Arms, Armor and Militaria

7.92x57mm. 18.7" barrel length. SN: 41771. Blued metal finish with gray barrel shroud mounted in a World War II German Lagerfugel, or aircraft ball mount. Deactivated short-recoil operated muzzle boosted belt-fed machine gun intended for aircraft service. Cover assembly shows model marking MG 81 followed by the serial number and L/fwh/42 factory code indicating it was manufactured by Norddeutsche Maschinfabrik of Berlin. Empty belt guide struck with an L initial with a weak factory code, possibly byf for Mauser struck into the tip. Further {Droop Wing Eagle} mark visible on rear cover assembly. Ball mount marked LK 140/81/FI203694 in addition to {Droop Wing Eagle} stamps and {B in Shield} marks. Scattered waffenamt marks to major parts. Item deactivated with a welded charging handle and feed ramp. Machine gun is fitted for left hand feed. Multiple components including the bolt and all its parts along with the sights are missing. The cocking handle is frozen due to the welding.

Designed to replace the magazine-fed MG 15 machine gun, the MG 81 was developed by Mauser using the successful MG 34 as its basis, but in a more compact mounting required by the internals of an aircraft. It served in a wide variety of aircraft throughout the war, and was even pressed into service as a ground-based machine gun in the hands of Luftwaffe personnel in the last stages of World War II. With a cyclic rate of fire of between 1,400 and 1,600, this machine gun distributed ammunition even faster than the famed MG 42. {NFA-Class III}