Maxim M1910

Description

Based on the British Maxim gun (designed by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim in 1884), the M1910 was the main Russian/Soviet belt-fed machine gun of World War One through to World War Two. This included use by both sides the 1917 Russian Revolution and soon to follow Civil War between the Bolshevik/Socialist ‘Reds’ and the Monarchist/Capitalist ‘Whites’.

Like other Maxim derivates (the British Vickers, German MG 08 etc.), this weapon maintained it’s high rate of sustained fire by utilizing water as a cooling method, which was far more effective than standard air-cooled designs. However, unlike these other derivates, the M1910 was mounted on a wheeled carriage and fitted with a shield, which allowed for easier transportation and great crew protection.

World War 2 saw the demise of the M1910, with 1943 seeing the introduction of the SG-43 Goryunov (SGM), which was a far cheaper to produce and much more modernized weapon. However the M1910, being produced in such high numbers, still saw service through to the end of the war and indeed later use with Chinese in Korea and with Vietcong/NVA forces in Vietnam.

So reliable was this weapon that a number have surfaced in recent years, particularly in Middle Eastern conflicts such as Afghanistan and Syria (in the use of irregular forces such as the Taliban).