Here is a RARE and ONE OF A KIND piece!  This is a Winchester M1918 parts kit that was used as a 'Sample Cabinet' rifle.  It was an in house, unissued, unfired example of an M1918 and over the years they 'upgraded' the sample cabinet to reflect what a M1918a2 should be.   Although this has some interesting 'prototype' upgrades, and other upgrades were not done at all.  Upgrades seem to start in the late 1930's and end in the mid 1950's. 

The receiver has been cut and is not complete and the barrel has been 'saw relived' at the shoulder but otherwise a mint, unissued BAR, most of which is almost 100 years old but looks brand new!

Barrel - Colt slim profile.  This is consistent with a photo of a demonstration board BAR from the Winchester factory in 1918.  The barrel has no maker mark or date.  It has had a relief cut in the shoulder to remove it, this may be welded and re-turned.  It's a crying shame someone had to go and do this.  The blue is perfect, deep and the bore is 100% Bright and crisp

Gas Tube - W marked, deep blue.  It has the 'third type' gas regulator on the end

Forearm - M1918a2 forearm, but with a strange brass bushing on the bottom screw, one that didn't make it on any other forearm I have ever seen.  Prototype forearm perhaps?  Check out the photos

Trigger housing -  M1918, unmodified, with the M1918 full-semi-safe parts still installed.  Everything is brand new

Internals - All bright unblued and W marked

Charging handle - Nice dark blue, and has the checkering that was present only in Winchesters

Rear Sight - Milled base, prototype rear sight aperture, it's a ring peep site, unlike the notch peep sight of a M1918a2.  It looks more like a hybrid of a M1918 and an M1918a2.

Buffer -  the buffer tube, like the trigger group is a M1918.  Never upgraded

Butt Stock - A2 wood stock, with the early milled swivel that accepts the monopod and an early M1918a2 buttplate

Receiver - cut and incomplete.  What is left has a dark blueing on it, on the left side is stamped 'SAMPLE CABINET' across from the ejection port.  The top has no serial number stamped .  The rear section of the receiver has not had the A2 'sear trip' relief cut milled. 

Missing parts - the only missing parts are the recoil spring and guide, probably removed and discarded while being demilled.  No magazine, bipod, or flash hider.  Also no carrying handle seems ever to have been mounted

An ultra rare, BRAND NEW, parts set that mixes new, old, and prototype parts.  It's a shame it had to be cut up, you can look the wide world over, and never find a nicer parts set