H.B.S.A.Annual Bisley Lecture

Tony Edwards

25 August 2012

The Lewis Gun

The Game Changer

Isaac Newton Lewis

1858 -

Crozier

The Lewis Range Finder

Samuel Neal McClean

1857 - 1930

McClean Automatic Musket

McClean Magazine

Modified McClean with condensing tubes

McClean with Lewis Air-cooling modification

U.S. Benet-Mercier Model of 1909

Savage first prototype

First ever firing of a machine gun from the air7 July 1912

Bisley November 1913Stickledown Range

Bisley 1913Examining the target from Stickledown

Bisley November 1913Short Century Range

B.S.A and the Lewis

Agreement 191250 guns in 7 calibres made by mid -19132 were for War Office and 1 for Admiralty£135. 0. 0. eachDelivered December 1913

These were all the Model 1913 firing from closed bolt50 round magazines

Following the Bisley Demonstration B.S.A made the following changes:

Magazine reduced to 47 rounds to reduce drag and weight

Diameter of radiator and jacket reduced

Rear sight folded from back

Most importantly

Fired from open bolt

Early British orders:

31.7.1914 5 guns W.O.* £175 ea. Plus 5 guns Admiralty. £175 1.8.1914 5 guns W.O. £16516.8.1914 15 guns W.O.* £16519.8.1914 30 guns W.O.* £16527.8.1914 100 guns W.O. £165 7.9.1914 100 guns W.O. £16512.9.1914 2 guns W.O.* £16511.2.1915 400 guns W.O. £16512.3.1915 400 guns W.O. £16521.5.1915 2,000 guns W.O. £16523.6.1915 3,000 guns W.O. £155

* For use in aeroplanes

Total Production:

1914 81915 3,6501916 21,6151917 45,5281918 62,3031919 Planned 62,020

30% of all British MG production

Price:

1914 £1751915 £1651916 £85/£80*1917 £85/£80*1918 £25/£24.10s*

*Air Service guns

Sectioned Drawing from “The Machine Gun”Longstaff and Atteridge

Early Mark I

Mid War Mark I

Oil bottle

Late War Mark I with AA sights

Why a “Game Changer”?

German Musketoon CompanyWith Madsens

Captured Lewis guns

Mauser made 7.92mm drum

SS143

SS143

1917 edition

SS143 1918 edition

SS143 1918 edition

Air Service

Scarff Ring

Twin Lewis guns on Scarff ring

Stripped Mark I with 97 round magazine

Mark II

97 round drum on stripped Mark I

From Admiralty Technical History

Case catcher bag

Norman Vane foresights

Lewis AA Mounting

Tools and accessories

Cleaning kit

Combination Tool

Clearing Plug

Gas regulator cleaners

Spanner

Luminous sights

Magazine Box

Magazine pouch

Mark III*WW2 conversion of Aircraft gun to ground role

Mark III for Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS)