Breda Modello 30 (Breda 30)

History

Before World War I (1914-1918) Breda Meccanica Bresciana (or simply "Breda") was a supplier of heavy industrial locomotives. During the war, its direction changed as it merged under the FIAT brand to help produce FIAT machine guns for the Italian war, thus starting the company's military ties with the Italian government.

After the armistice in November 1918, Breda consolidated its weapons design and production, delving into the light machine gun (LMG) category to complement the heavy water-cooled Fiat machine guns in use at the time. This led to the Mitragliatrice Breda Tipo 5C in 1924, which became one of the first light machine guns in the world after World War I. It was adopted by the Italian army in 2,000 prototypes under the name "Modello 24" and then further developed by the 1928 and 1929 models.

In 1930, the design was modified again and was tested as the "Modello 30" - known in its long form as the "Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 30", as the name suggests, the weapon was adopted by the Italian army 30,000 units were produced in 1930. The Modello 30 is in the same category as the US M1918 BAR, Japan's Type 11 and 96 systems, and the UK's BREN light machine gun - intended as a portable squad support weapon.

The Modello 30 is loaded with the 6.5x52mm Mannlicher Carcano rifle cartridge, which has been shown to be capable of stopping people, but compared to its contemporaries in the British. 303 - Especially machine gun weapons.

The action of the Modello 30 relies on a recoil-based recoil system, which is an interesting choice considering the high-speed nature of the weapon. The system is air-cooled - the crew doesn't need a water reservoir - and offers maximum portability, although overheated barrels need to be replaced manually, usually after about 250 consecutive shots.

The rate of fire is approximately 500 rounds per minute, the muzzle velocity is 2,066 feet per second, the effective range is within 800 yards, and the total attack range is up to 3,000 yards.

Visually, the Modello 30 has a unique and rather chunky appearance, including sawn-off wooden shoulder rests, a slender cylindrical receiver, and a side-mounted magazine - its profile is by no means delicate or streamlined. This magazine is particularly noticeable because it enters the frame at a 90-degree angle near the center of the weapon on the right (in front of the trigger and pistol grip). The crate is fastened to the frame and hinged for reloading, deploying "stripper" clips for a total of 20 rounds. While allowing Italian gunners to use existing 6.5mm ammunition stocks, the use of magazines reduced the platform's rate of fire and increased reload time.

The reliance on permanently attached magazines also meant that severe physical damage to the magazine structure could render the entire machine gun useless until parts were replaced. The feeding system of the machine gun must include an oil reservoir for the lubrication of the cartridge to counteract the poor extraction effect due to the recoil process.

As expected, this coating attracts all kinds of dirt once in the field.

Specification

BASICS

Year of Service

1930

Origins

The Kingdom of Italy

Categories

Light Machine Gun (LMG)

Manufacturer

Breda Meccanica Bresciana - Italy

Carrier

Greece; Kingdom of Italy

Roles

Fire Support

Ability to suppress enemy elements at a distance using direct or indirect fire.

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length

1,230 mm

48. 43 inches

Run Length

450mm

17.72 inches

Cured weight

23.37 lbs

10.60 kg

Attractions

Front and rear iron

Action

frustration

Backflush operation

The air pressure created by the rearward movement of the fired case provides the necessary bolt movement, case ejection and stripping of the new case from the magazine.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

CARTRIDGE & FEED

Caliber(s)*

6. 5x52mm Mannlicher-Carcano

Rounds / Feed

20-round tray for stripper clips

PERFORMANCE

Max Eff. Range

2,624 ft

(800 m | 875 yd)

Rate-of-Fire

500

rds/min

Muzzle Velocity

2,066 ft/sec

(630 m/sec)

VARIANTS

Fucile Mitragliatore Breda modello 30 - Formal Designation. Breda 30 - Alternative, short designationMG 099(i) - German Army Designation following 1943 Italian armistice with the Allies.