Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914
Italian water-cooled heavy machine gun, standard in World War I.
The Mitragliatrice FIAT Modello 1914, also called the FIAT-Revelli mod. 1914, was an Italian water-cooled heavy machine gun built between 1914 and 1919. It was the standard machine gun of the Italian Army during World War I and saw limited service into World War II.
Colonel Abiel Bethel Revelli of the Italian Regio Esercito patented a new machine gun in 1908, inspired by his own Pistola Automatica Mod. 910 design. The first version was nearly identical to the final Modello 1914, with only small external differences: a large oval milled opening on top for ejecting spent cases and inspecting the chamber, 100-round box magazines, and a fluted heavy barrel instead of a water jacket, keeping the weight down to 12 kg. With a very flexible 14 kg tripod, it was a light machine gun compared to contemporaries weighing 33–40 kg with tripod. Cyclist units were especially interested.
The Royal Italian Army tested it immediately, as they were always seeking better machine guns amid rapid firearm evolution. They had already adopted the Gardner Mod.1886, Maxim Mod.1887, Maxim Mod.1906, and Perino Mod.1908, and would soon test the Vickers-Maxim Mod.1911. This first iteration was rejected in 1911 in favor of the Vickers-Maxim Mod.1911.
Revelli sold his patents to FIAT in Turin, beginning a decade-long collaboration. FIAT, primarily an automotive company, set up a production line at its Villar Perosa facilities for gun trials. After updates, the gun competed in another army trial at Nettuno in June 1913. It performed well and was cheaper than the Vickers-Maxim, but was again rejected because it used a different manual of arms than existing machine guns.
Following the Sarajevo assassination and the looming war, the Italian Army’s supply of Vickers-Maxim guns from the UK was cut off. In November 1914, they adopted the new machine gun as the Mitragliatrice FIAT Mod. 1914. The final version had lightening cuts in the receiver, a foldable cover over the ejection area, a fixed ribbed water jacket with an external pump, standard 50-round box magazines, and an improved tripod.
Italy entered World War I with only 37 FIAT Mod. 14 machine guns delivered, but production quickly increased. To help rearmament and ease FIAT’s automotive output, Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini began producing the Mod. 14 in July 1915.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Italy
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Service
- 1914–1945
- Designer
- Abiel Bethel Revelli
- Manufacturer
- FIAT · Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini
- Production Date
- 1914–1919
- Number
- ~37,500
- Length
- 1180 mm
- Part Length
- 654 mm
- Cartridge
- 6.5×52mm Carcano
- Action
- Short recoilGucci · 1918Manganoni · 1930
- Rate
- Cyclic: / 200–500 rounds/min · Practical: / 250 rounds/min
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Colonel Abiel Bethel Revelli patented the machine gun in 1908, inspired by his own Pistola Automatica Mod. 910 concept. The first iteration lacked a water jacket, using a fluted heavy barrel to achieve a weight of 12 kg with a 14 kg tripod, attracting interest from cyclist units. After trials in 1911 and again in June 1913 at Nettuno, the design was rejected in favor of the Vickers-Maxim Mod. 1911. Following the Sarajevo assassination and the interruption of Vickers-Maxim supply from the UK, the Italian Army adopted the gun in November 1914 as the Mitragliatrice FIAT Mod. 1914. The definitive version featured a ribbed water jacket, a foldable cover, 50-round box magazines, and an improved tripod. Production began with only 37 delivered, but by the end of the war FIAT had produced about 20,000 and Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini about 17,500, for a total of roughly 37,500. The gun remained standard until the adoption of the Breda Mod. 37, with many updated to the Mod. 1935 configuration in the late 1930s.
Reader's Guide
The FIAT-Revelli Modello 1914 was notable for its internal mechanism, which differed entirely from the Maxim design despite similar external appearance. It operated on short recoil with a locking wedge, featuring an adjustable lever to regulate recoil force for reliable cycling with different ammunition or conditions. The water jacket had two bottom drain plugs—one for steam pressure release into a condenser, the other for manual pumping of condensed water back into the jacket. A select-fire switch offered slow fire (200 rounds per minute), safety, and fast fire (500 rounds per minute). The distinctive multi-column box magazine, sometimes called a 'mouse cage,' held 50 or 100 rounds in separate columns, indexing mechanically after each column was exhausted. Despite its compactness, the magazine was prone to dents and failures. A conical flash hider was patented in December 1916 and implemented in production. The gun saw use in armored vehicles, such as the Ansaldo Light Tank Prototype 1931, and was developed into the FIAT–Revelli Modello 1935. While some sources suggest a cartridge-oiling system, the official manual makes no mention of it, and only a brief 1930 iteration may have included it.
Did You Know?
- The first iteration of the gun weighed only 12 kg with a 14 kg tripod, making it a light machine gun for its time.
- The magazine was divided into 10 or 20 separate columns, each holding five rounds, and was sometimes called a 'mouse cage'.
- A select-fire switch allowed the operator to choose between slow fire (200 rpm) and fast fire (500 rpm).
- The water jacket had two bottom drain plugs: one for steam release into a condenser and one for manually pumping water back into the jacket.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914?
It is an Italian water-cooled heavy machine gun that served as the standard infantry MG for the Regio Esercito throughout World War I. Designed by Colonel Abiel Bethel Revelli, it was produced under the joint FIAT–Revelli designation from 1914 through 1919.
What caliber and rate of fire does the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 use?
It fires the 6.5×52mm Carcano cartridge at 200 rounds per minute on the slow setting or 500 on the fast setting. The bare gun weighs 17 kg, and adding the tripod brings the field weight to 22.4 kg.
How does the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 feed its ammunition?
Instead of the belts or strips common to other water-cooled guns of the era, it draws rounds from multi-column box magazines holding either 50 or 100 cartridges. This magazine-fed system was one of its most distinctive design features.
Why is the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 important in military history?
It anchored Italian heavy machine-gun fire across the Isonzo front and other WWI battlefields, remaining in standard issue well past the armistice. Its service stretched into the opening years of World War II, giving it a combat career spanning two global wars.
How many Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 guns were built, and by whom?
Approximately 37,500 were manufactured between 1914 and 1919, with FIAT producing around 20,000 and the Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini plant accounting for the remaining roughly 17,500. This made it one of the most numerous Italian heavy MGs of the period.
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