This is a very fine example of a desirable, WWII Russian Model 1910 type machine gun part kit manufactured at the Tula Machinery Factory in 1944 that has been assembled with an original WWI German Maxim model 1908 side plate. The Russian model was basically the same design as the original WWI German Maxims only it was chambered for the standard Russian 7.62 x 54R service cartridge. The Russian models as in this case were equipped with a large wheeled "sokolov" mount with a front steel glacis armour plate. The top cover is marked with the large Russian "Star with the Arrow inside", identifying its as a Tula manufactured weapon along with "1944", the date of manufacture. The original side plate is correctly stamped with the Imperial German "Crown/D" factory proofs over serial number "5019d". This part kit has almost visible all matching numbers except for the side plate, the side mounted recoil spring housing and rear support block on the left side. The noted factory is not the regular Tula Arsenal rifle factory but a separate facility that manufactured Maxims from 1938 thru 1945. This original Maxim weapon was designed/developed by Hiram Maxim in 1883-1884 and was one of the most influential weapons of the 20th century. These were actually the first self-sustaining heavy MGs used in any sizeable numbers on the battlefield and are able to lay down a sustained suppressive fire without any other external means other than by the energy generated from the force of firing a round. It was adopted by the British Army in 1880, the Imperial Germany Army in 1899 and the Russian Army in 1905. These weapons are easy to identify as they have a large round steel water jacket around the barrel which held seven quarts of water intending to cool the barrel during heavy firing, and the Russian version had a very unique extremely large, "tractor cap" mounted on top of the water jacket which allow the machine gun crew to easily fill the water jacket with hands full of snow during the winter to augment the water supply when everything was frozen. Interestingly this tractor cap design was actually copied from the Finnish version of the Maxim MGs based on captured MGs during the Russo-Finish War (1938-40). This large water jacket held approximately 7 quarts of water which allowed the machine gun to fire long, sustained bursts of fire for approximately 500 rounds before the water started to boil. At approximately 2,000 rounds of sustained fire, the water would all boil off, and the water jacket had to be refilled. It has the original flip-up tangent style rear sight graduated from 400-2,000 meters, a simple inverted "v" front sight and still retains its original large Maxim steel water jacket. It comes with an original wheeled mount, front armour plate, and a Russian support kit.

Fine with 90% of a professionally reblued metal finish that has all matching colors overall showing only light wear from handling. The front water jacket, complete wheeled mount and front armour plate also retains 95% of a very nice WWII flat green painted finish that nicely compliments the weapon. A very nice looking and highly desirable example of a WWII Russian M1910 Maxim. NOTE: This item is restricted as 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 478.