A variant of the Vickers belt fed machine gun, the Colt 1918 is configured for use as forward-firing aircraft armament. While the closed bolt operation of the Vickers made it suitable for adaptation to interrupter gear hardware to permit firing straight through a running propeller, and its noted reliability a boon in nearly any role, the water jacket presented an issue; with no shortage of cool, fast moving air in flight, water cooling is unneeded, but the jacket is structurally critical to the design, and could not be easily discarded. The work-around was to heavily ventilate the jacket, permitting air through in the front and out the back when in flight. The final touch was to scale the weapon up to feed the 11x59mm Gras rifle round; combined with incendiary ammunition, this combination gives the "balloon buster" it's nickname, as it presented a deadly hazard to enemy artillery observer balloons that could otherwise absorb a massive amount of rifle-caliber weapon fire without failing. Even with the 1918, destroying a balloon wasn't a task for the faint of heart, as the valuable spotting and surveillance platforms were typically protected by a gauntlet of ground defenses and air support. No sights are installed, with a standard recoil booster mechanism on the Colt-marked water jacket, which is marked "58" in black paint on the underside. The top covers have been slotted for the interrupter hardware (not included), with a standard charging handle on the right side. The bolt assembly is numbered to another weapon, with "11MM" on the bolt face.

Fine as modified, with 60% of the original blue finish, showing areas of brown patina, scattered spotting and mild handling marks. Some heavier dents are present on the water jacket, with a crack present in the partially removed/skeletonized rear collar. Several components, including the firing mechanism and recoil spring assembly, are absent; while not deactivated, the item cannot be fired as-is. NOTE: This weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a "Curios or Relic" as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 479.