Lewis Gun Love Affair (by Graeme "broadarrow303" Barber)

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Normally we add articles to the Enfield "sticky" thread, but I thought this particular one was more suited to the general interest area. :)

With thanks to member Graeme "broadarrow303" Barber, an excellent new research article about the Lewis Gun has been added to the United Kingdom - Milsurps Knowledge Library (click here)http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=120-united-kingdom.

Lewis Gun Love Affair (FULL article - click here)http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=448-Lewis-Gun-Love-Affair-(By-Graeme-broadarrow303-Barber)

Article Extract .....

Believe it or not this Lewis gun ‘love affair’ goes back 57 years when as a young boy I visited (most weekends with my parents) my grandparents farm at Corredale near Oamaru in the South Island of New Zealand. Dad would help on the farm followed by wandering around the rolling hills shooting rabbits, with me eagerly tagging along from the age of 2 years. Any chance I could I would sneak in to the old dairy attached to the homestead to stare longingly at the picture of 'big' guns hanging on the wall. It was in fact a military training chart hanging from a nail by butchers string with a Lewis gun on one side and a Bren gun on the other. Over the years my grandfather (a WWI veteran from the Somme trenches) told me how as a Captain of the local Home Guard during WW II, he spent most Sundays training the Guardsmen in shooting SMLE rifles and machine guns on a range built on his farm. This eager young boy often re-enacted battles on the range with his brothers and cousins, asked lots of questions and got to see several other mementos of WWI and training items used with the Home Guard. My burgeoning interest in shooting and war stories must have been recognised by my Grandfather because when I was 10 years of age he gave me a No 23 grenade, a sectionalised No 36 grenade, his money and corps belts both adorned with WW1 badges and buttons and the much admired machine gun training charts. My life long interest in collecting British militaria was very much born. (article continues) .....
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Sample pics from article's extensive photo montage

Left - Lewis Model 1914 Light Machine Gun fitted with No 5 Magazine and Mk III Field Mount (Bi-pod) introduced September 1915 LOC 17483
Middle- A circa WWII modified ‘L’ marked pattern 37 web equipment Bren gun pouch with spare pawls, return springs, replacement parts, loading tools (metal and half metal/wood types), barrel spanners first and second type (modified from Oct 17th 1921-LOC 24676), clearing plugs MkI and MkII (from August 31st 1916-LOC 17938), gas regulator reamer, and bolt handle extension (an American product that fitted in to the bolt handle to assist with retracting a jammed bolt).
Right - Lewis gun in pieces and parts list - NZ Archives Wellington R224340330

(Click PIC to Enlarge)(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug
 
Graeme has updated his article with additional pics of a "hard to find" spare parts bag, as well as a listing of what would be its standard contents ...

Regards,
Doug
 
The manuals even described how to improvise a return spring by using a 9-10 inch piece of ‘indiarubber’ with loop of thread bound on to each end. One loop was attached to the bipod or radiator, in front of the foresight, and the other over the cocking handle. MacGyver must have been a student of wartime improvisation as this is the sort of thing he would do.
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I would really love to know if that actually works, and to see it in practice.
 
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Back in the "good old days of the 1960s", I bought a complete cased Lewis Gun for $65. It was in the wooden carrying case, had a spare barrel, most of the spare parts illustrated, five drum magazines, a magazine loader, and even had the anti-aircraft sights on it. These guns came out of Ireland and were available in Canada for a short while.

The local Milita Regiment was an Artillery Regiment, but when we went to the Ranges for Qualifications, there somehow appeared a wooden chest, amongst the Brens, that held a Lewis Gun. And you can guess which LMG almost everyone wanted to fire a few rounds out of.

Yes, those were the days when the Government actually trusted its Citizens.
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They are great favorite of mine, with a little TLC they always perform. We have a standard ground gun (one or two, I can't remember for sure) and a super RFC observers gun with the slim jacket and Norman "wind vane sight". I have never been able to find a 97 rd .303 drum for her, we only have the standard 47 rd, if anyone could locate one for me they would be welcome to help me test her.
 
