One of John Browning's many contributions to small arms, the 1917 was the American answer to the Maxim-based water cooled guns fielded by the British and Germans for World War One, capable of matching them for volume of fire out in the trenches. The descendants of the 1917, including the air-cooled 1918 and the .50 caliber M2, would be American mainstays for decades, the M2 in particular still remaining a premier heavy machine gun. Blade front and folding ladder rear sights, with the green painted steel water jacket enclosing the barrel, and a pair of smooth grips. The right sideplate bears the markings of the Rock Island Arsenal, and the underside of the receiver is marked "PCC PHX, AZ". Included with the lot is a folding tripod with integral traverse and elevation mechanism, steam hose, two canvas cartridge belts and a number of disintegrating metal links.