OVP 1918
Officine di Villar Perosa · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1918
Also known as: OVP Modello 1918, Beretta OVP 1918, Villar-Perosa OVP
Overview
The OVP 1918 is an Italian submachine gun developed by Officine di Villar Perosa near the end of World War I. Derived from the twin-barreled Villar-Perosa machine gun, it repurposed a single Villar-Perosa receiver into a shoulder-fired weapon with a conventional wooden stock and grip. It fed from a top-mounted 25-round box magazine and used a distinctive cocking sleeve in place of a charging handle, along with a dual-trigger system providing both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire while chambered in 9mm Glisenti.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3600 g (127.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 902 mm (35.51") |
| Barrel Length | 279 mm (10.98") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 318 m/s (1043 fps) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 900 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9mm Glisenti · primary — also known as 9x19mm Glisenti, 9mm Glisenti M1910
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Dual Trigger Selective Fire, Cocking Sleeve, Top Mounted Magazine, Wooden Stock
Service history
Operators
- Royal Italian Army · adopted 1918 · as OVP Modello 1918
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937)
Production
Estimated total produced: 500 · Production years: 1918-1920
Only a few hundred were produced; figures are approximate
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Often credited alongside the Beretta M1918 as one of the world's first true submachine guns. A brass cartridge-collection bag was fitted beneath the ejection port. Combat use in WWI was limited; surviving examples saw service in Ethiopia and North Africa before being supplanted by the Beretta Model 38.
Background
The OVP was born by sawing the twin-barreled Villar-Perosa aircraft/trench gun in half: a single one of its two receivers was reused, reusing the same bolts and magazines, to create a practical shoulder weapon. Its near-900-rpm cyclic rate made it one of the fastest-firing infantry weapons of its era.