Originally developed prior to World War I, the Lewis was one of the lightest machine guns of the era, weighing in at about 28 pounds. The inventor, Lieutenant Colonel Issac Newton Lewis, established a firm in Belgium to license the design to arms manufacturers, finding interested parties at Birmingham Small Arms of Britain and Savage Arms of the United States, and both countries would take the Lewis into combat during World War I as infantry machine guns and in aircraft and vehicle mountings. The distinctive aluminum cooling fins and barrel shroud are present on this standard infantry Lewis. Blade front and folding ladder rear sights. Includes a detachable anti-aircraft sight and bipod both mounted on the barrel shroud.