Yesterday we looked at the Savage M1918 aircraft version of the Lewis gun, used by American aviators during World War One. Today, we are taking it out to the range along with a very scarce original tripod mounting adapter.

I was not expecting all that much from the gun, but it is really tremendously enjoyable to shoot. The swiveling mount really makes one feel like a vintage aviator, dueling Fokkers over the trenches. Interestingly, the rate of fire was almost identical to that of a standard ground Lewis we had out the same day, despite the muzzle brake intended to increase the rate of fire. Whether that is due to ammunition or some other factor, I do not know.