The Parabellum LMG 14/17 was the refined 1917 variant of Germany’s aircraft‑adapted Maxim machine gun family (commonly referred to as MG 14 or LMG 14). The 14/17 introduced several practical improvements over the original LMG 14: a slimmer, lighter jacket/profile, small sighting and mounting refinements, and updated feed/charging features — all intended to improve handling in flexible mounts and to simplify production and maintenance. Like its predecessor, the LMG 14/17 was principally a flexible defensive gun for two‑seat reconnaissance machines, bombers and airships; its use as a fixed, synchronized fighter gun was rare and generally limited to experimental fits.

Typical installations & variants

• LMG 14 (MG 14) — aircraft version introduced c.1914, optimised for flexible mounts and airship use (light weight, high rate of fire).
• LMG 14/17 — later refinement with slimmer jacket and sights; common in surviving examples and late-war mounts.

The weapon normally fed from a closed drum or short cloth belt spool and was mounted on observer ring mounts or flexible pintles; it was favoured where a high rate of fire and reduced weight were required.

Aircraft equipped with the Parabellum LMG 14

• Halberstadt CL.II – observer’s flexible defensive gun.
• Gotha G.IV – bomber defensive mounts.
• Rumpler C.IV – observer’s defensive gun on two-seat reconnaissance aircraft.
• LVG C.V – two-seat reconnaissance planes with flexible mounts.
• Gotha G.I – early bomber defensive armament.

Historical significance

The Parabellum LMG 14 was a crucial development in German aviation armament. It allowed observers and airship crews to carry a reliable, high-rate-of-fire machine gun without the weight penalties of standard MG 08s. It also contributed to the early experiments with synchronized guns, paving the way for fixed forward-firing armament on fighter aircraft.{{freeshipping_code_1}}{{payment}}