But there is also the 800 round drum. Saw one at the Pattern Room in Leeds. Obviously for a shipboard mount since I doubt any soldier could manage to carry one.;)
 
wheaty said:
Remember John that the drum stud for the 97 round drum is different than the standard 47 rounder.
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Thanks for the reminder, dam it, forget that plan, I have several 47 rd mags that work well, I will just have to be content with them. They sure are better than 5 rd mags. That girl just sings when she is warm !!
 
The Lewis was an excellent light machine gun. When being used in competition I always made sure I had lots of bandaids, for my fingers. I can't remember another gun with so many sharp edges.

chilliwackprovserviceri.jpg
 
An Ontario collector supplied an FA Lewis gun for the film Passchendaele when they needed one.
passchendaele6.jpg


David

Extracts from old E-mails.

We do movie guns mainly and are looking for Lewis Guns for an up coming production about the Canadians at Passchendale during WW1.
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We used ###xx’s gun along with another one and we switched back and fourth to keep them clean.

The conversion to blanks consisted of a custom made blank adapter for the barrel muzzle, some tuning up of the internal parts and the blanks were custom made to LIVE LENGTH so they would feed the same as live ball ammo, the drums also had to be tuned up.
 
buffdogs previous comment.

"Back in the "good old days of the 1960s", I bought a complete cased Lewis Gun for $65. It was in the wooden carrying case, had a spare barrel, most of the spare parts illustrated, five drum magazines, a magazine loader, and even had the anti-aircraft sights on it. These guns came out of Ireland and were available in Canada for a short while".
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I saw the Lewis gun used in the film years ago and I suspect that it 'may' have come from the batch that buffdog was referring to with all the goodies including the transit case.

David

I recall they had two Lewis guns for the film but one was in 30-06 and they were looking for a replacement in .303 to standardize the ammo situation.

As I had put the film people in touch with the seller I was curious to know how the gun performed during the filming.....apparently it all worked out well.

2_sm.jpg

600px-Passchendaelelewis2.jpg

600px-Passchendaelelewis4.jpg
 
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They were $35.00 each at the time from either Flattman at the Modern Gun Shop or Wolf at Albion Knitting Mills. Each had a spare barrel and bolt in the box.
I still have the letter listing them at $35.00. Mind you I was making the princely sum of $1.10 and hour (just got a raise from 95cents) so it was a lot of money. The "blue plate special" at the restaurant was 95 cents so take it from there.
 
The $1.10 and hour was in Alberta at the Army and Navy on 97th Street. Lugers were $15.00 - 25.00 at WW Arcade and $10.00 for the holster. Val new how to get the last penny by selling the Luger and holster separate....but you got the spare mag and tool tossed in.
 
Graeme has updated his article with some high quality replacement photos (Lewis gun crew in full uniform display), as well as rare new photos and research content, including information about drums and drum carriers. Also a high resolution photo montage of a special training aid principally used to teach the ‘lead’ required when firing on moving targets was introduced in to service. The photographed broad arrow stamped spotlight projector box shown, contains brackets for the Lewis gun, the SMLE, and the Bren gun along with a wiring loom with a button switch and trigger attachment..... :)

Regards,
Doug
 
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Mr Wolverine said:
Thanks for the reminder, dam it, forget that plan, I have several 47 rd mags that work well, I will just have to be content with them. They sure are better than 5 rd mags. That girl just sings when she is warm !!
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Let me know if you have any drums with a feeding problem. I have the tools and gauges for the 47 round drums.
 
wheaty said:
Let me know if you have any drums with a feeding problem. I have the tools and gauges for the 47 round drums.
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Thanks Wheaty, I will remember that, my drums all work well. I once dropped a loaded drum on a large rock, that bent her and she always jammed. I was lucky and was able to sell her on a dewat! With a little care my Lewis drums have proved 100% reliable but that is under peace time range use, a little sand, snow or dirt in the open bottom under "real world" conditions could quickly change that. I have a great affection for the Lewis, I have a lightweight Aircraft model that has fired thousands of rds and I don,t think she has ever jammed, I have owned and used at least six standard ground guns and they have always worked well, the Lewis is a great favorite of mine, there is just something about them that inspires me with confidence. I always wanted to operate one since I saw the movie "For whom the bell tolls" I was not disappointed.
 
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