Portuguese Contract Madsen LMG

[GIZMO8Z]

I found this in a dusty corner of a gun shop near me. The owner says it has been taking up space for too long and he wants to get rid of it. It's currently listed at $375 but he would be willing to go down to $250 or more...

Of course, as per New York law, it is deactivated.

It appears to have been painted black and it has the seal of Portugal...

Advice on this deactivated LMG would be greatly appreciated. What are these things worth? Would it be smart to pick this thing up or is it an overpriced hunk of junk?

[Desertrat1921]

I know it doesn't help but these a pretty rare in the UK........

[KriegMann]

I honestly whimpered a bit when I read that it was a deact, not just a semi auto converted. But other than that it seems like a steal for $250 or lower.

[pitfighter]

Nice - not a very handsome MG, but $250 works, if you want it in your cave - not a great deal of heat on these, if you are considering buying to resell.
There have been several demilled Madsens doing the rounds, but all are priced in the $500 to $600 range, from my watching, and I generally do daily GB, Armslist, gunauction searches for "demilled kits", "dummy guns" and "parts kits", they are not selling too quickly.

Pit.

[Scout]

WARNING!! Purely subjective opinion by Scout below!!

.... is it an overpriced hunk of junk?

Nice - not a very handsome MG, but $250 works, if you want it in your cave - not a great deal of heat on these, if you are considering buying to resell.

Oi!! The venerable Madsen is a super quality MG, it was a sales succes, a design which (way more than) stood the test of time and a true beauty (beauty is after all in the eye of the beholder)!!

Not only were Madsen products (MG and cannon) used to fend off invaders on the 9. of April 1940, the quality milled Madsen was the first true succesful small light man portable MG and in production for a long time and astoundingly in service even longer.

It put the 'L' in LMG/Light Machine Gun and in service for over a 100 years (take that, John Moses!)

Until a few years ago used to hunt drug criminals in the favelas of Brazil with a great degree of succes, though far more modern weapons were available (not least captured guns taken from the hands of dead criminals shot by the Madsen).

Not only a huge export succes (amongst others to Russia - see pic below), but also very unusual if not unique for such an old firearms design to be used in that manner and for so long.

A true piece of firearms history and an MG of iconic status.

(Stating the obvious; the above is of course tongue in cheeck).

Hunting drug criminals in the favelas with the Madsen MG
brazilian police(Must watch!!!!) - YouTube

Madsen in service with Rio police
Madsens and Mystery Rifles with the Rio Police

[Spitace41]

WARNING!! Purely subjective opinion by Scout below!!





Oi!! The venerable Madsen is a super quality MG, it was a sales succes, a design which (way more than) stood the test of time and a true beauty (beauty is after all in the eye of the beholder)!!

Not only were Madsen products (MG and cannon) used to fend off invaders on the 9. of April 1940, the quality milled Madsen was the first true succesful small light man portable MG and in production for a long time and astoundingly in service even longer.

It put the 'L' in LMG/Light Machine Gun and in service for over a 100 years (take that, John Moses!)

Until a few years ago used to hunt drug criminals in the favelas of Brazil with a great degree of succes, though far more modern weapons were available (not least captured guns taken from the hands of dead criminals shot by the Madsen).

Not only a huge export succes (amongst others to Russia - see pic below), but also very unusual if not unique for such an old firearms design to be used in that manner and for so long.

A true piece of firearms history and an MG of iconic status.

(Stating the obvious; the above is of course tongue in cheeck).

Hunting drug criminals in the favelas with the Madsen MG
brazilian police(Must watch!!!!) - YouTube

Madsen in service with Rio police
Madsens and Mystery Rifles with the Rio Police

So you can teach an old dog new tricks I agree with the above. These are very historic weapons (just take a look at the wikipedia page) and if I was offered one for that price i would snap it up.

[pitfighter]

I may have read the OP's original post wrongly but I don't think he was asking about it's merits as a combat weapon, or historical artifact.

He wanted to know if $250 was a good price for a dummy Madsen.

I said they are a tough sell, and I follow a lot of them - but $250 is gambling money anyway, if it was for his den then great.

The google search on pics is cool - but doesn't offer anything to his post - he is an intelligent guy, I am sure he has done research on the firearm itself, hopefully beyond wikipedia.
The commerce in dummy MG's is very different to that of converted semi MG replicas, which is also very different to the market of MG's on the NFA list.

