Italian 8-mm Breda Medium Machine Gun, Model 37, WWII Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 23: April 22, 1943 (Lone Sentry)

a. General

This machine gun is not dissimilar to the French Hotchkiss, with the exception of the thumb trigger, like the British Vickers. From the following report, prepared at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, it appears to be an excellent gun.

The gun is gas-operated, air-cooled and has a quick-change barrel. The cartridges are fed from plate chargers holding 20 rounds, each round being housed in a separate compartment (see sketch). After firing, the empty cases, instead of being ejected, are replaced in the compartment of the plate charger.

The gun uses ammunition very similar to our own with the exception of the case which is shorter and the caliber which is .015 of an inch larger. It is made in ball, tracer, and incendiary tracer armorpiercing. The German 7.92-mm ammunition can also be used.

[Italian Breda MG, Model 37]

b. Description

Following are characteristics of this gun:

Caliber 8 mm (.315 in)

Weight 44 pounds

Length over-all 50 in

Weight of barrel, complete 17-3/4 pounds

Length of barrel, complete 33-1/4 in

Rifling 4 lands, right hand twist

Rear Sight:

Elevation 300 to 3,000 meters

Windage 0 to 8 mils plus or minus
(0 to 2-1/4° plus or minus)

Cyclic rate of fire (maximum) 450 rounds per minute*

Effective rate of fire Unknown

Muzzle velocity 2,600 feet per second*

Maximum range 6,500 yards*

Cooling Air

Mounting Tripod

Feed 20-round plate charger

Provision for single-shot fire None

Safety Shift safety catch on top of rear cross-piece to S for "safe" and to F for "fire".

The accompanying range table covers the Breda Model 37 and also the Fiat Model 35.

c. Tripod Mount

The mounting is provided with elevating and traversing gears, which can be used in conjunction with the open sights for direct laying, or with the elevating and traverse scales for indirect laying.

Elevation is adjustable from 360 mils (20 degrees) depression to 360 (20 degrees) elevation, with a micrometer adjustment from the 46 mils (2 degrees 30 minutes) depression to 36 mils (2 degrees) elevation.

The main traverse scale is graduated from 450 mils (25 degrees) to 1,150 mils (65 degrees) in 10 mil steps, the central position being at 800 mils (45 degrees). An additional 150 mils (8 degrees 30 minutes) traverse is provided by an independent micrometer adjustment.

RANGE TABLES FOR ITALIAN 8-MM MGs--FIAT MODEL 35 AND BREDA MODEL 37,
FIRING MODEL 35 BALL AMMUNITION

Range (yds)	Fiat 35 Elev. (mils)	Breda 37 Elev. (mils)	Range (yds)	Fiat 35 Elev. (mils)	Breda 37 Elev. (mils)	Range (yds)	Fiat 35 Elev. (mils)	Breda 37 Elev. (mils)	Range (yds)	Fiat 35 Elev. (mils)	Breda 37 Elev. (mils)
100	1	1	1200	19	19	2300	68	66	3400	150	148
200	2	2	1300	22	22	2400	74	72	3500	159	158
300	3	3	1400	25	25	2500	80	78	3600	168	168
400	4	4	1500	29	28	2600	86	84	3700	178	179
500	5	5	1600	33	32	2700	93	91	3800	188	190
600	6	6	1700	37	36	2800	100	99	3900	199	202
700	8	8	1800	41	40	2900	108	107	4000	210	214
800	10	10	1900	46	45	3000	116	114	4100	221	226
900	12	12	2000	51	50	3100	124	122	4200	234	239
1000	14	14	2100	56	55	3200	132	130	4300	247	253
1100	16	16	2200	62	60	3300	141	139	4400	261	286

Standard conditions: barometer 750 mm (29.5 in) of mercury, temperature 15° C (59° F), humidity 0.5 (half-saturated air).

Comment: The gun is quite simple in its operational features, and is extremely easy to disassemble. The breech is positively locked at the moment of firing, the breechblock being forced up (without tilting) by the action of inclined surfaces on the piston extension, so that a projection on its upper surfaces engages in an opening in the top of the body. The barrel is sufficiently heavy (17-3/4 pounds) to enable it to fire a large number of rounds in quick succession without overheating.

*This information has not been checked by U.S. test.