Lewis

The Lewis machine gun, designed by Samuel Maclean and further developed by U.S. Army Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis in 1911, was initially rejected by the U.S. military. Seeking production opportunities abroad, Lewis partnered with the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) in the UK. The gun was extensively produced by BSA during World War I and officially adopted by the British Army in 1915. It saw widespread use, including service with the Russian Army, where over 11,000 units were deployed. Despite its initial rejection, the Lewis gun was later manufactured by Savage Arms in the U.S. for British forces during World War II, primarily for Home Guard units. The gun’s lasting impact was such that it even featured in the iconic Soviet film ‘White Sun of the Desert,’ depicting the Russian Civil War.