08 BFA

[crash520]

Ok, so I purchased one of those Maxim BFA's currently on Ebay out of Europe.
The BFA barrel cup that replaces the original barrel sleeve has a left hand thread in it, all of the barrels I have are right hand threaded for the barrel sleeve.
Can anyone cast any light onto why the BFA barrel cup is left hand threaded or for what model maxim the BFA is actually for please.

V/R
C

[Blanksguy]

Please post a couple of photos of this MG08 BFA so that we can help to sort this out for you.
Other than the design/style......We need to see if this is a newly manufactured replica or original.

Regards, RichardS (temp. in TX).
Blanksguy2001.
US Army, Retired

[bmg17a1]

Left hand threaded muzzles only on Lewis barrels. No Maxim barrel that I have encountered has had left hand threaded muzzle. I second Richards request for pics......

Bob Naess

[IMBLITZVT]

Did you get your Barrel from IMA? I think may of their barrels had odd threads as I tried screwing a 08/15 sleeve on one of their barrels and it would not fit. I don't remember it being reverse threads but its been years... So please pictures of the markings near the chamber too.

[crash520]

I'll get some photo's posted as soon as I get a chance, if you search Ebay for " MG 08 Tool German ww1 MP MG " it should come up. its no big issue as I can simply make a new piece with correct thread but more letting people know. It looks to new to be original FYI

C

[MarkFinneran]

Was this from a French company called AAS? I have posted on as many places as possible not to buy from this man called JL, sometimes has a name called sniper? terrible fakes sold as repros.
Mark

[MarkFinneran]

Sorry so annoyed that I cannot talk properly - terrible fakes sold as genuine!
Mark

[crash520]

Thats what i thought, i was not technically after an original as such, so it will work with how I intend it to once i make a correct barrel bush etc.

Thanks once again Team.

Crash

[amafrank]

It is quite possible that they are selling MG13 blank adapters which use a coarse left handed thread. The barrels were not threaded for the machinegun but when worn too badly to use for live ammo they would put a left hand thread on them and use them for blank fire. As for the 08 maxims the barrels weren't threaded originally as far as I know. They were done later and the threads frequently appear to have been done with a die rather than done on a lathe. I've found the threads to be variable in diameters, length and depth so that its not always possible to swap the sleeve from an 08/15 to a barrel without work. I made sleeves some years back only to find they didn't always fit the barrels due to differences in the threading. In some cases like the Swiss maxims there were special barrels made up for blanks rather than threading used barrels. All of the 08 maxim blank adapters I've seen used a normal right hand thread. All the 08 blank adapters use 8 wrenching flats on the body and the cup that screws on the barrel. The MG13 adapters have 6 flats on them. Its a simple way to tell if they're MG13 or 08.

All the barrels IMA had were standard take offs and spares from normal 08's or 08/15's. Many appeared to have been threaded with dies because they were off center, angled or otherwise not true as noted above.

Hope that helps some.

Frank

[crash520]

Thanks Frank,
by chance, would the MG15 barrel be slightly smaller diameter at the muzzle, by say 0.050" than that of an 08??

[amafrank]

I think the MG15 barrel is smaller diameter but what does that have to do with the adapter???? The MG13 barrels are the same size as the MG08 for the most part and I have threaded a couple for guys so they could use the blank adapters on both the 08 and the 13.

Frank

[dwmmg08]

From all the originals I've seen and the manuals, it appears that the German MG08 barrels were normally threaded at the muzzle, for exactly the blank firing cup that goes on the barrel. The MG08/15 later made use of that to thread on the sleeve for it's muzzle booster, and I've got one imperial blank adaptor that is for an 08/15, and has a cup that actually threads onto a threaded 08/15 barrel sleeve and not directly to the barrel!!

In all seriousness, They are supposed to have the threads, but many of them look like they've taken a heck of a beating.