time he was hanging by the stuck magazine and praying it would not come loose. He got back into the pilot's seat again but I can't remember now whether he gave up and went home or not.

Those Lewis Guns have been used all over the world by who knows how many different armies and countries. If that one could talk imagine the stories it could tell.

[Hiwaytahell]

Awesome pics...thanks for sharing.

[Diomed]

The Lewis has the distinction of being the first machinegun fired from an aircraft.

The procedure for changing the magazine (spare was kept under the seat) was to unbuckle the belt (seat belt/harness), stand on the seat in a squatting position so you could hold the stick between your knees and using both hands unscrew the nut holding the magazine on while gripping the magazine. Then replace the empty magazine with the spare.

And that is why they developed the Foster mount!

Sounds like Louis Strange's story from his autobiography. The pilot's seat was thrown out of the aircraft and every instrument was broken, but Strange was completely uninjured. Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Those Lewis Guns have been used all over the world by who knows how many different armies and countries. If that one could talk imagine the stories it could tell.

I know some of the gun's story. After WWI, it was given to the Irish Free State along with tons of other war materiel. They sold it to Interarms in the late '50s, and this gun was sold as a dewat in 1961. It got reactivated in 2003.

What it did during the war, only it knows...

[zephyp]

What a nice gun...that is totally awesome....