Colt 1928 Aircraft Machine gun

Okay, you're ALL wrong!

SbySW is closest, but rather than a Vickers-Armstrong gun, I think it is the gun that Vickers-Armstrong was licensed to copy. That is, the Model of 1919 Aircraft gun. Look on page 243, and especially page 244 of Dolf's Vol. I book. The shot mounted in the aircraft on 244 is almost exact. The only obvious difference is that the rare spade grips in the picture are not present on the gun up for auction. Originally these were issued either with the spades (flexible) or the vertical (fixed) buffer that had no grip at all. Also, the gun in the picture has the early Belt Feed Lever Pivot and Spring assembly, as used on the original 1917s, while the piece being auctioned has the updated bushing, nut and pin assembly for the lever pivot. That's a late 20's update, roughly.

It is worth noting that this model was the first to introduce both the retracting bar brackets- which were later used on the 1919A5 and 1919A4E1 tank guns- and also that vertical buffer, also used on early 1919A5s. These elements were the work of Captain Walter T. Gorton of the Ordnance Dept., U.S. Army. He also initiated the design of the stirrup bottom plate which culminated in the one we are so familiar with on the 1919A4 and 1917A1.

I have an original, 1937 dated manual for the 1919 aircraft gun. It is a dead ringer for the one on auction, with those minor exceptions.

TiredIron, I believe the 1928s that OOW built and sold were mostly made with 1919 internals, and not the original Colt parts. That meant drilling the back plate for the drive spring rod, as the captive system of the 1928 will not work in the 1919/1917 bolt. The milling of the spring cavity is completely different, and the M37 bolt has its own variation. Also, since there has never been a consistent supply of correct 1928 RSPs to retain the flat sided receiver construction, many home builders went with the 1917A1 bottom plate along with the internals. And I know that several built on transferable side plates had little choice on that. Pictures in SAR and in Dolf's books show a repro of the Colt engraving modified, showing M-1928 MODEL 37, as these were registered 37 plates from Group Industries. I have seen one such plate in person, and in fact am now having my semi plate engraved by the same fellow who did those when the 1928 kits first were imported. I'll post pics when I get it.

BY THE WAY, GUYS! Correct 1928 unfinished plates are available right now!!!! http://www.1919a4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12322


Now, back to the aircraft gun. SbySW, who REALLY should probably be at work, rather than making me keep digging out Dolf's books, keeps adding greatly to the discussion here. I think this is definitely a Colt commercial MODEL OF 1919 Aircraft gun, perhaps made in 1928 as the auction listing describes. Colt was known to change the model name for the current year, just to make the offering seem as up to date as possible, even if no major changes were made. But my guess is that the engraving on this is going to look very much like the pic on page 304 of Dolf's Vol. I. It does have the drilled out bolt, which is shown in my 1937 manual, as well as in some of the pics in Vol I and II of U.S. and British versions.