Breda 38

Mitragliatrice Breda cal. 8 mod. 38 per carri armati

Type	Tank machine gun
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service	1938–43
Used by	Italy
Wars	World War II
Production history
Manufacturer	Breda Meccanica Bresciana
Specifications
Weight	16.3 kg (36 lb)^[1]
Length	897.5 mm (35.33 in)^[1]
Barrel length	600 mm (24 in)^[1]

Cartridge	8×59mm RB Breda
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	550 rds/min theoretical, 350 rds/min practical^[1]
Muzzle velocity	770 metres per second (2,500 ft/s)^[1]
Effective firing range	300 m (330 yd)^[1]
Feed system	24-round vertical box magazine

The Mitragliatrice Breda calibro 8 modello 38 per carri armati was an Italian tank-pattern machine gun used in World War II. It was able to fit on the available tanks: the Fiat L6/40, the Fiat M11/39, and the Fiat M13/40. It was also adapted as infantry machine gun.

Development

Hull-mounted double Breda Mod. 38 in a Fiat M13/40 tank

"The Italians have also adapted it for use as an infantry machine gun.^[2] For this purpose the gun is mounted on a machine-gun tripod...by means of an adapter, and is fitted with a temporary rear sight on the right of the body and a temporary front sight on the right of the barrel at the muzzle. These temporary open sights take the place of the optical sight used when the gun is tank-mounted."

Design details

"The gun is air-cooled, gas-operated, and magazine-fed, and has a quick-change barrel. Its operational features are simple, and it is extremely easy to field-strip or disassemble completely. The barrel is sufficiently heavy (9⅞ pounds) to enable it to fire a large number of rounds in quick succession without overheating."

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 Pignato, p. 43.
↑ U.S. Military Intelligence Service (June 3, 1943), "Italian 8-mm Breda Machine Gun, Model 38, WWII Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 26,", lonesentry.com, retrieved 6 October 2015

Pignato, Nicola (1978). Armi della fanteria italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale (in Italian). Ermanno Albertelli Editore.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Breda Mod. 38.

Breda Model 38 Variant

Italian firearms and light weapons of World War II

Side arms	Beretta M1923 Beretta M1934 Beretta M1935 Roth–Steyr M1907 Steyr M1912 Glisenti M1910 Bodeo Model 1889

Rifles and carbines (fucili e moschetti)	Fucile da Fanteria Mod. 1891 Moschetto Mod. 91 da Cavalleria Moschetto per Truppe Speciali Mod. 91 Fucile Mod. 1938 Fucile Armaguerra Mod. 39

Submachine guns	Beretta 1918 MAB 38 Onorati OVP FNAB-43 OG-43 TZ-45

Machine guns and other larger weapons	Fiat-Revelli Mod. 1914 Fiat Revelli Mod. 1935 SAFAT M1926 Breda-SAFAT Breda Mod. 1930 Breda Mod. 5C Breda Mod. 1937 Breda Mod. 1938 Solothurn S-18/1000

Grenades	OTO Mod. 35 OTO Mod. 42 SRCM Mod. 35 Breda Mod. 35 Breda Mod. 42 L Type P Bomb

Mortars (mortai)	Mortaio Brixia Mod. 35 Mortaio da 81/14 Mod. 35

Cartridge	.32 ACP .380 ACP 6.5×52mm Mannlicher-Carcano 7.35×51mm Carcano 8×57mm IS 8×59mm RB Breda 9×19mm Glisenti 9×19mm Parabellum 20×138mmB

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