Armaguerra Model 39

     Notes: The designer of this weapon is Gino Revelli, who also designed the Fiat-Revelli machinegun and the Glisenti pistol.  This should give you some idea what kind of mechanical nightmare this weapon is.  When fired, the entire barrel of the weapon slides back 10 millimeters to allow the bolt to unlock.  The barrel was kept in its track by large retaining bolts, and the charging handle had to be pulled back by pulling on the front of the sling.  Luckily, only about 500 of these rifles were built and forced into the hands of unlucky Italian soldiers during World War 2, with a change in caliber helping to ensure the slowness of their manufacture by requiring a tooling change soon after the beginning of its manufacture.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Model 39

6.5mm Carcano

2.79 kg

6 Clip

$859

Model 39

7.35mm Carcano

2.99 kg

6 Clip

$1002

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Model 39 (6.5mm)

SA

4

2-Nil

7

5

Nil

72

Model 39 (7.35mm)

SA

4

2-3-Nil

7

5

Nil

79

 

Beretta BM-59

     Notes: Shortly after World War 2, Beretta began to manufacture the M-1 Garand rifle for the Italian, Indonesian, and Danish armies.  As years went by, the need for a more modern weapon became apparent, and the M-1 Garand was modified into a selective fire weapon chambered for the then-new 7.62mm NATO cartridge and feed from a detachable box magazine.

     Beretta’s first BM-59s were produced in 1958; they were essentially M-1 Garands with a minimum of modifications.  The barrel was shortened to 19.35 inches, a lighter weight of wood was used for the furniture, the rifle was given selective-fire capability, and of course the chambering was changed and a box-feed ability was added (in addition to the ability to top off the magazine from the top of the receiver using chargers).  For about a year, this was the BM-59.  The BM-59D, introduced in 1959, was essentially the same weapon, but with a deeper pistol grip wrist.  The original cyclic rate, about 800 rpm, was then judged to be too high; this resulted in the BM-59R later that year, with a cyclic rate reducer.  (In game terms, however, this has no effect, and the BM-59, BM-59D, and BM-59R are identical for game purposes.)   A bit later that year, the BM-59GL was also introduced, with a muzzle device added allowing for the firing of rifle grenades. 

     At this point, variations of the BM-59 proliferated wildly.  1960’s BM-59 Mk I had a trigger with a somewhat lighter pull and a barrel tipped with what Beretta called a “tri-compensator” – it served as a flash suppressor, could fit NATO-pattern rifle grenades, and also functioned as a low-grade compensator.  A modification of the Mk I designed with an extra selector setting for three-round bursts (the BM-59 CB) was also built, but never put into even low-level production.  1961’s BM-59 Mk II had an altered stock with a true pistol grip, a winter trigger guard, and a folding bipod attached under the gas block.  At about the same time as the Mk II, the Mk III was introduced; this version had a folding tubular triangular-shaped stock with a well-made buttplate, in addition to a foregrip under the handguard and the bipod deleted.  In 1962, the Mk IV version was introduced; it was designed to be a light support version a la the M-14A1, and had a plastic stock similar in shape to that of the M-14A1 as well as a hinged shoulder support, a heavy barrel, and a folding bipod.

     In 1962, the BM-59 Mk Ital was introduced, and it became the standard BM-59 for most of the rifle’s service.  It is essentially a conventionally-stocked rifle made of weatherproofed walnut, a folding bipod with a mount that wrapped around the gas tube, and a special folding sight for rifle grenades behind the standard front sight.  (When this sight is raised into position, the gas tube is virtually closed to allow grenade firing.)  A folding-stock version, the Mk Ital A, was also designed, and is identical to the Mk Ital except for that stock.

     The BM-59 Ital Alpini was based on the Mk III; it had the same folding stock, foregrip, absence of a bipod, and also had a winter trigger guard and trigger group.  The Ital Paracudisti has shorter 18.21-inch barrel, a detachable muzzle device, and no winter trigger group or guard, but was otherwise similar to the Ital Alpini.  Finally, a civilian model, the BM-59 SL, was also put on the market; it is essentially a BM-59D restricted to semiautomatic fire and with no bayonet lug.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

