Established during World War II, the New England Small Arms Corporation was a joint effort by a number of smaller American manufacturers, which came together to manufacture the 1918 BAR for American forces. Tooling originally used by Winchester and Marlin-Rockwell for WWI was distributed to the individual firms (which included Boston Wire Stitcher/Bostich and A.G. Spaulding), which produced components to be assembled at a shared facility in Rhode Island. Like many other small civilian firms who took their first crack at armaments during WWII, the Corporation performed admirably, producing over 180,000 BARs for the war effort, which would have seen service on every American-manned front and in the hands of any Allied nation receiving Lend-Lease aid or similar support. At war's end, the Corporation disbanded, with the individual members returning to their pre-war commercial endeavors. At heart, the 1918A2 is Browning's then-groundbreaking WWI-era machine gun, which was the first weapon light and mobile enough to fill the "squad automatic weapon" role, a niche it would fill for a number of decades and multiple American wars, being one of the signature firearms of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the early stages of the Vietnam War, and the "Gangland" days of American Prohibition. Hooded blade front and flip-up peep rear sight, with a folding bipod held on by the muzzle device, "NE-7/2-45" marked barrel, "flaming bomb" proofs on the barrel and receiver, and "P", "crossed cannons" and "HBS" stamps on top of the receiver. The trigger guard is equipped with the A2 pattern guide wings, and the "F A S" selector group is configured for open bolt operation at semi-auto (F), full auto (A), and safe (S), with a spring-loaded plunger to keep the operator from accidentally putting the weapon on safe when switching to full automatic. The handguard is smooth hardwood construction, with a synthetic buttstock fitted with a steel buttplate and a flip-up heel plate. Statements from the consignor (no provenance/notes supplied) attribute this 1918A2 as one of the final ones off New England Small Arms' lines, given as a gift to the consignor's grandfather, attorney George C. Davis of Wakefield, Rhode Island, and kept in the family until this consignment. One magazine and a spare firing pin are included, the latter wrapped in a blank piece of paper bearing Davis' letterhead.

Excellent, with 98% of the original parkerized finish, showing areas of brown patina, mild spotting, a few light scratches and mild handling/cycling marks. Some rubbing and scuffing from the bipod legs is present on the barrel and gas cylinder. The furniture is all excellent, with mild scuffs and dings, and the buttplate showing mild oxidization. Mechanically excellent. 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 478.