Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

The theory and practice of the Profession of Arms through the ages.
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Nathan45
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Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by Nathan45 »

Backyard ballistics (Which is honestly a great channel for anyone with a interest in the subject) restores a Italian Breda Modello 30, officially known as the Fucile Mitragliatore Breda modello 30.

A great breakdown of one of the less loved WW2 light machine guns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF-AQxT-ctM

(Man, I thought swapping out BAR magazines every 20 rounds was bad...)
warshipadmin
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by warshipadmin »

Hmm, not keen on the impact driver, but other than that, fascinating. Slightly irrelevant when I was an apprentice you either used a ring spanner or a speed brace for nuts and bolts, anything else got you a clip round the ear from the foreman or leading hand.
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M.Becker
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by M.Becker »

The Italians had an impressive record on machine guns. The Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 can be excused as a rather early one, but by the late 1920s gas operated guns with tilting blocks and box mags were pretty common

BAR, FM24*, Berthier 1922, ZB-26, maybe Hotchkiss 1922 too

*Ripped off BAR
Nathan45
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by Nathan45 »

They made a awesome SMG in the M38A though.
Craiglxviii
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by Craiglxviii »

They had a superb SMG and some excellent automatic pistols. Their rifles were also-rans but their MGs were utter, utter cack. Many WW2 strip-fed Bredas still kicking around in their reserve infantry when I was a young child over there, and they were hated with a passion.
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M.Becker
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by M.Becker »

Craiglxviii wrote: Tue Dec 02, 2025 12:54 pm They had a superb SMG and some excellent automatic pistols. Their rifles were also-rans but their MGs were utter, utter cack. Many WW2 strip-fed Bredas still kicking around in their reserve infantry when I was a young child over there, and they were hated with a passion.
:?:
Craiglxviii
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by Craiglxviii »

M.Becker wrote: Tue Dec 02, 2025 5:19 pm
Craiglxviii wrote: Tue Dec 02, 2025 12:54 pm They had a superb SMG and some excellent automatic pistols. Their rifles were also-rans but their MGs were utter, utter cack. Many WW2 strip-fed Bredas still kicking around in their reserve infantry when I was a young child over there, and they were hated with a passion.
:?:
Also-rans… colloquialism. In a horse race, an also-ran is a horse that started and finished the race but didn’t finish in the first 3, and usually by quite a distance.
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M.Becker
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Re: Restoring the Worst Machine Gun of WW2

Post by M.Becker »

Aha, thanks.

I prefer what C&Rsenal said: Good enough and we can make them.
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