BM-59/BM-59D/BM-59R

7.62mm NATO

4.1 kg

20

$1007

BM-59GL

7.62mm NATO

4.22 kg

20

$1031

BM-59 Mk I

7.62mm NATO

4.1 kg

15, 20, 25

$1032

BM-59 CB

7.62mm NATO

4.1 kg

15, 20, 25

$1424

BM-59 Mk II

7.62mm NATO

4.3 kg

15, 20, 25

$1516

BM-59 Mk III

7.62mm NATO

4.3 kg

15, 20, 25

$1057

BM-59 Mk IV

7.62mm NATO

5.5 kg

15, 20, 25

$1513

BM-59 Mk Ital

7.62mm NATO

4.4 kg

15, 20, 25

$1492

BM-59 Mk Ital A

7.62mm NATO

4.5 kg

15, 20, 25

$1517

BM-59 Ital Alpini

7.62mm NATO

4.5 kg

15, 20, 25

$1057

BM-59 Ital Para

7.62mm NATO

4.6 kg

15, 20, 25

$1045

BM-59SL

7.62mm NATO

4.6 kg

10, 15, 20, 25

$1007

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

BM-59/BM-59D/BM-59R/BM-59GL

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

8

59

BM-59 Mk I

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

9

59

BM-59 CB

3/5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

5/9

59

BM-59 Mk II

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

8

59

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

2

4

77

BM-59 Mk III

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/7

3

8

59

BM-59 Mk IV

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

7

61

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

3

80

BM-59 Mk Ital

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

8

59

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

2

4

77

BM-59 Mk Ital A

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/7

3

8

59

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/7

2

4

77

BM-59 Ital Alpini

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/7

3

8

59

BM-59 Ital Para

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/7

3

8

54

BM-59SL

SA

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

Nil

59

 

Beretta BM-931

     This weapon was one of several tried out by the Italian Army and used in the inter-war years and during World War 2.  It is an entirely ordinary gas-operated semiautomatic rifle with a straight wrist stock instead of having any sort of pistol grip.  This could make it uncomfortable to fire, and production costs also tended to run a bit high.  As a result, it was not adopted in any large numbers.  The bottom of the integral magazine also pivoted forward to load it, a somewhat unusual feature.  The BM-937 was a short rifle version of the BM-931, and was also chambered for different ammunition.  This rifle was top-loaded in a conventional manner, dispensing with the forward-pivoting magazine housing. 

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

BM-931

6.5mm Carcano

4.07 kg

6 Clip

$859

BM-937

7.35mm Carcano

3.94 kg

6 Clip

$956

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

BM-931

SA

4

2-Nil

7

4

Nil

72

BM-937

SA

4

2-3-Nil

7

4

Nil

58

 

Breda PG

     Notes: Despite the cartridge it fires, the PG is sometimes cited as an early ancestor of assault rifle development.  It was produced in small numbers between 1935 and 1936 (when about 850 were built), and it had modern features such as a high-capacity magazine, short barrel, gas operation, sights calibrated for short range, burst firing capability, and other such modern design features.  However it was not without its faults, the chief of which being that it is a beastly heavy weapon despite its small dimensions.  It also has a very complicated firing mechanism, particularly in the burst mechanism.  The only known sales were to Costa Rica. 

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

PG

7mm Mauser

5.25 kg

20

$946

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

PG

4

4

2-3-Nil

6

3

6

47

 

Mannlicher-Carcano M-1891

     Notes:  These rifles were some of the Italian Army’s primary service weapons from 1891 to 1945.  The Mannlicher-Cacanos were based on the basic Mannlicher design, with the primary difference being the chambering. Trials included the German Gew. 88, rifles submitted by Vitali, Bertoldo, Mauser, and Lee as well 45 other rifles.  These rifles were all chambered or re-chambered for the 6.5mm Carcano round, and trials were remarkably fast considering the sheer amount of rifles tested – in only two years.

     The first version of this series was the Fucile di Fantera M-1891, adopted in 1891, but not issued until 1894.  The FF M-1891 had a straight-wrist stock with a magazine that was made in one-piece with the trigger guard.  A quadrant sight with a perhaps overly-hopeful range of 2000 meters was mounted at the rear. The FF M-1891 used a long 30.7-inch barrel, with the rifle having an overall length of more than 1.28 meters.

     The next version was the Moschetto per Cavallaria M-1891 – the Cavalry Carbine.  The MC M-1891 has a permanently-attached, folding bayonet; in fact, nine different variations of the attachments and folding devices for the bayonet.  The MC M-1891 was primarily issued to cavalry (horse-mounted, that is), Carabinieri (mountain troops), and bicycle-mounted troops.  During World War 2, it was issued to almost anyone.  The early form of the MC M-1891 had no top part of the handguard, and had a (largely-ineffective) recoil lug in the stock; the recoil lug was later removed and a top handguard fitted.  The barrel of the MC M-1891 is 17 inches; mostly due to the folding bayonet, it is almost as heavy as the TS M-1891, despite lighter construction.

