Breda Mod. 5C
The Breda 5C was an Italian medium machine gun, which was adopted by the Royal Italian Army and used in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and in World War II.
| Breda Mod.5C | |
|---|---|
 Breda Mod. 5 version C | |
| Type | Medium Machine gun |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Royal Italian Army |
| Wars | Second Italo-Ethiopian War, World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Breda Meccanica Bresciana |
| No. built | 2.000 |
| Variants | Breda Mod.5G |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9.22 Kg |
| Length | 940 mm |
| Barrel length | barrel 450 mm |
| Cartridge | 6.5×52mm Carcano |
| Caliber | 6.5 mm |
| Rate of fire | theoretic: 450-500 shots/min; practice:150-180 shots/min |
| Effective firing range | 400 m |
| Feed system | non detachable Magazine with 20 rounds, stripper clip with 20 rounds |
History
Breda 5C, together with Fiat Mod. 26, was designed by the Italian Society Ernesto Breda Costruzioni Meccaniche to replace the machine gun SIA Mod. 1918. Despite the unsatisfactory results of both arms during the tests, however, they were adopted by the Royal Italian Army for to address the critical shortage of automatic weapons. Assigned to the troops of Tripoli, a few dozen unit were used by meharists during World War II. It also armed the armored cars Fiat 611.[1]
Description
The weapon had many features that will then be taken in the machine gun Breda Mod. 30. The barrel was quick change and, through a handle in asbestos, was pulled away, with a half rotation, from the barrel holder sleeve. The functioning was blowback operation of the barrel with locking of the bolt through wing and with oil lubrication of bullets. Shooting with bolt closed. The rear of the receiver ended with two knobs with the firing button and a false wooden stock. The feeding was through a magazine on the right side, front-hinged. For charging, it was front rotated, you could insert the plate with 20 rounds, then this was withdrawn leaving the rounds in the magazine, which was then closed by rotating to the rear. The iron sights was elevated through a cursor. To be fired the weapon necessitated for a 2,860 kg tripod, which doubled as a saddle for the transport of the weapon.[2]
Other versions
Breda 5G
This version is essentially the same weapon, with the same operation, but adapted to machine gun size. The knobs are replaced by a stock with a lower removable tip and pistol grip with wooden grips and a trigger. The tripod is eliminated and replaced by a bipod attached to the barrel holder sleeve.
Bibliography
- Mitragliatrice Breda Mod 5C e 5G, Società Ernesto Breda Costruzioni Meccaniche, 1930.
- Nicola Pignato, Armi della fanteria italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale, Ermanno Albertelli Editore, 1979.
Note
- Pignato, Nicola (1979). Armi della fanteria italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale. Ermanno Albertelli Editore.
- "Official Manual of the weapon".
See also
- Breda Mod. 30
- SIA Mod. 1918