The Moschetto Automatico Modello PG (Presa Gas, lit. "Force gas") was an Italian selective-fire automatic rifle that was produced by Breda Meccanica Bresciana. It is sometimes cited as an early example of the assault rifle concept, and was one of the first automatic weapons to feature a burst-fire function.
History[]
The Breda PG was developed in the early 1930s by Cavaliere Sestilio Fiorini, the chief engineer at Breda. It was trialed by the Italian Army in 6.5×52mm but was not adopted. Breda also offered the PG for export, with Costa Rica placing a small order in 1935 for only 200 models in 7×57mm Mauser. Otherwise, it was commercially unsuccessful and production ended around 1940.
At least one may have been used to develop the burst-firing function on the M16 rifle.[1]
Design[]
The Breda PG was a gas-operated, selective-fire rifle that fired from a open bolt. The gas piston took the form of a jacketed tube that encased the barrel rather than being placed separately; the gases, upon firing, would escape into the surrounding gas tube through vents in the barrel. The breech was fully locked.
The PG had a fire selector that included burst-fire and semi-automatic functions. The burst-fire function delivered four-round bursts, regulated by an escapement device connected to the trigger mechanism. Some versions, built for the domestic Italian market, were built in semi-automatic only and had no fire selector.
The rifle also featured a fully-detachable magazine, consisting of 20 rounds. The Costa Rican contract model featured a notably more curved magazine to accommodate for the 7×57mm cartridges that it was designed to house. Both magazines were windowed, allowing the user to keep track of how many bullets they had expended.
Gallery[]
