This is a very fine example of a desirable World War II Russian Model 1910 type machine gun parts kit manufactured at the Tula factory in 1944 that has been assembled around an original World War I German Maxim Model 1908 sideplate. The Russian model is basically the same design as the World War I German Maxims only it is chambered for the standard Russian 7.62x54mmR service cartridge. The Russian models, as in this case, were equipped with a large wheeled "Sokolov" mount with a front steel glacis armor plate. The top cover is marked with a large hexagon with an Arrow inside, identifying it as Tula manufactured along with "1944", the date of manufacture. The registered fully transferable German side plate is stamped with the Imperial German crown proofs over serial number "47021". This parts 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 1938-1945. The Maxim weapon was originally designed/developed by Hiram Maxim in 1883-1884 and was one of the most influential weapons of the 20th century. These were the first self-sustaining heavy MGs used in any sizable 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, the Russian Army took possession of their first Maxims as early as 1899, with various other countries following suit. These weapons are easy to identify as they have a large round steel water jacket around the barrel which holds seven quarts of water intended to cool the barrel during heavy firing. The Russian Model 1910 variant has a very unique extremely large, "tractor cap" mounted on top of the water jacket which allows 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. This large water jacket allows the machine gun to fire long, sustained bursts of fire for approximately 500 rounds before the water starts to boil. At approximately 2,000 rounds of sustained fire, the water boils off, and the water jacket needs to be refilled. It has a flip-up tangent rear sight graduated up to 2,700 meters, a simple inverted "v" front sight. It is fitted on an original Russian wheeled mount with a front armor plate, and the lot also includes an extra green Russian wheeled "Sokolov" mount with front shield contained inside of a wooden crate, an extra Finnish ski mount with built in shoulder stock, 9 extra barrels chambered in 7.62x54mmR, four barrel sleeves, an extra green barrel jacket (variation without the "tractor cap") accompanied by an extra parts kit, extra spade grip assembly, 19 extra bolt bodies (only 6 are complete with internals and firing pins), two boxed Finnish belt loading tools, another belt loading tool, oilers and cleaning tools, and tin containers.

Fine as assembled, retains 95% professionally refinished blue finish showing light handling marks. The front water jacket, complete wheeled mount and front armor plate retain 90% original World War II green painted finish. Mechanically excellent. The numerous included accessories range from very good to excellent, some of which are still coated in cosmoline including the crated extra wheeled carriage and shield. A very nice looking representative example assembled as a highly desirable World War II Russian M1910 Maxim machine gun, with an arsenal of accompanying accessories. 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.