Demilled U.S. M18 Recoilless Rifle 57mm w/Scope & Accessories
SOLD FOR: $2,275
WOA#: 240210RN026WY
Make: Firestone
Model: M18 Recoilless Rifle
Country: United States
Serial Number: 6279
Year of Manufacture: c.1944-1960s
Caliber: 57mm
Action Type: Interrupted lug rotating breechblock, single-shot recoilless
Markings: The top of the chamber is marked “7230397”. The left side of the chamber is marked “APG – PA”. The underside front is marked “RIFLE 57mm .. M18”, “NO.6279 INSP.B.A.S.FIRESTONE”, and “LBS 45 ORD. DEPT. U.S.A.”. The front of the shoulder mount bracket is marked “7231352”. The underside of the barrel is marked “FC5T4315”. The muzzle of the barrel is marked “FIRESTONE”. The right side of the grip mount is marked “7230401”. The front sight mounting bracket is marked “SIGHT FRONT M26”. The top of the rear sight mounting bracket is marked “B-764158”. The right side is marked “Mount Sight M740”. The top of the rear sight base is marked “586399”. The top of the scope is marked “TELESCOPE, M-86F SERIAL No. 20004”. The headstamp of the inert round is marked “AMM CT LOP-2-1”, “57MM M30A IB3”, “CRTG M308A1”, and “FOR 57MM RIFLE M18 – M18A1”.
Barrel Length: Approximately 47”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is the M26 flip-up v-notch blade. The rear sight is a flip-up adjustable u-notch blade on a ladder mounted slide, which is set on the M74 sight mount. The scope is a Telescope, M-86F 2.8x. The rear sight has been mounted onto the rifle backwards.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered black plastic. There are scuffs and scratches throughout. The bottoms are heavily worn. The grips rate in Fair to Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: OD Green
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: Holes have been made in the barrel to deactivate it, but the rifling is sharp and there is light to moderate erosion.
Overall Condition: This demilled rifle is in Good overall condition. There is wear to the finish, surface rust, and oxidation throughout. There is wear along the edges of the leather shoulder pad. The shoulder mounts are more heavily worn, with some areas that have a large amount of surface rust. The rear sight and scope mount has been mounted backwards. The scope lenses are foggy, with specks of dirt throughout. Holes have been cut into the barrel and two large cuts and a few holes on the receiver have been made with a torch to deactivate the rifle.The charge head of the inert round has been tilted off to the side.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with an M-86F scope, canvas scope cover, scope storage tube, inert 57mm round, bore brush with a canvas carrying bag, canvas carrying straps, shoulder mounts, and a canvas rifle cover bag.
Our Assessment: The M18 recoilless rifle was developed near the end of the Second World War as a way to bring accurate, anti-tank artillery-style fire to infantry sections without having to use large anti-tank guns. The rifled barrel allowed for more accurate fire than the unguided rockets fired from something like a bazooka, while only sacrificing a moderate amount of penetrating power. Unlike normal, smaller rifles, the propellant gasses from a recoilless rifle round are projected out the back, pushing the warhead forward down the barrel. This results in nearly no recoil, hence the name. The M18 saw its most successful use in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War, where its lower penetrating power was not as much of an issue against Japanese armored vehicles. Though, it was primarily used for taking out emplacements. It had less effectiveness in the European Theater against heavily armored German vehicles. The M18 would continue to see service in the Korean War, though it would be superseded by larger and more effective recoilless rifles as well as the M20 Super Bazooka. This example has been extensively demilled, with two large cuts in the receiver as well as numerous holes being made in receiver and barrel. It retains a fair amount of finish, though there is surface rust and oxidation scattered throughout. The bore has strong rifling with light to moderate erosion. It comes with a number of accessories: an M-86F scope, canvas scope cover, scope storage tube, inert 57mm round, bore brush with a canvas carrying bag, canvas carrying straps, shoulder mounts, and a canvas rifle cover bag. This would make for a neat display piece after it’s been cleaned up a bit. Please see our photos.
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