Sponsor Special: Display Guns From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, replicas they are offering some fine resin guns. As well.
Display Machine Guns at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Display Guns From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, replicas they are offering some fine resin guns. As well.
Display Machine Guns at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Mauser Broomhandle C-96
Mauser C-96 “Broomhandle” was one of those guns that changed everything. It has a unique design and was a reliable firearm. Winston Churchill carried one in India and the Sudan, and it was used throughout both World Wars.
A nice one today will set you back a couple thousand dollars, but now our friends at International Military Antiques have a new high quality replica that looks just like the real deal. While it won’t shoot, it will look very nice in the display cabinet!
New Made Item: IMA is proud to offer a high quality affordable full metal and wood replica of the famous German WWI Mauser C96 pistol. Many may also recognize this gun as the same that Han Solo (Harrison Ford) used in the Star Wars films.
The Mauser C96 (Construktion 96) is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937. Unlicensed copies of the gun were also manufactured in Spain and China in the first half of the 20th century. The main distinctive identifying characteristics of the C-96 are the integral box magazine in front of the trigger, the long barrel, the wooden shoulder stock which can double as a holster or carrying case, and a grip shaped like the handle of a broom. The grip’s distinctive appearance earned the gun the nickname “Broomhandle” in the English-speaking world, and in China the C96 was nicknamed the “box cannon” because of both its square-shaped internal magazine and the fact it could be holstered in its wooden box-like detachable stock.
The Mauser C96, with its shoulder stock, long barrel and high-velocity cartridge, had superior range and better penetration than most other standard pistols; the 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge was the highest velocity commercially manufactured pistol cartridge in existence until the advent of the .357 Magnum cartridge in 1935.
German Mauser C96 Display Pistol at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Jolly Good Revolver
There is something about “going over the top” armed only with a sidearm? But many a British officer did just that during the Great War, carrying the Webley MkIV revolver as his primary weapon. The Webley was introduced in 1899 and remained in service until 1963, and was thus the standard British sidearm of the Second World War.
Now our friends at International Military Antiques have produced an excellent replica that is perfect for uniform displays. It looks like the real deal but can’t shoot – which could be a good thing for Jerry, if he’s hiding out in the trench across the street.
New Made Item: This is a fantastic true to scale/weight replica of the official service pistol for the British military during the Second World War; the Webley Mk IV in .38/200. This non-functioning inert reproduction features an operational trigger, hammer, rotating cylinder and even “breaks” open for “reloading”!
The Webley Revolver (also known as the Webley Break-Top Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth from 1887 until 1963.
The Webley is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction. That is, breaking the revolver open for reloading also operates the extractor. This removes the spent cartridges from the cylinder. In 1887, the British Army was searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory Enfield Mk I & Mk II Revolvers, and Webley & Scott, who were already very well known makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on a commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials. The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, which lacked a practical extraction system), and it was adopted on 8 November 1887 as the “Pistol, Webley, Mk I”. The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923. The large .455 Webley revolvers were retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1963 alongside the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver.
Will look fantastic in an original issue British WW2 holster, available from IMA, and can easily complete any WWII collection without the requirement of possessing a firearms license.
Original WWII Holsters are available seperatley.
Specifications-
Overall: 10-1/4″ long & 5-1/2″ tall
Barrel: 5″
Wt: 2 lb
British Webley MK IV Display Inert Revolver .38/200 at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Don’t Mess With the Brown Bess
The Famous Brown Bess
Long before the Mauser, the M1, AK-47 or M-16, there was a gun that was used across the British Empire, and it could have very well fired the shot heard round the world. It was the Brown Bess. These flintlock muskets are extremely rare, and rarer still when dated from 1776. Our friends at International Military Antiques have done it again and have managed to find a cache of these.
Original Item (except where specified): It is no secret that included in the extraordinary cache of arms purchased from the Royal Nepalese Armory by IMA there were a limited quantity of original 18th Century British Brown Bess Flintlock Muskets. Regrettably, they were in a deplorable condition having arrived in Nepal via the East India Company sometime before 1820 and laid undisturbed, and not cared for, since the 1850’s. These Brown Bess Muskets are the East India Company Pattern of 1771 featuring a 39″ barrel. The British Government adopted the 39″ barrel (reduced in length from the 42” Short Land Pattern) in 1796. This is why these muskets are commonly referred to as “The Brown Bess India Pattern of 1796″ or the Brown Bess 3rd model.
The Flintlock Locks were all made in England for the East India Company and still retain English maker markings, and incredibly dates within the 1770’s. Each lock also shows the East India Company heart symbol across lock tail. None of these locks however, bear a “Crown G.R.” symbol as India was privately run as a corporation until after the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857/58 when the British Government assumed control. Once in Ghurka hands, after 1816, many of these original English manufactured and marked locks were remarked with the Nepalese Crest, we offer Gurkha re-marked lock Brown Bess sets separately. However, incredibly a very few remained unaltered with original English markings and 1776 dates that we are proud to offer for the first time since the arrival of the Nepal Cache to the market. Because so many of the original stocks are broken, rotted and useless we have decided a complete fully assembled musket built by hand by IMA’s own master gunsmith. These are the features:
• Original English made Flintlock lock with 1776 date, EIC Heart & Manufacturer name (names vary). Fully integrated to the new stock, operational, cleaned and oiled. Not intended for firing.
