- Object name(s):
- Lewis gun
- Brief description:
- .303 Lewis Gun 1914 Pattern Mk I. With air cooling shroud and aluminium radiator. Complete with bipod and one 47 round pan magazine. Detatchable buttstock. Includes timber transit box. Range 880 yards effective 3500 yards maximum Magazive capacity 47 rounds or 97 rounds Rate of fire 500-600 rounds per minute Type of fire fully automatic only Weight 33lb with bipod and 47 rounds An American design from 1910. Lack of interest in his home country led the designer Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis to set up Armes Automatiques Lewis to manufacture the gun in Belgium whose army had shown an interest in the design. Introduced in 1915 the Lewis became the standard British light machine gun of the First war and by 1916 50000 had been manuactured. Captured weapons were also used by German troops. It was phased out in 1937 in favour of the lighter and more reliable Bren gun but was reissued as an emergency measure from 1940 onward. Many were used in the light anti aircraft mode during this period often on multiple mounts using the 97 round magazine pan. Lewis guns were also imported from America for Home Guard use. These models were in .30-06 calibre and had a red band painted round the shroud. In 1939 a .303 Lewis was placed in the empty Heugh No 1 emplacement and is said to have contributed to the shooting down of an enemy aircraft by Len Stockill. Due to its obsolete design, heavy weight and a mechanism prone to fouling the Lewis was retired at the end of the Second war.
- Collection:
- Heugh Battery Museum
- Acquisition date:
- 01/03/2005
- Associated concept:
- Britain
- Associated date:
- 1914-1918
- Condition:
- Good. Deactivation Certificate held on file.
- Condition note:
- Condition at acquisition
- Distinguishing features:
- E100118 on tag attached (Modes: LEWIS AUTO GUN MOD 1914 PAT MANUFACTURED BY THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS CO LTD FOR ARMES AUTOMATIQE LEWIS BELGIUM Serial Number SERIAL NUMBER 41141)
- Object name:
- Lewis gun
- Object number:
- HAPHB:2007.118
- Object status:
- Real
- Other number:
- N/A
- Other number type:
- Temporary number
- Other number:
- primary erial number: 41141, on rear sight 7813 sn, sn on bolt 3510, sn on bolt carrier 2713 marked dp (drill purpose)
- Other number type:
- Serial number(s)
Persistent shareable link for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/6d361fb8-3764-34c8-a32a-fa0551350199
Use licence for this record: CC BY-NC
Attribution for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/6d361fb8-3764-34c8-a32a-fa0551350199, Heugh Battery Museum, CC BY-NC
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