     The TS (Truppe Special; the full designation being the Moshetto per Truppe Speciale) carbine is the most common version of the M-1891 system.  It is basically a Mauser-type rifle, with a Mannlicher-type magazine, and a new bolt safety system.  The bayonet mounting system is especially strange, using a special rod projecting from below the barrel and a transverse locking lug.  The barrel is 17.69 inches.  These carbines were mostly sold off in large numbers after World War 2, an act from which its greatest infamy came: it was the weapon Lee Harvey Oswald used to shoot John F. Kennedy.

     A version of the he M-1891TS had mounted to its right side the MOD.28 Tromboncino (“little trombone”) -- a grenade launcher. The grenade launcher is 38.5millimeters in diameter, when loaded, the grenade was kept in place by an elastic O-Ring.  The barrel is slightly tapered, to keep the shell from exiting the barrel with the grenade.  The rifle with grenade launcher has forward center of gravity which is also shifted to the right.  There are no dedicated sights for the MOD.28; the rifle’s leaf and blade sights are used with the MOD.28.  The firing process for the grenade launcher was cumbersome – the bolt of the rifle had to be swung over the MOD.28, a ballistite cartridge inserted in the action, then the grenade launcher could be fired. In 1943 the M1891TS with the MOD.28 was declared obsolete, replaces by light mortars such as the Brixia 1935, and the rifles converted back to standard M1891TSs, and the MOD.28’s discarded.  Some MOD.28-equipped rifles saw partisan use, but most were destroyed during and after World War 2.  There are few MOD.28-equipped rifles in existence today, and they are almost totally museum pieces.

     The M-1940 rifle is basically an improved version of the M-1891, officially adopted by the Italian Army in 1940 but never actually built in large quantities.  It used a much longer 27.15-inch barrel (the carbine had a 17.75-inch barrel) and used modified sights to match the increase in range, but is otherwise the

same as the TS Carbine, using the same action and taking the same M-1891 sword bayonet.  The M-1940 can still be found on the War Surplus market.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

FF Rifle M-1891

6.5mm Carcano

3.78 kg

6 Clip

$1237

MC Carbine M-1891

6.5mm Carcano

3.12 kg

6 Clip

$1098

TS Carbine M-1891

6.5mm Carcano

3.13 kg

6 Clip

$1128

TS Carbine M-1891 w/MOD.28

6.5mm Carcano

6.47 kg

6 Clip

$1939

M-1940

6.5mm Carcano

3.71 kg

6 Clip

$1192

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

FF Rifle M-1891

BA

4

2-3-Nil

8

4

Nil

108

MC Carbine M-1891

BA

3

2-Nil

6

3

Nil

48

TS Carbine M-1891

BA

3

2-Nil

6

4

Nil

51

TS Carbine M-1891 w/MOD.28

BA

3

2-Nil

6

3

Nil

46

M-1940

BA

4

2-3-Nil

8

4

Nil

95

 

Mannlicher-Carcano M-1938

     Notes:  World War 1 suggested to the Italians that the 6.5mm Carcano cartridge did not have the punch that the ammunition used by the rest of the world did.  North Africa and Abyssinia reinforced this.  It was not, however, until 1938 that a new cartridge was devised.  This cartridge was placed into a modified TS M-1891 Carbine, and the new weapon was called the M-1938 Short Rifle.  Unfortunately, the pressures of World War 2 meant that the cartridge and the weapon were produced in only a limited amount, since there were already a huge number of M-1891s and their ammunition available. 

     The M-1938 Carbine, like the Short Rifle, is basically a modified M-1891 design; it is a shorter version of the Short Rifle, with 17.75-inch barrel (as opposed to the Short Rifle’s 22.15-inch barrel).  The Carbine used the same folding bayonet as the M-1891.  The M-1938 TS Carbine is similar, has a barrel band, nose cap for the fore-end, and used the M-1891 sword bayonet.

     The M-1938-43 Short Rifle is an M-1938 Short Rifle modified to fire 8mm Mauser ammunition, specifically for Italian troops fighting alongside Nazi troops.  Other than the modifications necessary for the new cartridge, the clip-fed magazine was replaced by a 5-round internal magazine into which rounds had to be fed one at a time.  The modifications to caliber, unfortunately, turned the M-1938 into a somewhat dangerous weapon for the user, because the M-1938’s action simply wasn’t designed to fire ammunition of the power of the 8mm Mauser. 

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

M-1938 Short Rifle

7.35mm Carcano

3.4 kg

6 Clip

$1342

M-1938 Carbine

7.35mm Carcano

3.33 kg

6 Clip

$1310

M-1938-43 Short Rifle

8mm Mauser

3.61 kg

5 Internal

$1697

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

M-1938 Short Rifle

BA

4

2-3-Nil

6

4

Nil

73

M-1838 Carbine

BA

4

2-3-Nil

6

4

Nil

57

M-1938-43 Short Rifle

BA

4

2-3-Nil

6

5

Nil

80