Yes: an absolute work of art.
The first 100 Maxim Guns were in calibre .450 Gardner & Gatling (as were all 3 experimental guns) and were numbered from 1 through 100. The Pattern Room has Number 1 in totally-original condition and they have Number 100, which has all of the Service mods. They were built in 1891. These first guns were last used in 1915/16 during training of RFC gunners, at which time the entire remaining supply of .450GG ammunition was expended.
The Maxim-Nordenfeldt partnership did not last many years; it was history long before the Great War began.
The WEIGHT of the gun is marked on it because a part of the Specification was that the Gun should weigh no more than 60 pounds. This compared rather nicely with the 300 or so for the Gatling and the double rate of fire just put icing on the cake, so to speak.
Your LOCK (breech-block) has a B on it because each Gun was issued with a complete spares set. The Maxim Gun was of totally MODULAR CONSTRUCTION and was the FIRST industrial product to be so manufactured. Parts in the Spares kit were marked B. The drill was that if anything failed in the field, the Gun could be restored to firing condition in 1 minute or less, simply by changing-out the entire ASSEMBLY which had failed, for the corresponding B assembly. The failed assembly then would be rebuilt from the many parts in the Spares kit individually. If anything failed in the Firing Mechanism, you changed-out the LOCK for the B assembly. If anything failed in the FEED system, you changed-out the Feed Block for the B assembly..... and so forth.
Your FUSEE SPRING (in the Fusee Spring Box on the left side of the Gun) is not connected to the FUSEE on the left side of the CRANK. That is why the Crank Handle does not lie properly in Battery position. The Fusee Spring tension may be adjusted by using the scale on the outside of the Fusee Spring Box; this also adjusts the rate of fire somewhat. Properly adjusted, the Gun will fire 8 to 10 rounds per second and will do it by the hour.
The VICKERS Machine Gun is very much a product-improved Maxim Gun with the toggle inverted. Karl Heinemann came out with a similar redesign which was manufactured as the PARABELLUM from about 1915 through 1918.
VERY few of these guns survive. It would almost be worth the drive to Quebec City, just for the privilege of drooling at one!
@Wheaty: I have some interesting junk floating around here, but nothing in THAT league, I'm afraid!