I am attempting to aid a fellow member who asked for help - not really sure what use a half dozen pics of Brazilian police with the same weapon offers the OP, I wouldn't buy anything based on their choice of firearm!

Said in good humor, You're all gentlemen, fellow collectors and aficionados,

Pit.

[Scout]

I may have read the OP's original post wrongly but I don't think he was asking about it's merits as a combat weapon, or historical artifact.

He wanted to know if $250 was a good price for a dummy Madsen.

I said they are a tough sell, and I follow a lot of them - but $250 is gambling money anyway, if it was for his den then great.

The google search on pics is cool - but doesn't offer anything to his post - he is an intelligent guy, I am sure he has done research on the firearm itself, hopefully beyond wikipedia.
The commerce in dummy MG's is very different to that of converted semi MG replicas, which is also very different to the market of MG's on the NFA list.

I am attempting to aid a fellow member who asked for help - not really sure what use a half dozen pics of Brazilian police with the same weapon offers the OP, I wouldn't buy anything based on their choice of firearm!

Said in good humor, You're all gentlemen, fellow collectors and aficionados,

Pit.

Take it easy. I meant no offence what so ever. No need to get your knickers in a bunch.
You seem agitaged. Calm down, its just a deac not like its something important.


My post was purely subjective and further more meant tongue in cheeck, which I clearly stated.
For most people with a grasp on English and reality, the following would have been hints:

WARNING!! Purely subjective opinion by Scout below!!

As would this:

and this:

(Stating the obvious; the above is of course tongue in cheeck).

GIZMO8Z/the OP strikes me as a man with a firm grasp on reality and some knowledge/interest in firearms.
He is able to converse like a balanced person and more importantly understands the Queens English just fine (I remember having a chat with him on the ERMA being held by his Granddad) and should be able to come to the underneath conclusion, but as you obviously need me to spell it out:
My conclusion of my previous post, is that the OP should buy the cheap Madsen and strip the tacky primer looking paint, as there are super quality parts and an iconic piece of firearms history underneath.

As for me just now Google searching for pics!? You are being very condescending.
You dont know me from Adam.
I have a vested interest in the Madsen, as it happens to be one of my favourite guns.
I have seen and handled several products from the Company (be it folding Madsen SMGs or the Madsen Cannon mounted in sidecars used to stop invaders in 1940). I have talked with people from the now defunct firearms division, that made the Madsen, seen a few MGs they donated to a Museum (a few rare Madsen prototypes in by appointment only collection now closed), visited several musems primarily to see Madsen MGs, talked with people who used it/fired it in the service and reserched interviews with people actually firing it in anger in 1940.
I have a huge cache of pics and info on the Madsen and will travel far to see first hand and take pics of the Madsen.
The 'favela' pics are of course from the internet, but saved in my info folder on the Madsens.

But thats okay, you assumed. You know what they say about assumptions being the mother of all you-know-what.....

Below are pics that I snapped with my own camera of the Madsen MG and cannon, so you can stick your derogatory 'Google pic search' remark where the sun dont shine.

As you not being able to see what pics can do? This is a forum, where some of us have an interest in firearms and most of us genuinely into firearms welcome pics and info.
Some of us are also interested in the historical side of firearms, the developement and use.
If you cant see that, I cant help you.

Though you state that:

Said in good humor, You're all gentlemen, fellow collectors and aficionados,

You post was clearly not written in good humour. Just putting that on the screen doesnt make it so.

As for you editing your post and your reason for editing:

Mean spirited trying to make it more pelasant

You failed on the latter part.
Man, I'd have hated to see your post before you attempted to it more 'pleasent.'

Ive seen pre-WWII MGs shot in anger in the Army and shot and handled them myself and really would never consider throwing my toys out of the pram over this insignificant matter, as there are FAR more important things in the world hence I regards this as a closed matter and a mere silly forum ripple.

Most of us here like firearms history and pics. Not all people think alike - lets leave it at that.

[JMM]

I agree with Scout. You should buy it. It's a great historical / collectible gun (even deactivated)
Of course if you were portuguese you would even have an extra reason for buying it (this gun served well in the portuguese colonial war)

[Bill Grist]

Is the Madsen a dummy gun (not a Real Receiver) or a Original Madsen MG... It looks like a real MG, even if it is DEWAT in the USA It has to have ATF registration paper work...BILL