Breda Modello 37
Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (Breda Meccanica Bresciana) · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1937
Also known as: Breda 37, Breda M37, sMG 259(i), m/938 Breda
Overview
The Breda Modello 37 was the standard heavy machine gun of the Italian Army during World War II. Gas-operated and air-cooled with a rising-block locking breech, it was tripod-mounted and fed from distinctive 20-round flat metal feed strips. Firing the powerful 8x59mm RB Breda cartridge at a deliberate slow cyclic rate that aided air cooling, it was rugged and accurate, though heavier and slower-firing than contemporaries like the Bren or MG 42.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 19400 g (684.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1270 mm (50.00") |
| Barrel Length | 680 mm (26.77") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Stripper Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 790 m/s (2592 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 4057 J (2992 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 8x59mm RB Breda · primary — also known as 8mm Breda, 8x59mm Breda
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: 20 Round Flat Feed Strip
- Features: Air Cooled, Quick Change Barrel, Tripod Mounted, Feed Strip, Spent Case Reinsertion, Rising Block Locking
Variants
- Breda Modello 38 — Tank Vehicle
Service history
Operators
- Kingdom of Italy (Regio Esercito) · adopted 1937 · as Mitragliatrice Breda cal. 8 mod. 37
- Nazi Germany (Wehrmacht) · as sMG 259(i)
- Portuguese Armed Forces · adopted 1938 · as Metralhadora pesada 7,92mm m/938 Breda
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- North African Campaign (1940-1943)
- Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974)
Production
Production years: 1937-1943
Standard-issue Italian Army HMG; ~2,500 supplied to the Spanish Nationalists alone. No firm total in sources.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
Famous for re-inserting spent cases back into the feed strip after firing - a quirk variously explained as keeping vehicle floors clear or salvaging brass, and generally regarded as impractical. The Breda 38 was a top-fed magazine variant for tanks.
Background
The Breda M37's signature quirk was re-inserting spent cartridge cases back into the feed strip after firing - meant to keep tank floors and feed mechanisms free of loose brass - a feature that proved impractical but became the gun's defining oddity.