Post by Garyforce Well guys …. Here it is ……. Gary’s review of my newest modelgun and the one we’ve all been waiting for
… … may I present to you……
CAW’S BERGMANN MP18 MACHINEGUN
Or the
BERGMANN MASCHINENPISTOLE 18/1
(pictured below)
Specs Length: 82 cms / 32 1/4" (muzzle to butt)
Barrel: 19.5 cm / 7 5/8" (full length / open)
Weight: 3650g (approx)
Materials: steel & zinc alloy
Grip: wood stock
Comments This is the first time since buying my Thompson that I’ve opened the box of a modelgun and just stood numb ! !
The Mp18 was introduced by Germany during the Great War in the spring of 1918 the mp18 was a forward infantry assault gun with a rate of fire was similar to heavy machine guns and when your stood there looking at it guys ….. you feel it ……. WOW !
.that’s all I can say !
The gun it self is simplistic in design and incredibly “stylish”
extremely comfortable to hold and reassuringly heavy
The quality of this gun is quite frankly….astounding !
Loading Loading the mp18 is pretty standard. The gun takes the 9mm carts (strikingly similar to Marushins berreta carts & ksc's luger carts )which you 1st unscrew, then you take a 7mm cap face up and pushing down the cartridge all that remains is to screw the cart back together. Having primed your cartridges (I only used 20) you simply feed them into the magazine slot the mag into the side of the gun and your ready to rock
Firing first …cock the gun.if you like and wish to savour the moment you have at this point the option of pulling the lever up to the safety position. .but.if you ready to go …….pull the trigger !
firing the gun took a little while for me…….. I just stood there !
….but when I did ! ………. Wooooooo hoooooo !
this is a fully automatic machine gun and the whole thing was over before I had noticed ….. at least that’s what happened the 2nd time around ….1st time I was so keen to fire it that “I failed to notice” that the magazine was ridiculously stiff and required some oiling…. As a result the carts came out like the animals on Noahs ark…. 2 by 2 !
….. .there were numerous jams ! …and 3 cartridges paid the price for my impatience !
….
But after I had taken the mag apart and given it a once over with some oil ……… oh my god guys shes a dream !
Cleaning now to be honest here ! ……… I don’t know :? …….. this modelgun comes with no instructions …. Only a primitive “part list” diagram ….. the parts aren’t even shown as the model is assembled to give you a clue.
So at this point in time I haven’t really figured it out ! ….(and to be honest I don’t want to
)
However that said ……. It appears to be relatively simplistic ….. after the “barrel” is removed from the Woodstock it just seems to be a screw here a screw there and you have access to all the springs and inner workings (which are basic ….but then again aren’t the simplest ideas the best
)
After that you can clean and oil the gun using whatever cleaning solution / oil you see fit. (i recommend marks cleaning technique of hot water, baking soda & vinegar)
Then once we are cleaned and oiled .... put it all back together ....and that’s that !
Be warned though …..as this gun has no instruction……and no diagrams of any real use ….. be sure to make note of exactly what your removing, where it came from & how you put it back !
Over all For me……. The whole reason why I got into modelguns was to own a Thompson …….. that was it. there was no other reason …… I wanted a Thompson always had and anyone who owns a Thompson will I believe tell you they are astounding guns, a must for every collection, and the biggest “smile producers” there is.
Well ……… the MP18 is the Thompson’s rival ! …yes lads you heard me right I kid you not !…I am awestruck by this gun ! ( I know I’m not exactly impartial here and I have gone on about this since I ordered it …but…..come on
hehehe ) …… it may have cost me a lot because it’s a ‘specialty item’ and hard to obtain…… I may have got absolutely stung on import duty …… but my god……. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat for this gun.
The fact that there is no elaborate safety catch ……. Or single shot / full auto switch is irrelevant and didn’t even enter my head because I was so caught up in all the elements that make this weapon. The design is incredibly stylish, unbelievably simplistic… and superbly crafted by CAW … it really is a ‘perfect’ replica …….expensive yes …. But perfect in every way……. this is what modelguns should be about !
dont get me wrong ! I still love my Thompson …….. but if you asked me now to choose between the 2 ……. Well ……. It ain’t happening !
This gun is getting full marks 10/10
…… if I buy 1 modelgun a month for the next hundred years I do believe I will be hard pressed to match this one
Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:22 pm
So, you must be extremely happy with the MachinenPistole eh? I think that i would have possibly made the same mistake that you did on the magazine because i couldn't wait to shoot it! The CAW MP18 has to be one of the most expensive modelguns out there that is currently made other than the Shoei modelguns but, all of these modelguns are fun no matter how much we spend! As for the lack of instructions for the MP Gary, you couln't have read them anyway unless den included translations for them. I see that the barrel shroud is pressed steel just like the Hudson PPSH 41 with the cast zinc receiver so i guess that the majority of the MP18 is cast and machined zinc parts so, all in all, it must be a heavy well made modelgun! Again congratulations!