• Original Brown Bess 39” Barrel made by the East India Company in India and features Anglo Indian proof marks. Fully installed to the new stock, cleaned and oiled. Not intended for firing.
• Original all steel button nosed ramrod, cleaned, oiled and installed.
• New Made stained and oiled hardwood stock, pattern 1808, complete with all brass mounts, butt plate, trigger guard, side plate and ramrod pipes (3) together with a new made trigger assembly already fitted.
Save your very own piece of British colonial history. These original parts are old enough to have taken part in the American war for Independence but they didn’t, they were half a world away building an Empire. We also offer this Brown Bess 3rd Model in unassembled condition with an 1776 EIC dated & Marked lock for $1650 (that’s a $800 savings to build one yourself!)
In order to assist in your appreciation for, and research of, this amazing piece of history, we will include our book “Guns of the Gurkhas” by renowned expert John Walter. These very flintlocks are featured on pages 24-29. “It can only be concluded therefore, that the locks were all made in England prior to the end of the Napoleonic War in 1815”. P29- John Walter ‘Guns of the Gurkhas’. Simply Amazing.
British EIC P-1771 Brown Bess Flintlock Complete Musket: 1776 Dated & Marked Lock on IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Shields Up
Have a castle to defend? Or perhaps just a wall that could use a little decoration? Our friends at International Military Antiques have just the thing, how about a Heraldic Battle Shield with the Scottish Red Lion?
Actually IMA-USA now has a line of high quality arms and armor, so if you can’t get over to Europe to see the real stuff – or to large museum, you can go medieval in your own home.
New Made Item: A fabulous full size wooden battle shield complete with thick leather arm loops on reverse side. Beautifully hand painted with historic devices of centuries ago depicting the Scottish Rampant Red Lion on Yellow Background.
Curved wood design approximately 30″ tall.
Heraldic Battle Shield: The Scottish Red Lion at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: Original WWII Thompson M1928 Display SMG
Tommy’s got his gun, or rather you can get Tommy’s Gun, or actually you can get a Tommy Gun. Oh never mind.
The point is that this week International Military Antiques brought out what can only be called a true “must have” display submachine gun, a World War II Thompson M-1928. Built on original parts and reassembled with a fantastic non-functioning new made anodized aluminum display receiver, this one looks like it is ready to sweep the beaches of the South Pacific or jump into Normandy.
Perfect for display, this gun is built up from original World War II era parts that include the detachable walnut butt stock, complete lower frame assembly, walnut pistol grip, Lyman L sight, finned barrel, Cutts compensator and walnut horizontal fore grip. The display gun comes with a 20 round magazine.
This product was only recently added to IMA’s stock, and we don’t think it will stick around long, so jump on these while you can.
Original World War II Thompson M1928 Display SMG at IMA-USA.com
Sponsor Special: British P-1864 Short Snider Smooth Bore Prison Issue: Cleaned & Complete
Our friends at International Military Antiques have less than a half a dozen of these English made rifles. Produced in the 1870s, these smooth bore Snider Two Band Short guns feature Crown over V.R. stamped. Primarily used in Military Prison Service, these recovered in Nepal in 2003.
Other factoids on the rifles:
“Locks are all be marked with Broad Arrow and various British manufacture names such as LSA (London Small Arms Co.) & BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Co.) Each short Snider even comes complete with, Brass butt plate, trigger guard and Nose Cap with two barrel bands and a 25″ barrel. The barrel is smooth bored, which was a requirement for Prison Service, and also if issued to Sepoy units after the Indian Mutiny of 1857/8. The back sight is therefore an open sight, denoting the fact that the weapon was intended for buckshot in order to cut down multiple men in one go.”
Sponsor Special: German MG 34/42 Model 41 Ammo Can
Have an MG 34/42 display o are you looking for a more “unusual” ammo can to take to the range? Try on this World War II era German, 200 round ammunition box for belt linked 7.92x57mm ammo. IMA found these in Egypt complete with sand colored paint, which could wartime or post-war.
The cans are offered empty (no bullets sadly), but they may have World War II markings, including “PATR. KAST. 41f M.G.” It is possible these saw service with Rommel’s Afrikakorp in his treks back and forth the North Africa desert. While $99.95 is a bit more than the $10 ammo can you can pick up at a local gun show, this one has character that you cetainly won’t find anywhere else.
German MG 34/42 Model 41 Ammo Can from International Military Antiques
Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
A British Lanchester Machinegun
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors. Read more
