Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

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ForgottenWeapons
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Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by ForgottenWeapons »

Does anyone have any experience with original Maxim silencers? I came across one that I am considering getting, and I'm trying to find out more about it. It is marked as being a model 1923, and includes a thread adapter and a guide rod for assembly. The current owner sent some photos of the whole thing disassembled, and it appears to be missing most of the baffles.

Image
Image

Can anyone tell me how many are missing, and whether the existing ones are damaged or shaped this way intentionally? Is it possible to repair is into working order? Any idea what firearm(s) it was intended for use with?

An info would be much appreciated - thanks!
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Dr.K »

Wow, the box! Seems I heard that things like original packaing increase the value.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Historian »

Reference "Firearm SIlencers"- Vol. I, US by Donald B. McLean,
Normount Armament CO, Forest Grove, Oregon 1968;p.23 Fig. 4.

Maxim's 1909 patent was an eccentric design ( e.g., SilencerCO Osprey ).
What you have seems to be the 1912 concentric model.

From the figure there were a nominal 13 curlicue stamped baffles.

You have an opportunity to acquire a unique piece of history.

Hope this helps.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by JasonM »

Those baffles are shaped normally. No idea how many are missing.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by doubloon »

Very cool.

Can it be purchased as a curio or relic?

On the repair question I have no doubt if the tube is intact that someone out there somewhere would be able to reproduce or replace the internals. Probably even create a new mono-core to fit the tube.

But I also imagine the cost of "repair" would be much higher than the cost of a brand new can and I can only assume the can in its current condition has much more intrinsic value than any practical value that can be had from a restoration.
Last edited by doubloon on Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

ForgottenWeapons wrote:Does anyone have any experience with original Maxim silencers? I came across one that I am considering getting, and I'm trying to find out more about it. It is marked as being a model 1923, and includes a thread adapter and a guide rod for assembly. The current owner sent some photos of the whole thing disassembled, and it appears to be missing most of the baffles.

Image
Image

Can anyone tell me how many are missing, and whether the existing ones are damaged or shaped this way intentionally? Is it possible to repair is into working order? Any idea what firearm(s) it was intended for use with?

An info would be much appreciated - thanks!
Are the 3 baffles int he picture the ONLY baffles it has or are more in the tube?

Yes it can be repaired only by an 07/02.
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Bendersquint
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

doubloon wrote:Very cool.

Can it be purchased as a curio or relic?
No such thing as a C&R suppressor.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by ForgottenWeapons »

As far as I know, the three baffles you see are all that are left.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by doubloon »

Bendersquint wrote:
doubloon wrote:Very cool.

Can it be purchased as a curio or relic?
No such thing as a C&R suppressor.
Thanks, wasn't sure. Even though it seemed unlikely I had to ask. :D
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by bigbigpig »

Stupid question - are these exempt from NFA since they were manufactured and in circulation before NFA? Did existing suppressors have to be registered after the fact?
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

bigbigpig wrote:Stupid question - are these exempt from NFA since they were manufactured and in circulation before NFA? Did existing suppressors have to be registered after the fact?
No they are not exempt from the NFA.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by bigbigpig »

So anyone that already had a suppressor, sbr, sbs, machinegun, etc before 1934 had to register them?
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

bigbigpig wrote:So anyone that already had a suppressor, sbr, sbs, machinegun, etc before 1934 had to register them?
Yup!
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by doubloon »

That's confusing since there are a number of machine guns on the curio and relic list.

Ah ... but they are listed as still under control of the NFA.

There appear to be 5 classifications, some items completely removed from the NFA but some still subject to NFA control.

SEC. I Ammunition classified as Curios or Relics prior to 1986 amendments of the Gun Control Act (GCA).

SEC. II. Firearms classified as Curios or Relics (still under the GCA).

SEC. III. Weapons removed from the National Firearms Act (NFA) as collector's items which are determined to be Curios or Relics subject to the provisions of the GCA.

SEC. IIIA. Weapons removed from the National Fire arms Act (NFA) as collector's items that are antiques not subject to the provisions of the GCA.

SEC. IV. NFA weapons classified as Curios or Relics (still under the NFA and the GCA).
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by ForgottenWeapons »

The benefit of getting a C&R machine gun (apart from a few states like CT where those are the only machine guns you can own by state law) is that once the Form 4 clears the gun can be shipped directly to you (assuming you have a C&R license) instead of going through a dealer in your state.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

Nothing confusing about it, the only C&R's out there in the NFA world are MG's.

Everything is controlled by the NFA, just MG's have a subcategory of C&R, and are controlled the same but handled a little differently in regards to transfers.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

ForgottenWeapons wrote:The benefit of getting a C&R machine gun (apart from a few states like CT where those are the only machine guns you can own by state law) is that once the Form 4 clears the gun can be shipped directly to you (assuming you have a C&R license) instead of going through a dealer in your state.
You better tell all the M16 owners and auto sear owners in CT they are breaking the law then!
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by ForgottenWeapons »

My mistake - CT is no select fire. PRetty sure there are a couple states that are C&R only for machine guns.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by doubloon »

Bendersquint wrote:Nothing confusing about it, the only C&R's out there in the NFA world are MG's.
...
That's why I amended the post, originally it was just the one sentence about being confusing.

Sorry, I neglected to add the ETA: to make it more obvious I amended the post.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by OJB4 »

It would be worth the purchase just to have the original box/tube it came in as far as I'm concerned! SWEET!
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Bendersquint »

Personally I would buy it as is and leave it, for me the collectors value is more important than a functional suppressor.
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by HK91 »

Looks to me like Parker Hale must have copied their MM-1 sound moderator after this Maxim silencer. I used a Parker Hale MM-1 back when I was stationed in England 25 years ago that was owned by a local that would take me rabbit shooting.

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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by marcus99 »

I remember reading about german snipers attaching suppressors to their bolt action mausers during the first world war. Would the one posted by the OP possibly have been a later production of those?
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by 66427vette »

How much?
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Re: Help with a Maxim 1923 silencer

Post by Historian »

marcus99 wrote:I remember reading about german snipers attaching suppressors to their bolt action mausers during the first world war. Would the one posted by the OP possibly have been a later production of those?
You are correct: German Rifle Silencer FMMISC-731
It was patented 13 March 1933, Hans Eissfeldt;
Nr, 629404

I have not remembered of any German Rifle silencers during WW I.


Ref: Frankford Arsenal Report R-1896 Aug 1968 p. 160
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