Breda M37 Part Pic Needed.

[StooperZero]

Hey folks.. hope this is the right place.

 

 

I need a pic of a Breda M37 part

 

It's the plate in the top cover that actuates the feed paws .

 

i need a measurement from the front of the plate to the location of the hole if possible too.

 

 

OR a simple pic of the top cover up with the plate in the proper position and I can go from there.

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the most elusive guns to get ANY info for .

Edited March 8, 2013 by StooperZero

[dalbert]

StooperZero,

 

I believe you may be the same person who contacted me in 2009 about the Breda 37, but if not, I may have a bit of helpful information. While I don't have a manual, here's what Col. Chinn said about this MG in the first volume of his series titled, "The Machine Gun."

 

This attempt culminated in the Breda Model 37. The gas-operated weapons

of this type had many peculiar features. One of the most outstanding was

the placing of the empty cartridge case back in the feed tray after firing

and ejection of the whole tray. The breech block was cammed straight up

into its recess by action of the inclined surfaces on the piston

extension, so that the projection on its upper surface engaged in an

opening in the top of the body. The cartridges were fed from plate

chargers holding 20 rounds, each round being housed in a separate

compartment.

No provision was made for single-shot operation. When the safety was

removed, the weapon would fire full automatic only. A special clamp

permitted quick barrel change, and the piston was made with an

interchangeable head. Cyclic rate could be controlled by ten different

settings of the gas regulator.

Like all Italian MG's, oil was used freely on the ammunition since the

head space was not adjustable on the weapon. The fixed relation between

the front face of the breech-lock receiver and the gas port in the barrel

made impossible rotation of the barrel in order to advance or retract the

chamber for correct head space. The oiling of the ammunition was resorted

to in this case in order to compensate for the above condition.

The firing mechanism was held in the cocked position by a rear searing

device. when the pressure had been removed from the trigger button, the

device dropped in position at the full-recoil stroke of the gas piston

holding the entire assembly aft. The barrel was of unusually heavy

construction (9 7/8 pounds) permitting the discharge of quite a long burst

before overheating caused bullets to "tumble" with resultant loss of

accuracy and effectiveness.

To fire the Breda Model 37, the operator inserts a loaded tray holding 20

cartridges in the feed slots in the left side of the receiver and the

charging handle on the right side is pulled back as far as it will go. A

searing device engages the gas piston locking the whole firing mechanism

in the cocked position. When the operating parts are moved rearward by

pulling back on the retracting handle, the feed tray is indexed over one

space positioning a round. If the trigger is taken off safe position and

the button pushed in, the sear is disengaged from the gas piston and the

assembly goes forward, pushing the cartridge out of its container in the

feed tray into the chamber. When this is accomplished, the bolt stops and

the gas piston continues forward, forcing the breech lock up into the

locking recess in the top of the receiver. On the last movement forward

of the gas piston after the mechanism is locked, a projection on top of

the gas piston strikes the firing pin which in turn hits the primer to

detonate the propellant charge.

The expanding gases forcing the bullet out of the bore enter a gas port on

the underside of the barrel at a point two-thirds of the distance from the

breech end. The gas upon entering the gas cylinder exerts a sudden

pressure on the face of the piston housed by the cylinder. The impact

force drives the piston to the rear. The piston movement pulls the firing

pin back and the breech lock down, freeing the bolt. Its first stage of

unlocking jacks the bolt back a few thousandths of an inch, loosening the

empty case before fully unlocking.

The bolt and piston then start rearward with the extractor holding the

cartridge case to the face of the bolt. At a point directly under the

feed tray, a dog on the receiver stops the rearward motion of the case; at

the same time a cam forces the empty case up into the space it formerly

occupied in the feed tray. Continued recoil of the bolt and gas piston

causes the next round to be indexed by a movement to the right of the

ammunition clip. When all 20 rounds have been fired, the clip containing

the empty cartridges is thrown clear of the gun on the right side after

the last shot is fired.

The bolt and piston after striking the spring loaded buffer start into

counterrecoil and, if the trigger button remains depressed, the mechanism

will continue forward to fire the next round.

This model of the Breda, chambered for the rifle caliber cartridge, showed

only the weak points of an otherwise well-designed automatic firing

mechanism and these features were corrected at once. It was felt that the

system of feeding was unsatisfactory; and the following year the 1938

model, having an overhead feed clip, was introduced.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[StooperZero]

nope.not me

 

 

BTW,

 

you use the Felt pad on top of the inside lid of the ammo boxes to lube the rounds when they're loaded in the strip. kind of like reverse sham-wow technology.

[m3bobby]

Is it a Italian M37 in 8mm or a Italian made Potugese M938 contract 7.92mm? I have both so can get what you need, Lots of people think they have a M37 when its actually a M938 (As sold by IMA).

[StooperZero]

italian.

 

 

just need the distance form the front of the actuator plate to the center of the bolt cam hole.

Edited March 13, 2013 by StooperZero

[dalbert]

I don't know if this helps at all, but I just acquired an Italian Breda Model 30 Machine Gun manual. It has very detailed foldout diagrams. I don't know if it shares any characteristics with the Model 37, but it's a resource I could check for information, if needed.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[StooperZero]

THanks.

 

but they're a totally differrent animal.

 

 

I got most of my problems cleaned up so far.

[Black River Militaria CII]

Chinn fails to note one of the most interesting aspects of the Breda 37 design which included the reinsertion of the fired cases into the stripper while firing. The guns were originally employed in armor such as tanks and the stripper system was designed to prevent fired cases from freely dispersing in the interior possibly jamming equipment, etc. Further, he fails to mention that the 37 strip loader ejects the spent case and inserts a fresh round, a point that none of the early MG authors understood or noted in their writing that I can find.

I enjoy shooting a vintage NFA factory Breda set up with an M938 barrel and parts to shoot 7.92. Italian 8mm rebated ammo that the guns were built to use is in very short supply. Thanks to IMA for importing all the great Portugese Breda contract kits and accessories in 7.92!

 

Bob Naess

[StooperZero]

been a little while but , the gun is a contract gun . rome receiver and portuguese top cover/barrels. with "1938" on top.

 

 

as for how it operates, that's a very smooth/slick concept on how the strips work.

 

 

 

 

 

BTW, it wont do anything unless you actually have something in the tray. theres locking lugs in there that have to contact a casing ot the strip locks up

[Black River Militaria CII]

Please explain what you mean that the gun won't "do anything unless you actually have something in the tray". This statement is very mysterious.

 

Bob Naess

[StooperZero]

there has to be something in the strip or it locks up. i wracked my brains for days wondering... Why wont it just cycle an empty strip. it chews them up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

one thing I've noticed in several "books" is the mention that the 37 has an "OIL PUMP" .... like i said, you soak that felt strip on the ammo box and run your loaded strip across it.

Edited June 15, 2015 by StooperZero

[Black River Militaria CII]

OK, I understand to what you are referring. Indexing of the next round to be fired takes place at the full recoil of the bolt since the extracted fired case is drawn back into the same strip slot that held it before chambering. The cartridge depressor keeps the strip from advancing when there are no cases in the slots, so the pawls can push against the stripper and wear the little drive bumps. Of course, there is no need to have the mechanism advance an empty strip through the feed.

Is your 37 live?

 

Bob Naess

[StooperZero]

it's not really alive, sits in my reloading room covered in dust. semi with a maybe 2lb trigger.