machine gun

Vickers Maxim MK 1 heavy machine gun, Anglo Boer War & WW1

Maxim Mark I .303 machine-gun, made by Vickers Sons & Maxim at Enfield.

This model was used during the South African War (1899 - 1902) and during World War I. The New Zealand Army purchased four of these guns in 1901 but by 1916 they were obsolete as a front line gun.

Note:

Hiram Maxim invented the first automatic gun in 1884 His new 1885 new model became the basic Maxim design. It was a recoil operated, belt fed, water cooled machine gun with the breech block locked by a toggle joint.

The Maxim Gun Co was set up in 1884, and four years later joined with the Nordenfelt company to form Maxim Nordenfelt Gun Company. The company was later taken over and operated as Vickers, Sons & Maxim until 1911 when it became Vickers Ltd.

reference: IV Hogg Illustrated Encyclopedia of Firearms, pp239-240