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Advisory Panel
In ours the oil bottle was inserted down into the top part of the grip plate, through the wooden grip and down, into the bottom part of the grip plate. That's how we were able to replace the wood grips that the gunners damaged with monotonous regularity when they dumped the gun breech end down.
See, that was what I thought as the .50 grips were just a tube held in place by a bolt. I haven't got a real Vickers here to examine, nor a live Lewis though. I expected the assembly on the Vickers would be the same. Thing is, it doesn't look EXACTLY like the Lewis. And of course the brush bristles are missing.
Last edited by browningautorifle; 09-08-2016 at 08:28 PM.
Regards, Jim
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09-08-2016 06:35 PM
# ADS
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The raised ring with the straight cut knurling (right side of first picture) does unscrew from the tubing but I didn't think to take a picture of this when I did the other photos.
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I dunno, I still think it's specifically for the Vickers. I've been looking at scads of pics for them and the Lewis is just a bit different. The inner is spot on for the Vickers. Vickers Mark I
The Maxim also used that idea...
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I dunno, I still think it's specifically for the Vickers. I've been looking at scads of pics for them and the Lewis is just a bit different. The inner is spot on for the Vickers.
Vickers Mark I
The Maxim also used that idea...
I have several Maxims (1901 VSM .303, 1905 Russian
, 1910 Russian, and few MG'08's) and they all have the integral grip oilers. The 1901 VSM and M1905 Russian have one-piece cast brass backplate/grip units with screw-in brush tops. The others are like the Vickers in that the grip assembly is made of several pieces including the oilers and are designed to remain as one piece. The oiler in question is the style that was used on the .303 Lewis and also the .303 Hotchkiss, and these were introduced for retro-fitting to guns already manufactured and issued. It could be that the oiler is for the Hotchkiss and may or may not be slightly different from the Lewis one. As they are never pictured other than already fitted to a gun is is difficult to be exact, but after going through all my Lewis photos (can't see the top locking collar in any of them) I am inclined to think that the oiler is for the Hotchkiss LMG, but definitely not Vickers or Maxim. Unfortunately my Hotchkiss, Lewis, and Vickers have been sold a few years ago.
Last edited by Woodsy; 09-09-2016 at 03:53 AM.
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I'm only over familiar with the Vickers. But what about the Boys rifle? That had a similar oil bottle thinggy. It was all the rage at the time. Even the first Brens had or were to have them.
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The base plate/plug is brazed to the tubing/body of the oiler. If we assume that the oiler hasn't been changed or modified in any way, since being removed from the gun, it must have been fitted/removed from below.
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I'm only over familiar with the Vickers. But what about the Boys rifle? That had a similar oil bottle thinggy. It was all the rage at the time. Even the first Brens had or were to have them.
Peter, the Boys AT rifle has a cast aluminium shoulder piece that has the oiler cast and machined in place, with the typical screw/brush steel cap. The aluminium shoulder piece also incorporates the mounting for the bottom rear grip, and has the leather-covered recoil pad attached to the curved rear face.
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Yep, remember that now you mention it Woodsy. Don't have these things handy nowadays!
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Originally Posted by 
PM
