Breda M37
The Mitragliatrice Breda calibro 8 modello 37 (commonly known as the Breda mod. 37 or simply Breda 37/M37 and also just M37) was an Italian Medium machine gun produced by Breda and adopted in 1937 by the Royal Italian Army. It was the standard heavy machine gun for the Royal Italian Army during World War II, and continued to be used by the Italian Army after the conflict.
| Mitragliatrice Breda cal. 8 mod. 37 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937–1960s |
| Used by | Italy Portugal |
| Wars |
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| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Breda Meccanica Bresciana |
| Produced | 1937–43 |
| No. built | Unknown |
| Variants | Breda mod. 38 (tank mounted) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 19.4 + 18.8 kg (43 + 41 lb) (weapon+tripod) |
| Length | 1,270 mm (50 in) |
| Barrel length | 780 mm (31 in) |
| Cartridge | 8×59mm RB Breda 7.92×57mm Mauser export |
| Caliber | 8 mm 7.92 mm |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Rate of fire | 460 rds/min theoretical, 200 rds/min practical |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 metres per second (2,600 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 800–1,000 m (870–1,090 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 5,400 m (5,900 yd) |
| Feed system | 20 round feed strip |
The Breda 37 was meant as company/battalion support as compared to the more troublesome Breda 30 meant for squad/platoon support and proved far more effective in combat. Though some sources say that the gun possesses some of the same problematic features of the Breda 30(mainly the need for an oil reservoir to lubricate the cartridges before chambering), the reality is that the Breda 37 was a simple—only four moving parts—and reliable gun that does not need lubrication and had nothing to do with the previous series (that was mistakenly called the Breda 30 series: in reality, the Breda 30 automatic rifle/light machinegun is part of the Breda 24 series).
Instead, the Breda 37 is part of the Breda 31 series of automatic weapons, the series started with the Breda 31 (a licensed built copy of the Hotchkiss 1929): the weapons of this series were amongst the most re-employed by the allies and this weapon continue to serve well after WW2, only being replaced in Portuguese service by the FN MAG in 1960. The weapon was also adopted for use by the Regia Marina in small numbers aboard minor warships.